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List Of Healthy Lunch Ideas For Kids

List Of Healthy Lunch Ideas For Kids

Listย of Healthy Lunch Ideasย & Snack Choicesย for Kids

Planning and preparing a kidโ€™s school lunch can be challenging.ย As parents, weย try to select healthy foods they know their child should eat. Children crave a fun lunch that tastes great. Harmony can and does exist โ€“ kidfriendly lunchย ideas for schoolย (or remote learning)ย can be healthy, quickย and easy.ย ย 

Start with composing a quick list of the delicious things your child absolutely loves to eat and separateย theseย items into five categories:ย Proteins,ย Fruits,ย Vegetables,ย Grainsย andย Snacks.ย 

Once you have this starting point complete, it will be easy to select an item from each groupย โ€“ย or mix and match as desired. As a bonus, your grocery shopping will be much simpler with this customized and simple guide for creating your kids’ healthy school lunches and snacks.ย 

Easy Lunch Ideas for Kids

One challengeย whenย creating healthy lunch ideas for kidsย isย simply getting started. Use these options as a starting point to find the best options for you and your child(ren)ย toย createย easy school lunches theyโ€™ll love.ย 

Proteins

As we know, proteinย is vital andย can be found in a variety of foods. Whenย choosingย proteinย optionsย for your child,ย considerย vegetarianย sourcesย as well asย creative ways to repurposeย last nightโ€™s leftovers. Healthy lunch ideas for kids can be found right in your own kitchen or pantry.ย 

  • Chicken pattiesย or nuggetsย ย 
  • Cottage cheeseย 
  • Cream cheeseย ย 
  • Cubedย hardย cheesesย 
  • Cubes of ham or turkeyย 
  • Grilled chickenย ย 
  • Grilled turkeyย 
  • Hard-boiled eggsย 
  • Hummusย or bean dipย 
  • Meatballsย (includingย veggie,ย beef, turkey or chicken)ย 
  • Nut spreads or nut buttersย 
  • Pepperoniย or salamiย ย 
  • Pulled pork (recipe below)ย 
  • Quiche or frittataย 
  • Shredded chickenย ย 
  • Shredded turkeyย 
  • Sliced deli meatsย 
  • Sliced or shredded beefย ย 
  • Tofuย 
  • Yogurtย 

Fruits

While some children simply love sweet, juicy, fresh fruitย โ€“ย for others,ย it can be a challenge to find ways to include this food group in a healthy school lunch. Some ideas toย consider:ย try cutting the fruit into bitesized pieces or fun shapes.ย If using prepackaged fruit,ย check the label for added sugars andย artificial ingredients.ย Consider fruit smoothies if fresh fruit is not your childโ€™s favorite.ย 

  • Applesย 
  • Applesauceย 
  • Avocadosย 
  • Bananasย 
  • Blackberriesย ย 
  • Blueberriesย ย 
  • Cantaloupeย cubesย 
  • Grapesย 
  • Honeydew melonย chunksย 
  • Jams/jelliesย 
  • Kiwisย 
  • Mangoย slicesย 
  • Orangesย 
  • Pineappleย 
  • Pitted cherriesย ย 
  • Raisinsย 
  • Raspberriesย 
  • Sliced peachesย ย 
  • Sliced pearsย ย 
  • Strawberriesย 
  • Watermelonย slices or chunksย 
  • Home-made fruit smoothiesย (recipe below)ย 

Vegetables

Ah,ย veggies. We try to sneak them in wherever we can,ย butย actually, someย raw crunchy vegetables are a wonderful lunch snack for kids.ย Try serving with a side of Ranch dressing orย a favorite dip.ย 

  • Bell peppersย (of all colors)ย 
  • Black beansย 
  • Broccoliย 
  • Carrotsย 
  • Cauliflowerย 
  • Celeryย 
  • Cherry or grape tomatoesย 
  • Cornย 
  • Cucumbersย 
  • Garbanzo beansย 
  • Green beansย 
  • Kale chips (recipe below)ย 
  • Lettuceย 
  • Olivesย 
  • Picklesย 
  • Potatoesย 
  • Spinachย 
  • Sugar snap peasย 
  • Sweet potatoesย 
  • Veggie nuggets (recipe below)ย 

Grains

Chooseย aย type of grainย thatย fitsย your childโ€™s dietary needsย (e.g.,ย gluten-free,ย veganย or multigrain).ย Many choices are available ready-made, and plenty of great recipes can be found online.ย 

  • Biscuitsย 
  • Breadย slicesย 
  • Brown riceย 
  • Corn or wheat tortillasย 
  • Cornbreadย 
  • Crackersย 
  • Crescent rollsย 
  • Croissantsย 
  • Flatbreadsย 
  • Granolaย ย 
  • Mini bagelsย 
  • Muffinsย 
  • Oatmealย 
  • Pancakesย 
  • Pastaย 
  • Pitas and mini pitasย 
  • Quinoaย 
  • Rice cakesย 
  • Rollsย 
  • Slider bunsย 
  • Wafflesย 
  • Wrapsย 

Snacks/Treatsย 

It may be tempting to eliminate this category but having a portionedcontrolled, and parentapproved snack or treatย can certainly be included in aย funย and healthy kidโ€™sย school lunch.ย ย 

