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After years of sharing the school lunches I pack for my kids on Facebook, I decided to combine all the pictures together below in one easy-to-reference place for inspiration.
I know some readers love to sit down and look at these pics with their kids so they can point out what they want (and, more importantly, what they’ll actually eat!), which I think is a great idea.
If you find it helpful as well, please consider bookmarking this page, sharing it using the social buttons, or leaving a comment with star rating (at the bottom of the page) to help others find this guide. 🙂
Check out these Easy Lunch Ideas and these High Protein Lunch Ideas too!
Table of Contents
360+ Healthy School Lunch Ideas
Narrow results with the drop down filter or search box. Note some of these lunch ideas incorporate real food leftovers, which can be a real time saver. Most recipes can be found here on the blog via the included links, but a few are from my best-selling cookbooks.
- Homemade White Bean Dip (from #100dayscookbook ) with blue tortilla chips
- Apple sandwiches
- Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites (from #100daysonabudget cookbook)
School Lunch Ideas Packing Chart
See my School Lunch Packing Chart post for more details and how to get your free printable copy (a reusable version is also included in my Meal Planner Workbook). Basically you have your kids fill out the chart with all the ingredients they'd like in their lunches for the week, and then take the chart with you on your grocery run so you know what to buy. You'll have all the fixings on hand, plus buy-in from your kids!
School Lunch Ideas "Recipe"
This is similar to the packing chart in that you can get inspiration and buy-in from kids for new lunch combinations.
School Lunch Ideas
Ingredients
Main
- Sandwich (☐Whole wheat bread ☐Whole wheat pita ☐PB & J ☐PB & honey ☐Cheese ☐Hummus ☐Organic ham ☐Organic turkey ☐Lettuce ☐Sliced pickle ☐Sliced cucumber ☐Mustard ☐Mayo )
- Bagel and cream cheese (☐With cucumber slices)
- Cheese and crackers
- Cheese quesadilla (Cold)
- Deviled eggs
- Egg salad
- Grilled cheese (Cold)
- Oatmeal (☐Hot ☐Cold)
- Pasta salad
- Smoothie
- Waffle and cream cheese sandwich
- Whole wheat pita pizza
- Whole wheat pita triangles and hummus
- Other (Write in:_________________________ )
Fruits and Veggies
- Apple (Red)
- Apple (Green)
- Applesauce
- Avocado half
- Bananan half (☐With peanut butter or other nut butter)
- Bell peppers (Sliced)
- Blueberries
- Broccoli (Raw or cooked)
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Celery (☐With peanut or other nut butter ☐With raisins)
- Cherries*
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Dried fruit (Raisins, apricots, apple, or other)
- Frozen peas
- Grapefruit
- Grapes*
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- Mango*
- Olives
- Oranges (☐Big ☐Small)
- Papaya*
- Peach*
- Pear
- Pickles
- Pineapple
- Plum*
- Pomegranate seeds (Fresh or frozen)
- Radish slices
- Raspberries
- Star fruit*
- Strawberries*
- Sugar snap peas
- Watermelon*
- Other (Write in:_________________________ )
Grain or Snack
- Brown Rice Cakes (☐With peanut or other nut butter ☐With raisins)
- Cheese cubes/slices
- Chickpeas
- Crackers
- Dip (☐White bean ☐Other, write in:____________________)
- Edamame
- Granola chunks
- Hard-boiled egg
- Muffin
- Popcorn
- Powerballs (homemade)
- Snack bar
- String cheese
- Trail mix
- Whole wheat noodles
- Whole wheat pretzels
- Yogurt
Instructions
- Choose an ingredient from each category to create new lunch combinations (I recommend doing this with your kids).
- Jot your ideas down as you go for a quick school lunch meal plan.
Notes
School Lunch Meal Plans
Get our uber-popular packed lunch meal plans! Our Real Lunches, Real Easy ebooks are each a complete system that tells you what to buy, what to prep, and what to pack (including colorful pictures) so you're not stressing out at the last minute. Grab one version, or all four, and even have your kiddos help pack their new wholesome, hearty, real food lunches. See samples of each week and learn more here.
