30 School Lunch Ideas Kids Actually Eat! (Grades 1-5)
Packing school lunches? Need inspo? I’ve got you! Simplify your mornings with these 30 school lunch ideas (mostly cold lunches!) for elementary school-age kids who are in 1st grade through 5th grade.
School Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
Are you burned out from packing the same Pb&J and apple for your kids’ lunch day after day?
I’ve got you!
I refuse to spend a ton of time making school lunches, so all of these lunches were packed in roughly 5-10 minutes, all while I was making dinner. I usually pack my kids’ school lunches at night while making dinner because even an iv drip of coffee can’t make me get my act together enough to pack lunches in the morning. But if you are superhuman and mornings work for you, then go for it!
#momhack – To make simple, easy, and fast school lunches, I utilized leftovers and simple ingredients I can pull out of my fridge – no fancy labor-intensive recipes involved.
So, if you see nachos in one of the lunches, we probably had taco night for dinner, and I used the leftovers for a fun nacho lunch. Muffins—I had those leftovers from the weekend when I had time to make some fresh muffins, but you could also use store-bought. You get the point – use what you have on hand.
And please, all the cute Pinterest-worthy items—animal picks, cute-shaped sandwiches, fruit, and veggies—are OPTIONAL. Do not feel like you need to be extra with these lunches!
Back to School Lunch Video
Take a look at this video that features a fun back-to-school lunch for your kids.
Favorite Lunch Boxes & Accessories
I tested out the top 6 lunch boxes to help you find the perfect lunch box for your kid. Here are some of my personal favorites:
Best Overall Lunch Box: OMIEBOX
Best Eco-Friendly Bento Box (great for grades 3-5): PLANETBOX ROVER
Best for Younger Kids (great for grades 1-3): Bentgo
Best Value Lunch Box: Easy Lunch Boxes
If you want to be extra, then here are some of my fave lunch box packing tools:
- Silicone Cupcake Liners,
- Small Cutters
- Sandwich Shape Cutters
- Uncrustable Cutters
- Small Dip Containers
- Ice Pack
Top 10 Favorite School Lunch Box Recipes
Here are some of our favorite school lunch recipes that are great to serve in a school or home lunch box.
- Homemade Uncrustables
- Homemade Pizza Lunchables
- Easy Spinach Muffins
- DIY Turkey Lunchables
- Easy-Peasy Cheesy Pizza Muffins
- Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins
- Tortellini-on-a-Stick with Marinara Dipping Sauce
- DIY Fruit Cups
- Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
- Quick Stovetop Hidden Veggie Mac & Cheese
30 Lunch Box Ideas
1. Chicken “Fried” Rice
Chicken, rice, corn, and carrots sautéed in a drizzle of sesame oil and coconut aminos. Edamame, peaches, broccoli and ranch, raspberries with apples cut out in the shape of hearts, and a few dark chocolate-covered raisins.
Allergy-Friendly – GF and NF. Use DF ranch and treat to make DF.
2. DIY PB&J with Crackers
Crackers are served with a container of peanut butter (almond butter or sunbutter) and another container filled with jam and carrots, olives, golden kiwi, mini grapes, cut strawberries and raspberries and mini dark chocolate chips. Eye picks can be found here.
Allergy-Friendly: GF – use gluten-free crackers, DF – use dairy-free chocolate chips, NF – use sun butter instead of peanut butter.
3. Gluten-Free Pumpkin + Cream Cheese Sandwich
Pumpkin pancake sandwich with cream cheese and raspberry jam, cut yellow peppers, mini grapes, Chobani yogurt tube, and a piece of dark chocolate. The pancakes were leftovers from a weekend breakfast, and the pancakes were made from a gluten-free pumpkin pancake mix from Trader Joe’s, but any homemade, mix, or frozen pancakes would work in this lunch box.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and NF. Use a Dairy-Free brand of yogurt tube (like Kite Hill).
4. Rainbows & Chocolate
Rainbow fruit skewer, plain Greek yogurt with a jam heart, and healthy chocolate zucchini mini muffins.
Allergy-Friendly: already NF, use a Dairy-Free yogurt and make the muffins with Gluten-Free Flour.
5. Lunchable-on-a-Stick
Turkey + Cheddar + Salami on a Stick, cut kiwi, red pepper, and carrot sticks with a side of ranch, strawberries, blueberries, and dye-free candy. Sandwich sticks can be found here and ranch containers -here.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and NF. To make Dairy-Free use a Dairy-Free ranch and cheese.