Go ahead andย makeย the lunchย fancy if youโ€™d like to. Useย cuteย cupcake and muffin linersย as dividers,ย considerย divided containersย orย bento boxes.ย Or simply use reusable food storage bagsย placed into aย lunch bag or boxย withย ice cool packs.ย ย 

Create Simple, Funย &ย Healthy Mealsย for Kidsย 

Once you have chosen items you know your child will be happy to find in their school lunch, consider some creative touches for pulling it all together.ย Putting these tasty and quick lunch ideas together for kids only takes a few minutes once everything is prepped.ย 

  • Rollย slicedย ham and cheese in a wrap then sliceย into disks. Packย theย lunchbox with a few cubes of watermelon and fishshapedย cheddarย crackers.ย ย 
  • Wrap aย chicken pattyย or some veggie nuggetsย in lettuce, serveย with a few berries andย a salad dressing cup forย dipping.ย 
  • Thinlyslicedย cucumberย or lettuce or cabbage leavesย can substitute for breadย inย a sandwich. Consider alternatingย cheese andย pepperoni slices.ย Includeย a bananaย andย someย puffed cornย snacks.ย 
  • Meatballsย canย be made with brown rice asย aย binder instead of breadcrumbsย for a gluten-free option. Packย them upย withย some barbeque sauce,ย spears of bell peppers, pear slices, and a favorite cookie.ย ย 
  • Hummus with pita makes for fun dipping. Justย add some carrotsย andย pretzels to complete the theme.ย 
  • A mini bagel with cream cheese canย be topped with fruitย andย served withย a side of sweet snap peasย and a couple of graham crackersย for crunch.ย ย 
  • A pulled pork slider,ย aย fruit smoothieย and a small portion of kale chips truly sounds like aย well-rounded meal.ย 
    ย 

Easyย Lunch Recipesย for Kids

Pulled Porkย ย 

Ingredients:ย 

  • 1ย pork roast (shoulder cut with bone)ย 
  • Salt and pepper,ย to tasteย 
  • Your favorite barbecueย sauceย 

Steps:ย 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 300ยฐย F or use aย slow cooker.ย 
  2. Season pork roast and place it in a covered ovensafe roasting pan.ย 
  3. Cook for aboutย 6 hours,ย or until tender.ย 
  4. Remove the pork from the pan and shred with two forks in a large mixing bowl.ย 
  5. Mix inย enoughย barbecue sauceย for the pork to be evenly coated.ย 
  6. Serve on slider buns.ย 

Kale Chipsย 

Ingredients:ย 

  • 1 bunch of kale, washed and driedย 
  • Sprinkle of kosher saltย 
  • 1ย toย 2 tablespoons of olive oilย 

Steps:ย 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐย F.ย 
  2. Remove stalks from the kale leaves.ย 
  3. Toss kale leaves in a largeย mixing bowlย withย olive oil.ย 
  4. Spread kale in oneย even layer on aย cookie sheetย or roasting pan.ย 
  5. Sprinkle withย kosher salt.ย 
  6. Bake for 10ย toย 15 minutes,ย or until the kale is dehydrated and slightly brown around the edges.ย 

Veggie Nuggetsย 

Ingredients:ย 

  • 1/2ย cup each boiled orย steamedย tender carrots, broccoli,ย andย cauliflower,ย cooledย 
  • 1/4ย cup of breadcrumbs for filling,ย plusย extra for dipping formedย nuggetsย 
  • 1 large eggย 
  • Salt and pepper,ย to tasteย 
  • Vegetable oil forย fryingย 

Steps:ย 

  1. Combineย vegetables,ย 1/4ย cupย breadcrumbs, saltย and pepper.ย 
  2. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion out veggie mixture into a ball,ย then flatten into a nugget shape.ย 
  3. Coat nuggets with more breadcrumbs.ย 
  4. Fry nuggets until golden brown or use anย airย fryer.ย 
  5. Drain and cool.ย 
  6. Nuggets can also be baked in a traditional oven at 400ยฐย F for about 15 minutes.ย 

Fruit Smoothiesย 

Ingredients:ย 

  • 1 cup of milk (dairy orย non-dairy,ย whichever your child normally drinks)ย 
  • 1 small bananaย 
  • 1/2ย cup of fresh or frozen fruit your child enjoysย (one or a combo)ย 

Simply mix all ingredients in aย blenderย until smooth.ย Store in aย thermos,ย cupย or drink pouch.ย 

Keep in mind, children like what they like, and if that means thisย weekย they arenโ€™t eating anything green, go to your list and find some other color options to create healthyย lunch snacks. If your child has allergies,ย eliminate those items,ย of course,ย and find a suitable substitute.ย 

Preschool lunch ideas, kindergarten lunchbox ideas, and even healthy, easy lunches for elementary school kids can be a breeze to put together, ensuring they eat right, even when theyโ€™re out of your sight.ย Hereโ€™s a tip that may put your mind at ease: think of the nutrition your childย needsย over the course of a week rather thanย attempting toย reachย that goalย each day.ย ย 

ย 

About The Author

Sharon MacGregor

Writing from her desk in New York, Sharon MacGregor is a contributing reporter, freelance writer, and blogger with a passion for human interest stories as well as meals shared with friends and family. Her blog, Fed Well includes recipes with upcoming tips to prepare foods for infants and toddlers, simple and seasonal cocktails, and easy modifications to create dishes respecting dietary restrictions including dairy and gluten intolerances. She loves entertaining for the ones she loves including her new grandbabies!

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