25 Back to School Lunch Ideas
It’s that time of year again, back to school is right around the corner! Are you ready? Today we have 25 fun lunch ideas for your kids that they will love!
It can be so hard to keep the kids’ lunch boxes from getting boring. Kids will, in most cases, eat what you put in there, but why not make it fun! And in many cases these recipes are healthier than their store bought equal.
That’s a Wrap!
Sandwich Wraps are quick and easy to make, and just different enough that the kids don’t think they are eating a boring old sandwich. Check out these fun sandwich recipes made as a wrap or with a pita.
Taco Rollups – Kids will love this one. And this is a perfect lunch to make after having tacos for dinner.
Ham and Cheese Ranch Rollup – This one looks pretty yummy. And most kids really like ranch so that’s an added bonus.
Chicken Pita – Kids will love this pita sandwich as a change of pace from your average sandwich.
Turkey Meatball Pitas – This will keep the kids full and ready for the rest of their day. Also a great one to make with leftovers!
Leftover Chicken Pesto Wrap – Turn your chicken dinner leftovers into a great wrap for the kids’ school lunch.
Hummus Pinwheels – This recipe includes one for homemade hummus!
Kid Friendly Sushi
Kids will love to eat lunch thinking they are eating real sushi. Try either of these fun kid-friendly twists on sushi. You can even put chopsticks in their lunch box for a little added fun at lunch time.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi – If your kids love PB&J, they will love PB&J Sushi!
Sushi Surprise – Wrap up raw veggies in bread to make it look like real sushi.
Mock Sushi – Wrap hummus, refried beans or other items in bread to look like sushi.
Kids love to dip their food. It’s fact! Add some extra fun to lunchtime with some of these great dip recipes.
Very Veggie Dip – A great homemade veggie dip with cream cheese the kids will love.
Hummus and Veggies – An easy, and very healthy, lunch idea is to put some hummus in a container and send with some raw veggies or pita chips.
Celery and Peanut Butter – Another very healthy lunch box choice is to send a small container of peanut butter with celery for dipping.
Cheesy Pretzel Dippers – Kids will love this fun treat! Just stick a pretzel stick in a cube of cheese and send some dip!
Lunch on a Stick
Another way to get the kids more interested in lunch? Serve it on a stick! The kids will even want to help you put their own lunch together!!
Greek Salad on a Stick – A great way to get the kids to eat more veggies!
Chicken on a Stick – Put one of most kids’ favorite foods on a stick, and you have an instant hit!
Sandwich on a Stick – How fun is this? No boring old sandwich here. Put cheese and meat on a stick with a small piece of bread on each end.
Fruit Kabobs – Add a few types of fresh fruit to a stick. Goes great with anything else they have for lunch.
Additional Lunch Ideas
Here are some other recipes you may want to try in the kids lunches this year:
Ham and Cheese Muffins – Another more interesting way to eat a ham and cheese sandwich! Plus you can make these ahead of time and freeze them!
Muffin Weenies – Kids will love these, just don’t forget the ketchup for dipping! Another you can make ahead and freeze until you need them.
Chicken Fingers – Whether you wrap in foil to keep warm, or the kids eat them at room temperature, kids will love to open the lunch box to find their favorite meal!
Lunch Box Pizza Quesadilla – A fun spin on pizza that isn’t as messy to put in the lunch box!
Mini Corn Dogs – Kids will love opening their lunch box to see this one. No trading their food today!
Frozen Fruit Cups – Kids will love these. Plus it’s healthy, and better for them than most store bought fruit cups.
English Muffin Pizza – Kids love pizza. You can make these ahead and freeze until you need them. Bake and wrap them in the morning or save for a great after school snack!
Copy Cat Pizza Lunchable – Kids love lunchables. Make your own! It’s easy.
I can’t believe it’s almost time for school already! Thanks for the great ideas, my inspiration runs dry when it comes to school lunches!
I was just thinking today I needed to come up with new ideas for my daughters lunch. She is very health conscious and refuses to buy any of the food at school. Thank you for a timely and thoughtful blog.
Oh, this is a fantastic list. Definitely pinning this. Love the note, btw. My mom often left those in my lunch box and they are such a happy memory for me. Found you via Sun Scholars this morning. I would love to invite you to share this at my Season’s Best {Back-to-School} Link-Up this month. Best wishes for a great start to the school year! Thanks!
I can’t wait to use some of these ideas next year when my son is in 1st grade. These will definitely make lunch more fun for him. Thanks!
Thank you for all of these great ideas!