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Looking for some school lunch ideas for kids? Then make sure to check out all the photos below for some inspiration. Includes lots of easy and healthy packed lunch box ideas for kids as well as a fun section of bento box lunch ideas for special holidays!
Reasons to Love These School Lunch Ideas
Packing lunches for kids is a dreaded task for many of us! I like to keep things easy by using a simple lunch box packing formula. All of the lunch box ideas below include a main, fruit, vegetable and a snack or treat. They are also easy to make, full of healthy foods and colorful (because we eat with our eyes first!).
3 Lunch Packing Tips
Tip #1: Keep it simple!
There is no need to spend a ton of time packing school lunches or making food art if that’s not your thing. It’s not mine! Well…unless I am occasionally feeling creative for a special holiday that is. For regular day-to-day lunch boxes, I follow this simple lunch box packing formula :
Main + Fruit + Veggie + Snack / Treat
Tip #2: Pick a time
Make it less frustrating by figuring out the best time to pack lunches. This will be different for everyone! The best time for me is the night before. I like to pack lunches either while cooking dinner (in the pockets of time while waiting on something) or right after dinner before the kitchen is cleaned up.
Tip #3: Use leftovers
I love popping leftovers into lunch boxes. Utilize any leftovers from dinner that will work in a packed lunch (e.g. pizza, pasta, chicken, meatballs, etc.). Homemade treats leftover from weekend baking adventures are also a welcome addition! Any homemade treats you might see in the photos below were definitely leftover and not just made for lunch boxes.
What should I put in my child’s lunch box?
I hope the photos below provide you with some inspiration and new ideas. However, when it comes to your child…you know best! You know their likes and dislikes and level of openness to new foods. My recommendation is to get them involved in the process and choosing which fruits and veggies to include.
Do you know what all the lunch boxes below have in common? They all follow the same simple lunch box packing formula mentioned above. I’ve been using it for so long that my kids know this formula intuitively now and will naturally include something from each section when choosing their own lunches. Make sure to grab your free printable below!
Easy Lunch Box Ideas (with pictures)
Need some school lunch box inspiration? See the packing formula in action below! Lots of photos of easy lunch box ideas for kids (some are great for adults as well!). You can easily adjust the portion size based on the age and appetite of the child. Make sure to also check out the fun section at the end which features a few cute lunch box ideas for special holidays.
Sandwich or Wrap
Let’s start off with a classic – the sandwich! So many filling options! Make it with bread or a bun or make a wrap instead!
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: ham and cheese sandwich on a bun
- Fruit: green grapes
- Veggie: carrot, celery and red bell pepper sticks
- Snack / Treat: chocolate coconut cream stuffed strawberries and Annie’s Bunny Grahams
Sushi
Sushi rolls are a fun lunch box idea for kids that enjoy them! Many larger grocery stores even have sushi counters which makes it really easy to quickly grab and pop into a lunch box for the next day.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: California roll
- Fruit: blackberries
- Veggie: sliced red and yellow bell pepper
- Snack / Treat: strawberry gummies and MadeGood granola minis
Homemade Lunchables
Homemade Lunchables are my go-to when I’m not sure what to pack and my kids also love this “snacky style” lunch! The main dish component is basically just crackers, cheese and meat.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: rice crackers, hard boiled egg, salami, garlic cheese coil sausage, ham, cheddar cheese
- Fruit: strawberries, blueberries and blackberries
- Veggie: cucumber slices
- Snack / Treat: MadeGood soft baked red velvet mini cookies and crunchy roasted chickpeas
Pizza
Most kids love pizza and don’t mind eating it cold! Make some English muffin pizzas, naan pizza, puff pastry pizza or even throw in a leftover slice from dinner.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: English muffin pizza with tomato sauce, ham and cheese
- Fruit: green grapes
- Veggie: carrot sticks
- Snack / Treat: crunchy roasted chickpeas and MadeGood chocolate chip crispy square
Leftover Pasta
If your kid is a pasta lover, then heat up some leftover pasta in the morning and throw it in a thermos. Spaghetti or mac and cheese always get a big thumbs up from my kids!
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: leftover spaghetti with Bolognese sauce
- Fruit: strawberries and orange slices
- Veggie: cucumber and red bell pepper slices
- Snack / Treat: apple cinnamon scone (leftover from weekend baking)
Chicken Drumsticks
Ever since my kids were toddlers, they loved chicken drumsticks (even cold). It’s just fun, hand-held food! Use leftovers from dinner if you are cooking up a bunch of drumsticks or grab a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: chicken drumsticks from a rotisserie chicken
- Fruit: sliced peach
- Veggie: cucumber slices
- Snack / Treat: pretzel crisps and Annie’s bunny grahams
Sausage Rolls
Sausage Rolls are also delicious served cold which makes them a great option for lunch boxes. These Chicken Sausage Rolls are a healthier version filled with ground chicken and loads of hidden veggies.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: chicken sausage rolls
- Fruit: orange slices and blueberries
- Veggie: cucumber and red pepper slices
- Snack / Treat: crispy coconut rolls
Frikadellen
Frikadellen are German pan-fried ground meat patties – a cross between a meatball and a burger. They are delicious served hot or cold which makes leftovers perfect for lunch the next day!