More School Lunch Resources
To learn more about the lunches I pack, here are some helpful links…
- Our favorite school lunch supplies including the commonly pictured plastic Ziploc divided containers (each compartment is leak-proof).
- Everything you could ever want to know about those colorful smoothie pop molds used in some lunches.
- Why we don’t track protein or worry about getting “enough.”
- My cookbooks all contain more lunch box ideas as well.
- You can also find more school lunch resources (among others) in our free member’s area.
School Lunch Ideas FAQ
I've get a lot of comments/questions/etc. when I share my kids' lunches on Facebook, so I’d like to address a few of the more common questions below. Read more in the full FAQ.
I’ve written a post that includes everything you could ever want to know about the colorful “freezie pop molds” that I use frequently to add smoothies to their lunches.
Many of the school lunch supplies we use, including the divided lunchbox containers, thermos cups, and freezie pop molds, are detailed in the My Favorite School Lunch Supplies post and my Amazon Favorites page. The lunchbox containers fit nicely (with a drink cup) in both Lands End and Old Navy cloth rectangular lunch boxes.
Some readers ask if these lunches provide enough food for my children, and while I am probably not spot-on with portion size 100% of the time, the short answer is “yes.” First of all, “real food” is a lot more filling than highly processed food (especially the refined grain stuff like white flour). Secondly, portion sizes are getting out of control in America and have unfortunately skewed the public’s view of what is appropriate. Thirdly, my children were 7 and almost 5 when I started photographing their lunches. Lastly, both my children eat after-school snacks. Okay, got that off my chest. :)
A few occasionally ask if these lunches have enough protein. First of all, part of eating a “real food” diet means you no longer have to count calories, fat grams, protein, carbs, etc. You simply eat a variety of whole foods (including lots of veggies) without “overeating” and the rest will just fall into place. It’s kind of nice not to have to worry about that stuff anymore. But, if you aren’t quite ready to forget about your daily protein intake please know there are MANY sources high in protein aside from just meat products such as yogurt, eggs, cheese, cream cheese, nuts (including peanut butter), seeds (including sunflower butter), and beans. When we switched to a "real food" diet we purposely reduced our meat consumption.
My daughters used to go to a peanut/tree nut-free school, so I often used sunflower butter and cream cheese as an alternative to peanut butter. You can filter the lunches above or visit my Nut-Free Lunch Ideas post for more ideas.
What Do Packed Lunches Look Like by Lunchtime?
I've gotten quite a few questions asking what these carefully prepared lunches actually look like come lunchtime—especially after they've been tossed all around while in my kids' backpacks and since "liquidy" foods like yogurt or applesauce are involved. Let's face it, no child keeps their lunch bag or box in one perfect position all day, and that is certainly something I would never expect of my own children.
So when I was having lunch with my daughter at school (and risking looking like a lunatic), I took a bunch of pictures for you! :)
So that's all there is to it! And since I know some will be wondering :) ....
- Those are Ziploc brand divided lunch containers - super cheap, lightweight, BPA-free, and available online. I have no relationship with Ziploc whatsoever. We just really like these lunch boxes.
- I got the muffin cups here. Here are the Thermos cup, the flexible ice blanket, and the fun character ice pack.
- I bought the fun toothpicks at Party City, although I've found cute ones at several different places including Martha Stewart Crafts, and cute Meri Meri Toot Sweet Cupcake Picks.
- The lunch bag is by Lands End and we have the matching backpack that goes with it. This is the brand my older daughter has been using for almost 3 years now and it is still holding up great.
I hope these lunch ideas have been helpful. Please feel free to share your “real food” school lunch ideas in the comments below…
Shannon says
My friend just forwarded me this article that I though was helpful as well. Not all of the recipes are 100% "real food" but they are pretty close and could easily be adaptable. I hope it's useful for other parents too! http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/family/kids-lunch-ideas-nut-butter
Susan says
How do you keep the apples from browning? My girls love the pb and apple sandwiches but we only have them when were home and I can cut the apples fresh.
