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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…
Carleen says
What is the bread used for the homemade pizzas lunch? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. Those are 100% whole wheat pitas cut into triangles. :)
Bethia says
I didn't see any, but did you make the wholewheat pitas yourself? If not, I have fab recipe!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. Do share. I think those came from Trader Joe's. :) ~Amy
Caitlin says
Kids lunches?? Shoot, I'm almost 23 and am making notes from this list about which of these things I'd like to bring for my own lunch at work! :) Love the pinwheel kabobs and heart-themed lunches; again, even at my age, it'd put a smile on my face to open my lunch bag and see that!
Lisa says
Awesome...needed some inspiration! My 6 children are a little picky and I have been trying to pack healthy lunches they enjoy for since the first started school. Thank you! Do the pops stay frozen until lunch or are they drinkable...if so do they ever end up leaking?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lisa. No, they do not stay frozen but they are cold and sometimes slushie. You have to make sure you wedge them in the container as Lisa shows in the photos on this post or they can leak. ~Amy
Kim says
Wow, I'm so impressed. We switched schools this year and I have to make lunch every day for three kids with very different tastes. Your school lunches post helps me with my biggest problem - coming up with ideas! Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Courtney. You can use lemon, lime, or other citrus juice. Lemon seems to do the best. ~Amy
Courtney says
Is there a trick to keeping the fruit from turning brown?
bklaw says
oh and ps..costco has a KILLER deal on Organic frozen choppped mangoes...10$ for a HUGE bag!!they are super good in everything from rice to fruit salad to plain frozen or plain thawed out!
bklaw says
Hi, I have three kids and I made 100% of their school lunches last year, everyday with out fail. All from whole unprocessed foods...luckily for my kiddos, they get a full 30 minutes to eat and a snack..so I have to pack bigger lunches(and my 7 year old is a rail thin bottomless pit-his lunches are also gluten and dairy free as well).....for people who think it can't be done..I have two words-FRUITS and VEGGIES!! filling, easy, quick, healthy, a whole apple, a couple kiwis...carrots and hummus...you can do it moms and dads!! We lived in South Korea for a year, and there is little to no "kid food" there....good job on feeding them such healthy meals..nourishing IS nurturing! which is at the core of parenting...My oldest is in middle schools and they serve greasy pizza, fries and hot cheetos EVERYDAY-plus all sorts of other bad things you can by...little to zero fresh fruit or veggies..and the amount of obese children in her school is ---staggering--there is just no other word for. It's tragic-and the health of children should be a concern for national security IMO.
Kim Foster says
Where do you find the frozen pops holders ?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Kim. You can find them here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/24/my-favorite-school-lunch-supplies/. ~Amy
Wendy says
Could you give us the recipes for the muffins you use in the kids lunch.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Wendy. You can find all our muffin/bread recipes in the recipe index: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/recipe-index/. Here are a couple: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/recipe-index/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/02/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-bread/. ~Amy
Mary Lou says
Enjoyed your ideas for school lunches. I worked for a number of years in the school kitchen, it is disgruntling what we feed the children. I talked until I was blue in the face finally I left the job and I pack all my grandchildrens lunches from scratch. Thanks for the ideas keep up the good work
Lori says
A quick question about the frozen peas and corn...are they really just thawed out and not cooked? That would really be "easy peasy"!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Lori. Yep, that's the truth! :) ~Amy
Momof3 says
No not all schools ban peanut butter. Honestly I have not heard of any school in my area where it is banned..some classrooms are nut free but not the entire school .HOWEVER my question is regarding the eggs. Are they keep cool enough with just an ice pack? I would love to pack deviled eggs for my child but would worry they would not stay cold enough. Thanks for all the ideas!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. I always go a little overboard with ice packs when I send eggs. :) ~Amy
Susan says
Awesome ideas and just what I needed. Thanks!!
val says
Soaking the apples in apple juice should help with any browning issue
val says
Loved the great ideas, unfortunately all school's ban peanut butter.
kristy says
That isn't true at all! My son's school has no ban on peanut foods. If there were no reported allergies, for instance, why would they ban it?
Janette Howell says
I love your frozen smoothie idea! Where do you get those molds for them?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. You can find them here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/24/my-favorite-school-lunch-supplies/. ~Amy
angela combs says
I see you have a lot of fruit in the lunches. How do you keep it from turning? My daughter loves apples etc but they look so gross by the time lunch arrives.