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: leftover German Frikadellen from dinner and a pretzel bun
- Fruit: mandarin orange and apple
- Veggie: carrot sticks and red bell pepper slices
- Snack / Treat: leftover German waffle from the weekend cut into strips
Zucchini Slice
Zucchini slice is a classic Aussie dish that is often made for kids and tastes great popped into a lunch box. I was introduced to this delicious dish when I lived in Australia for a few years. It features grated zucchini (which you can’t taste), cheese, bacon and onion in an egg-based batter. The texture is soft and fluffy yet firm enough to hold by hand.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: zucchini slice
- Fruit: raspberries
- Veggie: sliced cucumber and red bell pepper
- Snack / Treat: mini muffins and MadeGood soft baked mini cookies
Pasta Salad
Pasta salad is a great lunch box option that can be prepped ahead and enjoyed by the whole family. There are so many different options too so just choose one that your family loves!
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Fruit: cubed watermelon
- Veggie: red bell pepper slices
- Snack / Treat: oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, crunchy roasted chickpeas, homemade fruit gummy
Fun Special Occasion Lunch Box Ideas
Sometimes I like to make the lunch boxes a little more fun for special holidays! Here are some cute themed bento box lunch ideas for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter.
Halloween Lunch Box
How cute is this Halloween themed lunch box? It’s amazing what some candy eyeballs and a Sharpie can do!
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: “Mummy” English muffin cheese pizza, “Monster” mini Babybel cheese, “Ghost” hard boiled egg
- Fruit: blueberries and “Jack O’ Lantern” mandarins
- Veggie: baby carrots and cucumber slices
- Snack / Treat: Halloween chocolate popcorn balls
Christmas Lunch Box
This Christmas themed lunch box idea is super festive and filled with lots of healthy delicious foods (plus a Christmas cookie of course!).
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: pinwheel sandwiches arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree with a star cut out of cheese on top
- Fruit: strawberries, green grapes and pomegranate arils
- Veggie: sliced red and green bell pepper
- Snack / Treat: Kokosmakronen (German Coconut Macaroons) – can easily be replaced with any Christmas cookie you like!
Valentine’s Day Lunch Box
Grab some heart shaped cookie cutters to transform lunch into a cute Valentine’s Day lunch box.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: parmesan salami rose, cheese and pumpernickel bread cut into hearts (using small cookie cutters)
- Fruit: watermelon and strawberries cut into hearts
- Veggie: bell peppers cut into hearts
- Snack/Treat: strawberry gummies made in a heart shaped silicone mold and a small chocolate heart.
Easter Lunch Box
This super cute Easter themed bento lunch box is really easy to assemble.
In This Lunch Box:
- Main: Annie’s macaroni and cheese (bunny shaped version), hard boiled egg “chicks”
- Fruit: strawberries
- Veggie: baby carrots
- Snack / Treat: chocolate mini eggs and Annie’s bunny fruit snacks
Lunch Boxes & Accessories
Looking for some new lunch gear for the kids? Check out my recommendations for lunch boxes and accessories here >>> Back-To-School Lunch Boxes & Accessories For Kids
Some great lunch gear makes packing those school lunches much easier! I really love either using a bento-style lunch box for my kids (as you probably noticed in the lunch box idea photos above) or a warm thermos lunch with the additional food packed in separate containers.
What is a bento lunch box?
Wondering what a bento lunch box is? A bento-style lunch box is a segmented container with multiple compartments. This allows you to use just one container to pack multiple types of foods.
I love this style of lunch box for a number of reasons:
- Easy to pack: You just need to fill up the various compartments, close the lid and you are done.
- Visually appealing: It is really nice for kids to see all their food laid out before them in a colorful, organized display.
- Easy to store: It is just one container so there is no fumbling around with multiple containers and hunting for lids.
- Easy for kids: They just need to open one container to access all their food instead of struggling and wasting time opening multiple containers.
Kids are usually hungry when they get home from school. If you are looking for some after school snack ideas then you might enjoy these posts as well. Some of them also work as lunch box snacks too!
Hope these lunch box ideas for kids provided some inspiration! Please tag me on Instagram. I would love to see your lunch box photos!
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I feel like I am The only mom who has not figured this out yet, but how do Bento box Keep cold food, cold, and warm food warm? I see you have sushi on one of yours isn’t it just room temperature and could go bad by lunchtime? What am I missing?
Hi Amber! Hopefully I can help to clarify the confusion a bit. Everything I put in the bento box is cold and kept in the fridge until it is time to pack bags for school. Then the bento box goes into an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack to keep it cold. So the sushi in that example is kept cold the whole time. The bento box examples with the chicken drumsticks or mini pizzas are also cold since my kids are happy to eat them that way. Anything that I want to be warm (like pasta and sauce, stew, soup), I will heat up in the morning and put into a thermos.
wow these are really cute ideas. I think my DD would love this for lunch!
Thank you! I hope your daughter loves them!
There are some really great idea in this post Vanessa. I sure wish I had something like this guide when my kids were in school. My niece is coming this weekend and maybe I can surprise her with one of these ideas!
Thank you Bernice!