Thank you.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Susan. Squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on them. Jill
Jennie says
I don't think it's realistic that anyone would a job would have time for this.
Kitt says
I work sixty hours a week, prepare everything from scratch and take a whole foods lunch and dinner with me every day (and get to the gym at least three times a week). MANY people who live this way have jobs, and demanding ones. It's just plain incorrect (and disrespectful) to imply that the only people who do this have nothing better to do. It's all about what you choose to prioritize.
It also doesn't have to be difficult and involve cutting sandwiches into cute shapes. What's hard about cooking some brown rice in the rice cooker while you take out the trash and hop in the shower? What's hard about canned chickpeas, leftover chicken, raw nuts from a jar or a spoonful of natural peanut butter? Fresh fruit out of a bowl on your counter? Scrambled eggs? Fresh carrots or broccoli with hummus? Real cheese with whole wheat crackers? If we make good choices in the grocery store - where we have to find time to go ANYWAY- then your home will be full of easy choices. I often make soups or something on the weekends and freeze them because I like to cook and have more options, but there's no law saying that you HAVE to. There's also no law saying you can't ever treat yourself to something processed on a particularly insane day. If you eat well most of the time, those treats won't matter.
Eat however you want, but having a job isn't a good excuse not to bother with healthy food. Almost everyone works, and if you develop health problems later in life, your body isn't going to care that you "just didn't have the time."
tammi says
I love these lunches! My children are now 17 and in college so I wouldn't get them to eat some of them but I would! I would love to know where you get those smoothie containers that look like bananas! One comment : I am currently seeing a nutritionist and just to note - green peas are great but they are counted as a carb and the body treats them as such. I would just swap for snap peas or snow shoe which are processed in the body as a veggie.
Thanks again
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Tammi. Thanks for the feedback. You can find the freezie pop molds here...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#kids. Jill
Betsy says
I noticed you packed sliced apples. Do you do anything to stop them from browning? I have a picky daughter. And I know she will not eat apples if they are brown.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Betsy. Try some lemon juice. Jill
VMonster says
Have your kids caught any slack for their lunches? Mine have been made fun of for some of the food items I have provided, even carrots, getting called "bunny". How have you handled this?
heather says
Mine too! I sent hummus one day and it seemed to freak every one out at the lunch table. I have just said "aren't you lucky that your Mom has time to get up at 5:30 and pack your lunch?" They are actually kind of excited each day to see what I will pack!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi VMonster. No, my kids haven't gotten a hard time. It's actually been more of an interest on the other kids parts about what they're eating. I actually laughed yesterday when my son told me one of his classmates asked him if his mom was a chef! Sorry I can't offer more help. Best of luck to you. Jill
S says
We are looking at these now to decide what to make next week. Thanks so much.
Nancy Markey says
I LOVE your site and all the great ideas and photos that go with them. I am always looking for good fun healthy lunch/meal ideas for my kids and family. I also am always telling people/friends about your site. Awesome ideas!
Jaclyn says
Lisa, thank you so much for all that you are doing to wage the war against processed and "unclean foods"! Obesity is a huge problem in our country, and yes eating disorders are just as bad, but helping to educate people on how to live healthy lifestyles helps to make people aware. Your site has helped me in planning meals for my family, and helps me in planning what to send my daughter for lunch at school. Her school is also a peanut and tree nut free school, so the cream cheese has been a nice replacement! Keep on doing what you are doing! :)
Carin says
My son Loves peanut butter, but he just started Kindergarten at a Peanut and Tree nut Free School. I wish there were something I could do that would taste the same.