Christine says
Hi Angela
I dont work for her but i have seen her answer this a lot so i figured i would pass along the answer lol.
She doesn't do anything to them..her kids dont mind if they turn a little brown.
as for me... we sometimes dip them into orange juice so that they dont turn brown. My kids also dont mind if they turn a little brown. they know that its just how nature works
Jessica says
Lime and lemon juice works as well and I like the flavor it ads to fruit :) I always add lime juice to my fruit salads.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
...and another reader recently suggested pineapple juice. :) ~Amy
Angele Knight says
Great lunch ideas, however I do not know one school that allows peanut butter sandwiches (allergies) our school also does not allow popcorn because of choking risks!
Christine says
My daughters school does. Not every child is allergic to peanut butter. They have lunch tables for kids with allergies and if there is a kid with an allergy they will put a restriction on that CLASS. But not all schools ban peanuts. My daughter has an allergy to red dye.. should we tell them to ban anything with red dye for the entire school?
Janette Howell says
My daughter has a peanut/almond allergy and I am so glad her school is Nut Free! I'm sure it is inconvenient for parents whose kid does not have an allergy but it is for the safety of those who are. Red dye allergies are not life threatening
Kristi says
Ok, this may be a dumb question, but I'm curious about the frozen peas and corn. Do you buy store bought bags of frozen peas/corn or do you cook them then freeze them at home? And surely they are thawed in the lunchbox before your kids eat them, right?
I have a 7 year old daughter that is a VERY picky eater. I'm trying to get healthy ideas of things she will eat!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kristi. You can use organic frozen peas and corn or buy fresh and freeze. My kids have a definite preference for baby peas. They do thaw by lunch time. :) ~Amy
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Carrie says
Hi Lisa! I love visiting your website to find fun lunches for my big 1st Grader (*sniff*). I had a question about the frozen peas/carrots you add to lunches sometimes. Do you buy organic or do you consider gmo's at all? That has become a big consideration in our family lately and just wondered your opinion:) Thank you for all you offer for healthy eating!!!!
Tricia says
Hello, love all the ideas for lunches. I am in the process of planning my kids' lunch menus. I like the pancake idea and I was wondering if you make them fresh in the morning or make them the night before and freeze them? If so, do they thaw out ok? Are they soggy? I thought I saw a waffle sandwhich on here and that is what we have decided to do but was worried what it would look and taste like by the time my kids got to lunch.
Thanks! :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. You can do it either way. I like to have all the parts all ready to go and then assemble the sandwich in the morning. Enjoy. ~Amy
Janina says
Thank you for so many great options to switch up lunches! For this school year I made a "menu" for my 9 year old to choose her lunches for the week. First day of school today and her lunch was a carrot coconut pancake with syrup, raspberries and oranges, and yogurt. When I asked her how her lunch was she said she loved it -- along with the kids sitting next to her who said, "you are so lucky!" That made my day!
kris says
i often worry about sending items such as meat, eggs, sandwiches with myo because of temperature issues. Can you offer suggestions on how you maintain proper temps to prevent any food poisoning? especially hard boiled eggs... my daughter loves eggs!
Keri says
Hi, I am wondering how long your kids are at school for? My daughter is dropped off at 9 and doesn't get home from school until almost 5pm. She attends the breakfast program there if she wants (it's a mostly healthy snack), and then has 2 lunch breaks - one at 11, and one at 1:30. This doesn't seem like enough food to sustain a child (or at least my child) for that long. I send her (mostly) real food and she is still ravenous when she gets home.
