School Lunch Ideas for Kids

These easy school lunch ideas for kids are quick to prepare, healthy, and fun to eat! Plus, they’ll keep the kids going long after the lunch box is empty ?

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It’s that time of year again, friends.

Back. To. School.

Honestly? I’m not ready.

Is anyone really ready?

I mean, sure. Parents everywhere are longing for a little more sanity and a little more schedule with regular bed times and all that.

But there is something so wonderfully relaxed about summer that sometimes it’s hard to imagine diving back in.

This year, our oldest daughter starts Grade 1.

GRADE 1.

In Kindergarten, she went every other day for full days. The first couple months were a bit of a transition, but she only had 2 or 3 days of school per week (and I only had 2 or 3 lunches to pack all week!), and we could easily recuperate in her days off.

This year, she’ll go every day, plus our 3 year old starts Nursery School (because next year she will be in Kindergarten, even though I’m not ready to admit it!).

So in a couple more weeks we begin 10 long months of lunches 5 days a week, and the biggest struggle is just finding some school lunch ideas that are quick, fun and healthy, that she will actually eat. (As well as finding the time to put them together — we all know how crazy parenthood can get!)

I know that school days take a lot out of her, so I try to make sure that she will eat well and have energy throughout all of her activities.

One way I do this is to include a good source of protein in her lunch every day. These Arla Snack Cheese Bars are one of our favorite ways to get it in! They’re nutritious and made with simple ingredients, so I don’t feel bad about throwing them in her bag.

And honestly? Even though I work from home and technically don’t need to pack a lunch, I’m aiming to make one ahead for myself, too, because it can be hard to take the time to nourish our bodies when there is so much going on. This way, I know that I’ll have the energy I need, too!

school lunch for kids pepperoni and naan

*Please note: I know that there are a lot of schools who do not allow nuts or nut butters, but ours does, my girls love them, and they’re full of good things, so I’ve included them here. Be aware of what you are allowed and not allowed to send, and use your best judgement regarding the size and shape of food (in particular, grapes and baby carrots).

My general rule of thumb for school lunch ideas:

At least one source of protein
A grain
A fruit
A veggie
A dairy
A fun treat that I usually let her pick
A drink — usually just her water bottle, occasionally a real fruit juice box

Using these guidelines makes packing school lunches so much easier for me, especially since I’m single-momming with 3 little this time of year.

Since my husband owns a seasonal business and fall is his busy time, I don’t have a lot of help getting the kids out the door until the snow falls (by November I’m usually praying for a blizzard!).

So the quicker I can get nutritious, delicious lunches (and really, any meal) put together, the better.

I try to vary the fruits and veggies we have on hand each week for variety, and I often ask the girls what they’d like to have for snacking for the week. Sometimes I’m surprised by the veggies they choose! This is an awesome way to get them involved and make them feel like they have a little input over what goes in.

kids lunch ideas ham

Here are some of our favorite things to include:

School lunch ideas: protein

Arla Snack Cheese Bars
sliced pepperoni
rolled up ham slices
nuts (our school allows them, but not all do)
some grains and dairy items are also good sources of protein
Hard boiled eggs

School lunch ideas: fruit

Mandarin oranges
a sliced apple (I slice with my apple slicer and wrap an elastic around to keep it together so it doesn’t go brown!)
Cherries, pitted
Strawberries, blueberries or other berries
Pears (the apple slicer works great for pears, too!)
Nectarines or peaches
Grapes, halved lengthwise if the kiddos are young