Mama says
This is lovely if not a bit twee. I really love how these look before they've been smashed, thrown, swung on and off a school bus, and otherwise abused in transit prior to lunch. It would be worth knowing what they look like when they actually sit down to eat them. That said, eating enough at school is a big problem. Yes obesity is a problem, but so are eating disorders, which are actually more life-threatening than a few extra pounds. Watch carefully what is eaten, monitor what is thrown away if at all possible. And most importantly, if you are not a stay at home parent, make sure they have access to ample snacks after the school day.
Jessica says
I LOVE these ideas! I do a bunch of these already, but found some great substitutions as well as new things to try. Quick question, we do the healthy smoothy thing, but I have been trying for a year to figure out the best way to get the kale completely blended. I am going to try and do the frozen pop (great idea). But normally I make the smoothies and the kids drink it with a straw and the kale pieces get stuck in the straw. I have tried everything (I think) to get it really blended well. Any suggestions? Also, what are your thoughts on wheatgrass vs kale? I have been buying frozen cubes of wheatgrass and adding them since it blends so much better than the kale. Awesome ideas! Good to know there are other moms that care so much about what their kids eat!
AJ says
Buy a vitamix blender. Totally worth the cost. The kale will be blended in and undetectable besides the green color.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jessica. My guess is it depends on your blender...what kind do you have? I have a Ninja which chops it up very well. I know the Vitamix does too. Jill
amanda says
Love the containers! Do they fit in a rectangle lunch box to keep cold with an ice pack? I would like to buy some for my daughter!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Amanda. Yes, they will fit in the Land's End rectangular lunch box. Jill
Steph says
Hey! I love your site and have gotten lots of good ideas and passed on the link. I ordered those reusable "go-gurt" containers at the beginning of the summer and have put extra smoothies in them the kids have enjoyed frozen. But when I put one in their lunch the first day of school my daughter had an awful surprise waiting for her... smoothie all over the rest of her lunch! Does anyone have ideas for keeping the lid on after the smoothie melts?
Becky C says
Steph- I put mine in a separate container that the pop just fits in diagonally, with the end bent over (the way hers fit into the three-portioned container). The round part is pushed against the corner, and that seems to keep the lid on.
Great ideas says
Great ideas! What is your facebook site?
Thanks,
Jeri
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jeri. Here it is...http://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood
Jill
Paula says
This is all most definitely "real food" . Love your site keep up the great work!
Nora says
A silly question (perhaps): do you put lemon juice on the apples and pears to keep them from getting brown? They wouldn't be very appetizing if they were brown.
Anita says
Was going to ask the same....my daughter won't eat oxidized fruit :(
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Yes, lemon juice will keep them from turning brown. Jill
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Exactly!!! Jill
Sandra Medina says
I don't have children but if/when I do I hope to use your site as a reference tool for school lunches.
First, I commend you on how brave you are to post all of your school lunches on your site for the world to see. That is VERY brave. Secondly, your food *is* real food so keep going with that :-) You have got a fan in me. I have told my friends with children to check you out and they also think you are great.
Congrats on being so brave and for sharing your commitment with others.
Cassie says
I read through everything to be sure this wasn't addressed, lol. I am new to this site and LOVING it! What are the things ( and where could I find them ) that you put the smoothie pops in? I LOVE that idea! My daughter is about to start preschool three days a week and I am SO thankful for the healthy ideas. We do lots of smoothies at home so that would be perfect!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Cassie. Here is the post...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. Jill
Kevin Geary says
Sorry if this has been mentioned but I'm afraid most of these lunches don't contain real food. It's great that you are avoiding processed foods, but "organic" doesn't equal "food".
Corn, whole wheat, cold cuts, cheese sticks, beans, grains, peanut butter, etc. are all poisonous to the human body and contribute to many of today's common health conditions. A book I'd highly recommend is "it starts with food" -- you will really enjoy it and it will give you a glimpse into what real food truly is.