6. Choose Your Own Adventure
Applesauce with cinnamon, salami with dinosaur pick, sliced and cubed cheese, turkey roll-ups, almond crackers, orange pepper slices, kiwi slices, mini grapes and chocolate raisins.
Allergy-Friendly: NF and GF. To make Dairy-Free use Dairy-Free treats and cheese.
7. DIY Hummus and Veggies
Build your own Hummus Lunch – carrots, broccoli, snap peas, peppers and pita chips with hummus, strawberries and chocolate coconut cookies.
Allergy-Friendly: NF and DF. To make Gluten-Free make sure to use Gluten-Free crackers.
8. It’s Friday and I’m Over School Lunches
Cream cheese with honey star sandwich, lentil puffs, cut grapes, cut carrots and dye-free candy.
Allergy-Friendly: NF and DF. For GF use GF bread.
9. Tortellini and Chicken
Spinach Tortellini, chicken and snap pea dippers with a pesto ranch sauce, grape, blackberry and blueberry fruit salad and a couple of dark chocolate-covered pretzels.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Dairy and Gluten-Free use Gluten-Free pasta and a Dairy-Free dip.
10. Pesto Pasta and Avocado Pudding
Spinach pesto pasta salad with chicken, mozzarella, corn and tomatoes, cut strawberries and raspberries and chocolate avocado pudding.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free, use Gluten-Free pasta. To make Dairy-Free, use a Dairy-Free cheese or omit the mozzarella.
11. Green Monster School Lunch
Pesto gluten-free pasta with parmesan, cut kiwi, grapes and avocado salad, roasted seaweed, cut cucumbers, and dye-free candy.
Allergy-Friendly: GF, NF and DF. If Nut-Free, make sure your pesto is nut-free.
12. 5-Minute Lunch
Ground turkey and cheese quesadilla with homemade guacamole, try-color pepper slices, fruit salad (grape, pear, and kiwi), and a couple of yogurt-covered cookies.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Dairy-Free, use a Dairy-Free cheese and dessert. To make Gluten-Free, use a corn or Gluten-Free tortilla.
13. Mexican Fiesta
Bean and cheese burrito with guacamole (I wrapped the burrito in the foil before packing the lunch up), corn, sliced carrots, watermelon balls, and dye-free candy. I used a frozen burrito for this lunch, but any homemade or frozen variety you prefer would work.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free you can use DF cheese and a GF tortilla.
14. Hidden Veggie for #thewin
Beet applesauce, cut tomatoes, sliced string cheese, snapeas, cut mild Italian sausage with outer-space picks, a mini container of mustard, and a dye-free gummy.
Allergy-Friendly: NF and GF. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese or omit.
15. English Muffin Pizza
DIY Pizza Lunch – mushroom pizza on an English muffin, simple salad with carrots and tomatoes, blueberries and blackberries, and a juice box.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Dairy-Free use DF cheese. To make it Gluten-free, use a GF English Muffin.
16. Gluten-Free Pesto Pasta with Chicken + Corn
Gluten-Free pesto pasta with chicken and corn, Pure Organics Apple Strip, cut cucumbers, blackberries, and walnuts.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and DF. For Nut-Free, omit the walnuts and make sure you use nut-free pesto.
17. Breakfast for Lunch
A favorite in our house! Cinnamon maple syrup steel cut oats, hard-boiled egg, spinach chocolate waffles, kiwi and blueberries, and some orange slices.
Allergy-Friendly: DF, NF and GF.
18. DIY Cheese & Crackers
Laughing cow with two types of crackers in silicon muffin liners, chopped broccoli, chopped red and green pluots, snapeas, and a chocolate pretzel.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free, use GF crackers and treat. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese and treat.
19. Healthier DIY Nachos
DIY Nacho Kit – organic corn chips, lettuce, shredded cheese, taco turkey and guacamole all in silicon cups. Also in the bento is grapes with mandarin orange sections and allergy-friendly chocolate chips.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and NF. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese.
20. Healthy Lunchables
Crackers, turkey rollups, salami and 2 types of cheese cut into flowers (I used this cutter), apples and blueberries, olives and carrots with ranch dip.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free, use GF crackers. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese and ranch.
