Top Kids Lunch Ideas for Parents

It can be nerve-wracking for a dietitian mom to decide what healthy, nutritious, and fun meal or lunch you want your kid to eat.  While packing lunch for kids, mothers must pack nutritious food. Read on to find kids lunch ideas that you can make for your children so they will be with healthy and nutritious food. 

Lunch Ideas for Toddlers 

1. Quesadillas 

Whole wheat tortilla stuffed with mashed beans, cheese, and small veggies like spinach or bell peppers. 

Serve with avocado slices or some salsa on the side to dip. 

2. Sandwiches 

If you have time, use a fun-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your sandwich on whole-grain bread. 

First, spread with mashed avocado, cream cheese, or hummus, then top with thin slices of veggies/turkey. 

3. Veggie and Cheese Muffins 

Bake mini muffins with grated vegetables (carrot, zucchini) and cheese. 

Pair with a little bit of fruit on the side (ex., sliced strawberries or grapes quartered) 

4. Pasta Salad 

Toss it with diced veggies, cheese cubes, and boiled chicken. 

Toss with olive oil or a dressing made from yogurt. 

5. Bento Box Style 

Please use these simple items to create your bento box lunch ideas for kids. The more yummy food you add to your bento meal plan, the more ready it will be! 

 

• Sliced cucumbers. 
• Cheese cubes. 
• Boiled egg slices. 
• A few whole-grain crackers. 
• A few slices of fresh apple 

6. Egg Muffins 

Eggs are whisked with milk, cheese, and diced veggies like spinach or bell peppers. 

Bake in muffin pans. To serve, warm up to room temperature. 

7. Handmade Chicken nuts 

Coat smaller chicken pieces in breadcrumbs and crushed cereal, bake, and serve with steamed vegetables (kale/broccoli) and some sweet potato fries. 

8. Mac and Cheese with Veggies 

Prepare whole grain or vegetable pasta in a sauce of your own making. 

Put a good until well-chopped cabbage, peas, or cauliflower on this. 

9. Yogurt and Fruit Dessert 

Greek yogurt with berries or peaches 

Sprinkle a little granola or crushed crackers to give it some texture. 

10. Veggie and Cheese Pinwheels 

Layer a tortilla with cream cheese, place skinny veggie slices on the cream, apply the base, roll it up, and then slice into little rolls. 

 

Kids Lunch Ideas for Preschooling; 

1. DIY Taco Box 

Entrée: Shredded Chicken or Seasoned Beef in a Hard-shell Taco 

Accompaniments: shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa and guacamole in separate containers 

Snack: Corn chips and salsa 

Fruit: 1 cup grapes, Apple slices 

2. Pasta Salad Mashup 

Pasta salad (pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and cheese cubes) 

Main Protein: grilled chicken or chickpeas 

Snack: Hummus and pita chips 

Fruit: Sliced strawberries or oranges 

3. Pizza Bagels 

Lunch box: Mini whole wheat bagels, marinara sauce, shredded cheese, and mini pepperoni (have your child assemble them at school if possible) 

Raw vegetable: cucumber slices or carrot sticks 

Snack: cheese or yogurt tube 

Fruit: Apple slices or Pineapple cubes 

4. Bento Lunch Box 

Main: Ham and cheese roll-ups 

Veggies: Edamame or grape tomatoes 

Snack: Rice crackers 

Fruit: Berries or kiwi slices (can be cut directly into your yogurt) 

Treat: A piece of dark chocolate (1 square) or mini muffin 

5. Brake Time Kids Lunch Ideas 

Option 1: [Main] Whole grain mini waffles or pancakes — Minis with a drizzle of syrup 

Protein: scrambled eggs or Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey. 

Snack: A few turkey sausage links or a cheese stick 

Fruit: Banana or peach slices 

 

 6. Build-Your-Own Sandwich Wrap 

Lunch: Cheese, lettuce, and mayo on whole wheat wrap 

Veggie: Bell pepper strips or snap peas 

Snack: Sunflower seeds or trail mix and rice cakes 

Fruit: cubed watermelon or sliced apples and peanut butter 

7. Quesadilla Triangles 

Entrée: Quesadilla slices (cheese or chicken) 

Vegetable: Guacamole or salsa Dip in addition to mandolin bell pepper slices 

Snack: Tortilla chips 

Fruit: Mango pieces or slices of pineapple 

Treat= five mini chocolate chips 

8. Sushi-Inspired Lunch 

Entree: Veggie sushi rolls/cucumber and avocado rice rolls (with sticky rice + nori sheets) 

Snack: Rice crackers 

Fruit: Melon cubes or grapes 

9. Hummus Plate 

Lunch: Hummus with carrot sticks and cucumber slices, and use whole-grain pita bread or crackers. 

