This list of lunch box foods for kids will help you prepare for back to school! Grab the free printable list of school lunch ideas, and hang it on your fridge for when you need some inspo for what to pack in your child’s lunchbox!
On a normal week night you can find me staring blankly into my refrigerator, trying to figure out what to pack in my daughters’ lunchboxes for the next day. And usually the hodge-podge of foods starting back at me are, well, less than inspiring. Like, what am I supposed to make with leftover spaghetti, hard-boiled eggs, queso dip, and a jar of pickles?
I’m fully aware that school lunchboxes require a good variety of easy to prepare, kid-friendly foods, but when I’m frantically grocery shopping for the week and trying to meal plan 20+ meals for a family of four, things can get a little hectic. That’s why I made this free printable lunch box planner!
So I created a huge list of lunch box foods for kids to use when I’m planning out my grocery list for the week. I simply grab the free printable lunchbox ideas list off the fridge, and glance through it to see what I need to buy at the store for well-balanced school lunches.
Here’s the list of kids’ lunchbox ideas that I use to make lunch box planning a little bit easier:
List of Lunch Box Foods for Kids
Meat or Protein for Lunch Boxes:
- lunch meat roll ups – Deli-sliced ham or turkey rolled up with a slice of cheese
- chicken or cheese quesadilla
- pinwheels – Ham or turkey with cream cheese spread on a tortilla and rolled up
- leftover meatballs
- grilled chicken bites
- peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- peanut butter and Nutella sandwich
- sub sandwiches on hoagie rolls
- rotisserie chicken
- pre-cooked chicken cut up
- hard boiled eggs – We buy these already peeled at Costco. They come individual packaged in packs of two, perfect for school lunch boxes!
- almonds
- edamame
- hummus
- tuna salad or chicken salad
- peanut butter and banana “quesadillas” – Made just like a quesadilla except with peanut butter, sliced banana, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of granola – my kids love these!
- mini turkey and cheese sliders – My kids love these!
- baked chicken nuggets
Fruit Ideas for Kids’ Lunchboxes:
- apple slices – You can sprinkle on some lemon juice to prevent browning.
- pear slices
- banana slices
- peach or nectarine slices
- fresh berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- grapes – Cut in half or quarters for younger kids.
- Halo clementines – You can either peel them for your kids or let them peel it themselves.
- dried fruit – Like mangos, apricots, cranberries, etc.
- raisins
- fruit leather or fruit strips – You can buy these handy fruit snacks that have only fruit listed as the ingredients. That’s It fruit bars and the Target brand of fruit strips are a favorite in our house!
- apple sauce
- pineapple chunks – We buy the pineapples in 100% juice fruit cups for an easy lunch box option.
- dried apple chips
Veggies for School Lunchbox:
- carrot sticks
- celery sticks
- pickle
- green pepper strips
- cucumber slices
- cherry tomatoes (cut)
- avocado slices
- raw sugar snap peas
- broccoli or cauliflower florets
- side salad
Whole Grains:
- whole wheat bread (for sandwiches)
- whole grain crackers
- whole grain graham crackers
- whole grain pretzels
- piece of whole grain toast
- granola
- half of an English muffin
- whole grain tortilla chips
- whole wheat pita bread
- brown rice cakes
Dairy Items for Lunch Box:
- string cheese
- cheese cubes or slices
- Babybel cheese
- Laughing Cow wedges – My daughters love these with Wheat Thins crackers.
- yogurt – TIP: You can freeze the tubes of yogurt the night before, and they should thaw out and then stay cold for your child’s lunch time at school.
- cottage cheese
- milk – You can put in a Thermos or buy the individual bottles of regular or chocolate milk.
Snacks and Treats for Lunchboxes:
- Rice Krispies treat
- mini chocolate chip cookies
- chocolate covered or yogurt raisins
- chocolate covered pretzels
- dark chocolate square or a few Hershey’s Kisses
- potato chips
- veggie straws
- rice cakes
Free Printable List of Lunch Box Foods
Want the printable list of lunchbox foods that I use each week for my kids? You can click the link down below to print it out! Add it to your meal plan binder or hang it on the fridge for when you need some lunchbox inspiration!
Click HERE for the Printable List of Lunch Box Ideas!
Other Meal Planning and Lunch Ideas
If you loved this free printable lunch box ideas list, then be sure to check out some of my other posts all about meal planning, grocery shopping, and lunchboxes:
Free Printable Lunch Box Planner – This lunch box planner template is perfect for planning your kids’ school lunches each week. You can even use the planner with your kids so that they have a say in what goes in their lunchboxes, and (maybe) they’ll be more likely to eat what you pack!
Printable Recipe Binder and Meal Planner – Use this printable recipe binder to store your favorite recipes by category and plan your family’s menu for the week! Comes with loads of templates for dinner ideas, family favorite meals, and more!
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