I work as a substitute teacher so I'm in and out of lots of different schools everyday, and I see a lot of kids lunches and I can't even imagine that those kids are not starving when they get home as well. White bread sandwiches with cheese whiz or sugary jam (all schools here are nut free so no peanut butter), and then 4-5 "treats" (pre-packaged cookies, bars, 'fruit snacks', jello etc). Or, my favourite, a lunchable - and then, again, 4-5 "treats"! Oh how I despise lunchables! Your posts are an inspiration for the lunches I send.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Keri. Our school day is 7:30 - 1:45 with a morning snack and a lunch break. The kids are typically ready for a hearty healthy snack when they get home. ~Amy
Tracy says
I noticed that you send apples already sliced and "apple sandwiches", Do you do anything to preserve the apples so they don't turn brown or are your children not bothered f they brown by lunch?
faran says
It's my question too.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. Lisa uses lemon to keep the brown away. Here is her recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/21/how-to-make-an-apple-sandwich/. Enjoy. ~Amy
Hannah Flowers says
Lisa, this post was awesome! I'm a college student that has totally revolutionized my eating habits this summer and I have been looking for lunches I can make in my dorm this fall. These lunches totally inspired me!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Susan. This post will answer your question: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/24/my-favorite-school-lunch-supplies/. ~Amy
Susan says
What type of container is used to hold the whole lunch? I'm sure it has already been answered, I am just new to your blog. Thanks :)
Tevis says
My first kid will be entering Kindergarten in the Fall, and I have been having neurotic anxiety about routine and prep. Not only does your blog and all your ideas, including these amazing lunches, make me feel better, but I am SO EXCITED. Thank you for that!
Laura says
My apologies if I've missed it, but what containers are being used to hold the smoothies? Love that idea!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Laura. Here ya go: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. ~Amy
Jen says
I noticed that a lot of the meals have pb and the snacks have nuts...but most schools have a no nut/peanut policy...do you have a suggestion for a substitute besides sunflower butter (which would get a bit repetitive as it is already in a lot of the other things)?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Jen. These posts will give you some ideas: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/22/an-elementary-school-snack-list-%E2%80%93-nut-free/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/01/recipe-homemade-larabars-4-ways-including-nut-free/. ~Amy
Nat says
Even organic corn can be contaminted with GMO's now; we just do not eat anything with corn or any corn. I prefer to make cookies and bread using organic gluten free flour. I am not so optimistic about any type of wheat at all. Again, we use glass containers only. I love how lunches are decorated. They are very nice!
Jessica says
I have been using your pictures and recreating meals for my kids at daycare. I have a question though - what do you do about the cold (frozen the night before) foods such as peas? Do your kids eat them cold or will the school warm them up? That part I am confused on! Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Jessica. Nothing gets heated at school. Lisa's girls like the cold peas. :) The things Lisa packs are eaten cold or at room temperature unless she packs something warm in a thermos. ~Amy
Jaci says
I would like the homemade WW cinnamon raisin bagel recipe too! I cant believe I missed it somehow I've been following for over a yr!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jaci. Lisa has not yet perfected the recipe enough to share. Maybe in the future? ~Amy
Laura says
Can you give me the recipe for your Homemade whole-wheat cinnamon raisin bagel please? I cant find it on your website.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Laura. We've not perfected this recipe just yet. When we do, we will share. :) ~Amy
Michelle says
Any tips on how to get my kids to try new stuff? Hard boiled egg? They won't even eat scrambled :(
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Michelle. Lisa has done several posts on picky eaters. Here are a couple to get you started: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/09/09/real-food-tips-12-ways-to-deal-with-a-picky-eater/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/08/19/winning-over-your-picky-eater/. Hope those help. ~Amy
Jessica says
I recently got my 3 yr old to try an egg. I think a lot of it just takes time, but what worked for us was introducing "dipping". He started off trying all new foods this way. Give him a side of ketchup and he would dip anything (whatever new food it was) into it to try it. Now, he's getting away from dipping so much, but still does it frequently with preferred foods. Since going gluten free (and eating more real food) he now eats almost 100% of what we give him at each meal. LOVE IT! He was the pickiest kid ever not long ago (before GF and real food he wouldn't eat fast food at all, french fries, pizza, or anything else kids like). I guess he knew he wanted real food before we did! haha
Cassandra says
I use your system and read food ideas for my 2 year old every day for daycare. I usually don't get to see how well she eats, but last night I made her dinner using the bento containers and real food and took her to a work event with me. I was so impressed that she ate every single bite (organic mashed sweet potato with a little real maple syrup, organic hummus, whole wheat crackers, organic cheese stick, and organic raisins with dried cranberries). She ate this while everyone else had pizza, chips, and soda. I am so glad I always plan ahead.
Sarah says
You are truly an inspiration! I work in child nutrition and it is a constant struggle to get the school lunches anywhere near something of this nutritional caliber. Kudos!