Protein: Grilled chicken strips or a tiny falafel patty 

Snack: 1-2 only small cubes of cheese or a few nuts (almonds, pecans, even mixed ones) 

Fruit: Apple or clementine slices 

10. Soup and Sandwich Thermos 

Lunch: Cherry tomatoes; Thermos of tomato soup or chicken noodle 

Side: Grilled cheese sandwich (cut on the bias in strips for dipping) 

Snack: Crackers or goldfish 

Fruit: Pear slices or strawberries 

Kids Lunch Ideas for School Going.

1. Mini Sandwich Skewers 

Ingredients: Slices of turkey or ham, cheese bites, cherry tomatoes, poker game sticks, cucumbers with whole-grain bread squares 

Instructions: These can be individually served on small skewers, toothpicks, or stick sides. 

Side Ideas: Fresh apple slices and peanut butter, 20 pretzel chips 

2. Homemade Lunch Box for Kids 

It would help to have whole wheat crackers, sliced cheese, turkey or chicken, and grape tomatoes. 

Instructions: Fill each ingredient in one column of a bento box. 

Behind: yogurt cup, individual servings of berries. 

3. Tortilla Roll-Ups 

Try this: Whole-wheat tortillas, cream cheese, carrot sticks shredded long-ways (to make them easier to wrap), a few spinach leaves, and strips of grilled deli meat like turkey or chicken. 

Directions: Spread cream cheese on a tortilla, top with fillings, and then roll it up. Slice into bite-sized pieces. 

Side Note: A handful of grapes trail mix. 

4. Pasta Salad 

Ingredients: Whole Grain Pasta, Tiny Cherry Tomatoes, Mini Mozzarella Balls, Black Olives, Cucumber, and Italian Dressing 

How to make classic pasta salad: Mix ingredients with dressing. 

Optional: berries, small banana 

5. Quesadilla Triangles 

Ingredients: Whole-wheat tortilla, shredded cheese (you may add beans or cooked chicken if you like) 

Directions: Place on a quesadilla, melt cheese, and cut into triangles. 

Optional Sides: salsa (for dipping), corn chips, orange slices 

 

6. DIY Pizza Bagel 

Items needed: whole grain mini bagels, marinara sauce (keep it on the light side with no-sugar-added (NSA) or reduced-sugar options), shredded mozzarella, and any other lower-fat assorted cheese blend you fancy, as well as some innocuous mini-pepperoni slices. 

Toppings: toppings then lightly toast before packing 

Tip: Cucumber sticks or apple slices. 

7. Egg & Veggie Muffins 

Ingredients: Eggs, shredded cheese (as per choice), chopped veggies of your preference (bell peppers and spinach work well in this recipe), salt, and pepper. 

The recipe instructions are: Combine and whisk, pour into a muffin tin, and bake until solid. 

Serve up some cherry tomatoes and a mini box of raisins. 

8. Chicken & Veggie Wrap 

Food: whole-wheat wrap, grilled chicken strips with onion powder and thyme seasoning, finely shredded lettuce and carrots in hummus 

Instructions: Spread hummus, top with fillings & roll them up. 

Side Suggestions: apple slices and a small bag of popcorn premade 

9. Fruit & Yogurt Parfait 

Supplies: 1 container of Greek yogurt Granola Mixed berries. 

How to: Assam layer fruits mixed with yogurt, then sprinkle granola in a leak-proof pot 

Side Ideas: Hard-boiled egg and whole-grain crackers 

10. Mini meatballs and veggie sticks 

Ingredients: Small meatballs, homemade or store-bought 

Instructions: Pack in carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and a little extra cup of ranch or hummus. 

Side Ideas: Sliced melon, whole-grain pita triangles 

 

 Tips for Parents

When you are packing lunch boxes for your kids, how you pack is so important. Parents are required only to decorate the food while packing it into the lunch boxes—this might assist in coaxing the baby to eat. Properly utilizing lunch ideas for kids and decorating or assembling the food would encourage your children. Moreover, mothers must use stainless steel lunch boxes instead of plastic ones, and the lunch boxes must be large and have many containers to store more food for kids. Only pack lunch as your kids need.