Jennifer says
Kevin,
I agree with you however compared to most horrific lunches kids are eating today this is a step in the right direction. I am unable to get my kids to eat 100% grain free the way that I do but the amount they eat is significantly limited. There are some great grain free muffin and biscuit options using almond or coconut flour on this site: http://thenourishinghome.com/
Kathy says
What did you use to make the strawberries and apples into shapes? My kids would love that. Thanks for all the great ideas!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
HI Kathy. Lisa uses mini cutters that she has. Jill
Sara says
Hey Lisa, I made homemade bean burritos using your tortilla recipe and the refried bean recipe. I added organic cheddar cheese to the warm beans before I mashed them. I was able to make a dozen burritos and wrap them individually to freeze. Then I can defrost one overnight in the fridge and they are ready to eat by lunchtime. My two children LOVE them! Such a great alternative to those other frozen burritos I used to buy!
Jennifer Salas says
These all look great. I just took my daughter "shopping" for her favorites to try out in her lunch this week!
Danica says
I noticed you had the BPA free bags with the monster faces on them. I had not even thought about the containers or generic ziplock bags having BPA. Do you order them special? Can you buy BPA free bags and containers at the grocery store?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Danica. I know you can buy the BPA free containers at the store. I'll be honest, I'm not certain on the bags. Jill
Christine says
Awesome - thank you so much!One quick question though - where did you get those awesome containers that are divided in three? I need a few of those!
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Christine. Check out the kitchen essentials page...they are listed here...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#kids. Jill
Christine says
Loving your site! How do you keep the fruit you cut up from going brown by lunch time?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Christine. A little lemon juice (or any citrus really) squeezed onto the fruit does the trick. Jill
Kristen says
These are great ideas, I have a 13 year old and have such a hard time giving him different ideas on what to pack for his lunch....any ideas for older kids?
Jane says
What does he like to eat for dinner and can you send that for lunch? My 14 yr old takes a thermos of left-overs most days. Pasta with some kind of sauce, random casserole or stir-fry, taco meat/beans/cheese to eat w/a tortilla, soups, stews, chili. I've even put chunks of warmed quiche in a thermos before (although it can be eaten cold too). For cold lunches, A lot of times she will take a taco salad or a chef salad (meat, eggs, cheese). Sliced cheese and meat with crackers is a change of pace from a sandwich. Leftover cold pizza. Along w/the thermos or cold entree, she takes a container of sliced veggies and a piece or container of fruit most days. Sometimes there will be some yogurt or some kind of baked good (muffin, quick bread, oatmeal cookies) that she'll add for a change. The trick is to buy a top quality thermos so it will stay hot until lunch. Ours are stainless steel & I thought they were expensive at the time, but we've had them probably 5 years and they're going strong.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kristen. There's no reason you can't use these ideas and increase portion size as appropriate. Jill
Jody says
Great ideas for school lunches. I read that some asked you if there was enough food in these meals & I just have to say, I think there is plenty in these lunches. My almost 5 yr old grandson is an extremely picky eater & needs small portion sizes, he gets overwhelmed with too much and ends up not eating at all. This has given me some great ideas for things I think he might just eat. I know he would love to have smoothies in the freezie pops, I'm going to get some of those. He just started school, pre-k, and needs to take a snack, thank you so much for all the great ideas!!
Jeanne says
It's always nice to have new ideas for lunches. Thanks for sharing.
Brooke says
Did you make and package those frozen smoothies? If so, where can I get the tube? Super cute ideas on here! Thanks! :)
Staci M says
Brooke,
Here's a link to them on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036B9KHO/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
If you search smoothie pop on the blog, you will see some posts about the tubes. HTH! :o)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Brooke. Check out our kitchen essentials page for all of the products...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/. You can find ideas on filling the holders here...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. Jill
Hannah Clark says
So, so, so glad I found your site. My son just turned six and attends a sack lunch only school, plus he has a severe peanut allergy. You've saved our school year!
Kristy says
Your blog is AMAZING! Thank you :)
Wendy says
I have 6 and 11 year old boys. These are perfect portion sizes for my 6 year (actually, he usually doesn't eat all of it.) For my very hungry 11 year old (who also doesn't usually eat lunch until nearly 1pm) I add something...usually something in a thermos and another fruit. They both drink milk for lunch and the older one drinks water too (the school gives any child who wants it a free 8oz water.)