21. Tortellini + Chicken Dippers
Cheese tortellini and chicken dunkers with pesto dip, cut cantaloupe, cut cucumbers, popcorn and chocolate pretzel.
Allergy-Friendly: NF and DF. To make Gluten-Free, use GF tortellini and treat.
22. Happy Tummy School Lunch
Kefir pouch, snap peas and carrots with ranch (similar container here), sliced apples, crackers with cheese and salami, and dye-free candy.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Dairy-Free, use a dairy-free kefir pouch or replace it with an apple pouch and use DF cheese and ranch. To make Gluten-Free, use GF crackers.
23. Breakfast for Lunch
Gluten-Free cinnamon-sugar pancake muffin, strawberries and raspberries, yogurt and granola, kiwi and avocado, sliced chicken sausage and daily vitamins. I used this pancake mix but turned them into muffins by following the recipe on the back of the bag.
Allergy-Friendly: GF. To make Dairy-Free, use DF yogurt. To make Nut-Free, use NF granola and make sure the pancake muffin mix is NF.
24. A Pizza the Puzzle
Leftover pizza cut into puzzle pieces, carrots, pepper slices, and snap peas with ranch in a mini container, strawberries and raspberries, Chobani yogurt tube, and dark chocolate raisins.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese, ranch, and yogurt tube. To make Gluten-Free, use GF pizza.
25. Sandwich-on-a-Stick
Turkey + cheese bagel sandwiches on-a-stick with cucumber and tomatoes, plum halves, beet strawberry applesauce in squeeze pouch and a few dark chocolate candies.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free, use GF bread. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese and chocolate.
26. Almost Out of Groceries Lunch
Bean and cheese quesadilla with smashed avocado, sliced apples, cut kiwis, sliced carrots and chocolate raisins.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free, use GF or corn tortillas. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese and pack a DF treat.
27. Greek Lunch Spread
Greek Meatballs with feta dipping sauce, pistachios and roasted chickpeas, sliced olives, cucumber, feta and tomato salad, cut watermelon, and dark chocolate. I used pre-made organic Greek flavored meatballs that were gluten-free.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and NF. To make Dairy-Free, use DF dip, omit the feta in the salad and pack a DF treat.
28. Chicken Salad & Crackers
Curry chicken salad served with gluten free crackers and cucumber slices, watermelon stars and a mixture of freeze-dried blueberries and dye-free candy coated sunflower seeds.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and NT. To make Dairy-Free, use a vegan mayo in the chicken salad.
29. Is it Friday yet.. ??
Leftover cheeseburger and pickles, sliced mini peppers, raspberries and blueberries, cucumbers with ranch in a mini container (similar), and a piece of dark chocolate.
Allergy-Friendly: NF. To make Gluten-Free, use a GF bun. To make Dairy-Free, omit the cheese and use DF ranch.
30. Gluten-Free Pizza Roll-Ups
Gluten-Free pizza roll-ups with marinara dipping sauce, carrots with ranch dip, grapes, berries, and chocolate-covered gummies.
Allergy-Friendly: GF and NF. To make Dairy-Free, use DF cheese, ranch and treat.
School Lunch Tips
- Find a good time for you to pack school lunches – this may be the night before or the morning of. Find a time and stick to it.
- Get your kids involved – have them pick a few fruits or veggies they want to eat in their lunches for the week, help chop the veggies, make the sandwich, or even have them pick out the fun dip containers or food picks used.
- Utilize leftovers – make sure you take advantage of using any leftovers that will work as a cold lunch – cooked chicken, pizza, pasta, sauces, etc.
- Plan it out – using this handy printable, you can plan your kids’ lunches for the week.
Get the recipe: 30 School Lunch Ideas for Kids: DIY PB&J
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut or almond butter
- 2 tbsp jam
- 6-10 crackers
- 2-4 tbsp each strawberries and raspberries, chopped
- 6-8 baby carrots
- 4 black olives
- 1 kiwi, peeled and quartered
- small bunch grapes, can cut lengthwise
Instructions
- Place the peanut butter and jam into small containers with lids. Add to one section of container with the crackers.
- Add in the grapes, kiwi, olives, carrots, strawberries and raspberries to other sections in your lunch box or seperate contatiners.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @babyfoode on Instagram and hashtag it #babyfoode!
Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
22 Comments on “30 School Lunch Ideas Kids Actually Eat! (Grades 1-5)”
Thanks for showing actual pictures of the bentos and not just a list of ingredients. It’s hard for me to visualize them without a picture. They all look healthy and well balanced. Thanks!
Love these lunch recipe ideas. Wondering, though, how you keep things like the quesadillas warm until lunch time?
Thank you! Glad you found this guide helpful! I serve them cold, which my kiddos are okay with. If you want to send them to school warm, you could try using a thermos or the Omiebox Lunch Box.
Excellent. I love the alternatives to just a boring sandwich. I also appreciate that you added a small dessert. Some people are ignorant to the scientific benefits of dessert, specifically chocolate but it can certainly assist with weight control, telling your brain it’s time to stop eating, boosting endorphins, lowering blood pressure, etc. I have a picky eater who started Kinder but I know he’ll enjoy some of these ideas. Thx!
I’m so glad this guide gave you some lunch ideas! I also love your thoughts on adding a dessert to lunches. I will add that our hot school lunch provides a dessert (usually packaged) along with the option to get chocolate milk, which adds up to 40-50g of added sugar at lunch. So there are also benefits of packing a small dessert so my kids don’t feel left out or bad because they didn’t get anything in their lunch. But all families approach this differently, and that is okay. This is just the way my family has decided to do school lunches.
Wonderful (and pretty 😊) ideas!! Thank you for taking the time to share!
So glad you found this guide helpful (and pretty 💜)!
This is amazing! I love the visual, very helpful!
Many thanks for the quality content.
So glad you liked this guide!
Great ideas! My kids prefer these types of lunches and I’m always looking for new ideas. I love the bento boxes too. What brand are they?
So glad you found this post helpful. Check out this post on my favorite lunch boxes for kids!
I’m a uni student and love these! I try to pack myself lunches even at home cause its what I am used to a school. I love these ideas thankyou xx
So glad you are loving these lunches! Keep up the great work at uni! 🙂
I’ve been looking for new lunch ideas for my kiddo – these are super helpful, thanks!
So glad you found these helpful!
Thanks for some great lunch ideas as we prepare for in person school. Are all of these ideas meant to be served cold? For example, the pizza wheels, bean and cheese burritos, pizza, etc. Just want to make sure I understand the intention of those items. Thanks!!
My kids will eat most things cold at school, but you can also use the thermos section in the omiebox if your kids prefer them warm.
Thank you so much for posting this. These are really great ideas and the boxes look amazing. I was looking for healthy lunch ideas and I think we’ll be using all of them. I might substitude a couple things but overall great. I’m always searching for something new. Do you have anything like that for healthy breakfasts? Thanks!
So glad to hear you are getting some good ideas from this post! Try this post for breakfast ideas – 74 Toddler Breakfast Ideas (Healthy + Easy Recipes)
I was looking for images of healthy lunch boxes but It is a shame that you felt that every lunch box had to have chocolate in it.
Kinder is a chocolate & lolly free environment.
If young children have a box like that ….it is a real struggle to eat anything else first. (if at all) Tears.
If one has chololate and the others do not….we have issues. More Teasrs
Even if it is the last thing they eat. That is what will be on their teeth for the rest of the day. No teeth brushing until bedtime.
Chocolate and sweet lollies are not needed and described as sometimes food.
Not every day in every lunch box.
You can certainly skip the chocolate or small treat when you pack your kiddo’s lunch box. You do you! Sending my kids small treats every day to school is a way to show my kids that sweets are not off-limits or to be feared. They see their friends bringing in bags of packaged Oreos and M&Ms (my kids go to a public school so there are no rules around what is served) and this is a way to show them they too can have a sweet in their lunches without packing full-on packages of processed foods, which for my family are once in a while treats. My older daughter always eats her treat first but then usually eats all the rest of her food, my youngest eats her treat about half of the time. They have learned how to eat both healthy and small treats at the same time.
But again, this works for my family. You will always have to find out what works best for you and your family.
Amen Mama! Enough of the shaming. We all gotta do what’s best for OUR families. I thought your ideas were wonderful. I mostly paid attention to the main dishes since that’s the struggle I face with my kids… having an easy variety throughout the year so we all don’t get bored. I plan on changing the sides based on what my kids like. And I also send a small treat. I grew up with sweets being forbidden, so I had an unhealthy relationship with them. My kids know that we eat a well-balanced meal, then we can have a little treat of our liking. Thanks for all the great ideas!