Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas (original) (raw)

This post contains affiliate links.

We have tons of healthy School Lunch Ideas for kids (and a free printable you could hang in the kitchen) to help with burn-out from the grind of making kids lunches each day.

And, if you need some kid-friendly meal ideas, try our popular Hawaiian Meatballs, Spaghetti Pie, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Turkey Club Wrap, or Pizza Sliders.

Six school lunches packed and in containers with compartments, showcasing a variety of healthy lunches to pack your child for school lunch.

Mastering the art of school lunch ideas monotony!

As a mom of 4 school-age kids, I get how packing a healthy lunch for them each day is a grind! I created this free school lunch ideas pdf years ago for our family to use and things have gone more smoothly ever since. I laminated mine so it has lasted for years.

I've also included my best 4 best tips to winning the school lunch game; just read on.

Tip #1: Have pre-made or freezer-friendly options:

Have items in your fridge or freezer you can just throw in a lunchbox and your done! This works well for breakfast items, too, for an easy grab-n-go morning.

Freezer Muffins will thaw by the time it's lunchtime. Try our Snickerdoodle Muffin s, Healthy Banana Muffins, Chocolate Chip Muffins, Skinny Chocolate Muffins, and Healthy Pumpkin Muffins.
Hard boiled eggs -make a dozen and label them in the fridge for an easy protein to add to any lunch.
Snacks: Chewy Granola Bars, Protein Bars, Trail Mix, Chex Mix, Granola Bites, Beef Sticks, and Instant Pot Applesauce. Check out all of my healthy snacks for kids!
Homemade yogurt with healthy granola.
Breakfast items: Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches, Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets, Breakfast Burritos, Sheet Pan Pancakes, and Chocolate Overnight Oats (stored in the fridge).

Tip #2: Use your leftovers

When making dinner, make extra so you have enough to heat in a food thermos for school lunch the next day. This works well for pastas, soups, and casseroles, like:

Pasta: Boursin Pasta, Swedish Meatballs, or American Goulash.
Soup: Taco Soup, White Chicken Chili, Chicken and Dumplings, or Corn Chowder.
Casseroles: Chicken Casserole, Chicken Noodle Casserole, or Pizza Casserole.

Tip #3: Pack Lunch the Night Before (Have Kids Help!)

Fresh Sandwich Trick: To keep sandwiches from getting soggy, place cheese slices directly on the bread, and then the mayo and mustard on top of the cheese. This establishes a barrier to the bread and will keep it fresh, especially if you're making it the night before.

Tip #4: Have the Right Equipment

Lunch Box Containers: I've tried them all, and I always come back to these simple bento-style containers that don't have a million parts to clean, are easy to open, dishwasher-friendly, and leak proof. But these Bentgo boxes are a really popular choice as well.

Thermos Containers our our favorite for enjoying leftover hot food for lunch.

Lunch Bag: I am obsessed with these lunch bags that come with the ice packs! They are durable and have held up so well for us.

Don't Miss These Sales!

My favorite divided lunch containers are 30% off right now!
Lunch Bags with built in ice packs less than $20! Just keep the whole bag in the freezer. We have the snack size of these and use them constantly!
Reusable utensils with fun case are only $15!
Cute lunch box joke cards are on sale for only $5 and are sure to create a smile!
I love to use Silicone Muffin Liners in my kid's lunch boxes when they need one more little compartment. They are so handy and you can get 12 for $6.
All prices accurate at time of publishing

Free Printable

Back to school lunch idea pdf printable to give you a variety of ideas for school lunches.

Main Course:

▢ Meat, Cheese and Crackers
▢ Pita bread and hummus
▢ Chicken salad on roll or croissant
▢ Ham and cheese sliders
▢ Wrap: like Turkey Bacon Avocado wrap, or Chicken Caesar
▢ Pasta salad
▢ Pizza Quesadillas
▢ Tuna with crackers, or on sandwich
▢ Healthy Muffins
▢ Sushi Rolls
▢ Bagel and cream cheese
▢ 7-layer Bean dip with chips

Veggies:

▢ Cucumber
▢ Cherry Tomato
▢ Avocado
▢ Edamame
▢ Snap peas
▢ Celery
▢ Carrots
▢ Bell peppers
▢ Pickles
▢ Broccoli florets
▢ Olives

Fruit :

▢ Peaches
▢ Cutie orange
▢ Apples
▢ Berries
▢ Banana
▢ Applesauce
▢ Grapes
▢ Dried fruit
▢ Melon, cut into cubes

Sides and Treats:

▢ Trail mix
▢ Nuts
▢ Granola bars , , or Granola Bites
▢ Fruit leather
▢ String cheese
▢ Cottage cheese
▢ Popcorn
▢ Chex mix
▢ Yogurt and Granola
▢ Rice crackers
▢ Fig bar
▢ Rice Cakes
▢ Fruit snacks
▢ Hard boiled egg
▢ Celery with peanut butter

Complete Meal Ideas:

▢ Summer sausage slices, Cheese cubes, crackers, sliced cucumber, apples
▢ Hummus and pita bread, hard boiled egg, grapes, yogurt Tube
▢ Healthy muffin, veggies and dip, string cheese, berries
▢ Pasta Salad, carrots, granola ball
▢ California sushi roll, almonds, applesauce
▢ Sandwich, edamame, cutie orange
▢ Tuna with crackers, pickle, string cheese, strawberries
▢ Quesadilla, chip with salsa and guac, apple slices
▢ Bagel with cream cheese, trail mix, veggies
▢ Turkey wrap, celery with peanut butter, fruit

Text me new recipe ideas!

Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.

Text Signup

I originally shared this post August 2016. Updated August 2022 and 2024.

Published August 19, 2024

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.