On the peanut allergy, last year my younger son had a class where they brought snacks to share (which I disliked....but that is another topic.) We were told there was a peanut allergy so to avoid those products and that was it. I couldn't believe it. If it had been my child, I would have provided a "safe" list and not left it up to the other parents to check!
Courtney says
I agree with the safe list, my children don't have any allergies but some in their class do. I always let the teacher know if i want to bring something plenty ahead of time and ask her to double check with the child's parents as to what they can and cannot have.
Nicole says
My son is allergic to peanuts and he has always just brought in his own snack. In preschool I would go in and okay the shared snack with his teacher. Lists of safe snacks sound great, but sometimes it can be tricky because labels tend to change frequently. One day a certain thing is safe and the next time it might have changed. A parent buying off the list might not check the label, assuming it's safe if it was on the list. But a list is certainly better than nothing. I'm not sure if the parent of the child you are referring to literally checked the snack each day or just kind of trusted that nothing peanutty would be served. Some kids (like my son) avoid anything that even has a peanut ingredient warning and other allergic kids just go ahead and eat those things too. For us it was easier for my son just to eat his own thing. Once he was out of preschool there were no more shared snacks in any of his classes thankfully.
Cheryl Myers says
Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! My kids are grown, but they would have loved these different ideas for their lunches! The grandkids will truly love having their mom enjoy fixing their lunches with such great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Joanna says
At the end of last school year, my kids came home having not touched their lunches. They were bored eating the same things day after day, and I was SO bored making it! We've been using this as a guide for summer camp lunches, and everyone is so much happier. If you create other exciting lunches, please keep us posted! By the way, my kids don't like the PB&J smoothie. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? More for me!
Megan S. says
What sunflower butter do you use? We go to a nutfree preschool so my daughter eats sunflower butter on her sandwich everyday (goal this year is to change things up, she is my super picky eater) I normally buy Trader Joe's, but noticed it had cane juice in it. The Earth Fare brand has sugar in it. Thanks
Lisa says
I buy it from Trader Joe's and unfortunately it is not organic. The organic stuff from Earth Fare is made in a factory that processes nuts (which isn't allowed) so it's kind of our only choice at the moment!
Jenna says
I thank you. My family went paleo about a year ago and every kids lunch blog I go to has a ton of, I don't know how else to say it, CRAP food! I can't believe people can feed their kids prepackaged, preservative filled garbage and then have the nerve to ask MY kid is eating enough!? Well, again, I thank you for some fresh ideas and more importantly hope for a healthy America!
Laura Whisenhunt says
You blog is amazing! I'm so glad to have found you on facebook. Thank you SO much for sharing your ideas. I am inspired and excited about getting lunches ready for my two boys :)
Caroline says
How do you cut the fruit into the cute little heart shapes?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Caroline. Lisa has mini cutters she uses. Jill
Naomi says
Hi,
I'm in the process of getting my son and I on "real" foods. Since school is starting soon I have a question about converting my 5 year old from capri-sun's to something healthier? He doesn't like plain water or plain milk so do you have any suggestions? I'm gathering all of your ideas and trying to get everything in line for our new healthy lifestyle. Thanks for all of the information.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Naomi. I would suggest giving the water and/or milk a try for a while, he may surprise you and drink it when it's the only thing there. Especially if his lunch is after recess, he may be so thirsty he just drinks it. Jill
Melissa says
I agree with the reply...I used to buy juice for my kids ALL the time; the big bottles from BJs, and finally I got sick of paying for it, so I just stopped buying it. My daughter was hooked on it and I knew I had to get her to drink more water. She would protest at first, but now I just buy milk and they have water a whole lot more than they used to. They'll actually ask for water now and they don't even miss the juice. Instead of adding sugary chocolate to the milk if he doesn't like it, try a little vanilla extract. My kids LOVE it!