21+ Healthy School Lunch Ideas for Kids (Quick & Easy!)

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As back to school season approaches, we found the best school lunch ideas for picky eaters! Kids will love these ideas, and you’re going to love how healthy and quick they are to make!

All of these school lunches are designed to fit your busy lifestyle! Plus, they’ve all been approved by kids!! You can also always make changes to these recipes and ideas for specific dietary needs.

We love these Collapsable Silicone Containers to make prepping school lunches a breeze!

Healthy School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters

While we’ll share a few recipes for school lunches below, we also wanted to offer a few grab-and-go options as well! These are particularly helpful if you have a picky eater!

Option 1:

Turkey Sandwich
Apple
Go-gurt
Trail mix

Option 2:

Ham & Cheese Roll-Ups
Orange
Carrots with Ranch

Option 3:

Almond Butter & Jelly
String Cheese
Banana

Option 4:

Cheese Quesadilla
Pineapple
Salsa
Tortilla Chips

Option 5:

Kabobs of turkey, cheese and bread
Grapes
Celery with Ranch

Option 6:

Pinwheels with sliced cheese, ham or turkey, tomatoes, and lettuce rolled tight
Apple Sauce

Option 7:

Pita with Hummus, Shredded Chicken and Tomato
Apple Chips

Option 8:

Pasta Salad
Edamame

Love these healthy kids lunches for school?

You may also like our school snack ideas or allergy-friendly snacks .

Healthy Sides for School Lunches

If your kid loves a certain type of sandwich, you can mix up their school lunches by changing up the sides.

Here are a few of our favorite side ideas!

Gluten Free Crunchy Energy Bites (10 Minute Prep)
Honey and Carrot Muffins (10 Minute Prep)
Air Fryer Apple Chips (5 Minute Prep)
Rainbow Fruit Skewers (5 Minute Prep)
String Cheese

Paleo Blueberry Muffins
Apple Sauce
Greek Yogurt
Fruit Leather or Snacks
Popcorn
Fruit Cup

You may also like our 21 Healthy Snack Mix Recipes

Creative School Lunches

Above: Turkey Avocado Chipotle Sandwich (15 Minute Prep)
Homemade Spaghetti O’s (20 Minute Prep)
DIY Nachos Lunchable (10 Minute Prep)

You may also like these Mason Jar Salads!

Lunchbox Tacos (5 Minute Prep)
Mini Corn Dog Muffins (10 Minute Prep)
Lunch Box Pizza (3 Minute Prep)

Above: Vegetarian Taco Wraps (10 Minute Prep)
Submarine Lunch (10 Minute Prep)
Turkey & Cheese Roll-Ups (5 Minute Prep)

School Lunch Ideas for Adventurous Eaters

Above: Peanut Butter and Banana Sushi (10 Minute Prep)
Healthy Turkey Salad (8 Minute Prep)
Hello Kitty Bento Lunch (10 Minute Prep)

Don’t Forget Dessert in Your School Lunches

Gluten-Free Granola Bars (15 Minute Prep)

These quick-to-make granola bars are chewy, sweet, and so much better than store-bought! They’re also make a great after-school snack as well!

Sweet Potato Brownie Bites (15 Minute Prep)

Sneak in a vegetable with this healthier dessert option. It’s perfect for your kiddos lunch!

Tools to Take School Lunches to The Next Level

We know packing a lunch takes time, energy, and remembering to grab it on the go!

Here are a few favorite items to make lunchtime easier and more fun!

Reuseable Sandwich Bags (like a resealable ziplock)
LunchBots Thermos
Kid’s Water or Juice Bottle
Bento Lunch Box
Fun Shapes Vegetable Cutter
Wet Ones

We also put together a list of our favorite meal prep containers you might like!

Include a Lunch Box Note for More Memories

I used to love finding a note or a silly picture in my lunch box growing up. While I was tickled with a sweet message on my napkin, you could even go one step further using the Dating Diva’s Lunch Box Notes Templates!