10 School Friendly Lunch Ideas

As a teacher, I see a lot of lunches everyday at school!  Over the years I have gathered lots of great lunch ideas that I now use when packing my own kids lunches

However, packing lunches is not my favourite thing in the world.  To find the balance between making sure they are eating healthy and simply making sure that they are eating at school can be challenging.

I finally feel that I have an assortment of lunch ideas that works for all of us.  The ideas are pretty simple, but when my kids come home and their lunch boxes are empty I am happy! 

The lunches are appealing, and offer a nice variety. I hope that you are able to find some ideas!

Many of the ideas and food in the lunches are simple and perhaps items that you already use regularly. I hope thought that you also find a few new items in each lunch that give you something new to try in your child’s lunch.

In my experience, I also find that the way the food is presented can make a difference in terms of whether it is eaten, or not.

Another little thing you can add to your children’s lunches to make them even more special are these adorable funny and school appropriate school jokes. Print them and include on in the lunch box!

Along with the funny school jokes for kids, check out these Funny Motherhood Quotes for a smile.

Encourage children to create their lunch with you or independently. It is also a great chance to talk about healthy and sometimes foods. Try adding some extra learning to healthy eating with these free printable Healthy and Unhealthy Food Sorting Worksheet.

Once you’ve got lunches covered, check out “Easy Meals for Picky Kids” for more great food and meals kids will eat.

Lunch Ideas #1

My kids like grilled cheese sandwiches, and don’t mind eating them cold. They are easy to make up at night and then pack in lunches in the morning.

Coconut also offers a different flavor that we don’t eat a lot other than in lunches.

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Lunch Idea #2

My kids are pretty good about eating fruit, but when I skewer it with toothpicks I know it is going to get eaten. Don’t use toothpicks with young children, but if they are safe for your child, they are a fun way to pack fruit in lunches.

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Lunch Idea #3

Sometimes simply preparing a food in a different way may encourage children to try it – and eat it!

Instead of a plain sandwich with cold meat, try creating pinwheel sandwich bites. Flatten a piece of bread, add the meat on top and then roll and cut.

Shaved carrots are also a fun option that some children may be more likely to eat.

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Lunch Idea #4

One problem that I find with some fruit is that it goes brown before my kids have a chance to eat it. I have found a solution for this with apples. After cutting the apples, I add a bit of cinnamon. They taste great and look great all day long.

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Lunch Ideas #5

Try some mini waffles for lunch and some yogurt with cinnamon. You can make it easier for yourself my cooking up lots of mini waffles, or mini pancakes and freezing them to use when you want.

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Lunch Idea #6

If your children will eat salad at home, try it out for lunch!

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Lunch Ideas #7

Mini naan bread is a great size for kids to build their own sandwiches. Cutting slices of bread with a cookie cutter also works.

I will often fill a section of my kids lunches with an assortment of snack type foods. To be honest, this is sometimes to use up food, but it is also great for variety. You can add popcorn, cereal, crackers, seeds and anything else you can find!

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Lunch Ideas #8

Try leaving the peal on a banana for lunch. Also some cream cheese and crackers makes for a simple snack.

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Lunch Ideas #9

My kids love pancakes! I make up a whole batch of pancakes and then freeze them. If you have a thermos to keep food warm, pancakes are a great option.

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Lunch Ideas #10

Dry cereal is an easy item to give some variety to lunch. I also like to make up mini muffins to fill lunches. I often use pancake mix in mini muffin tins and bake them like muffins and then freeze.

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Hopefully our lunch ideas give you some lunch ideas for yourself and/or your kids.  I always aim to fill one section in my kids lunches with veggies and one section with fruit.  I find that if it looks appetizing it is more likely to be eaten.  Happy packing!

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