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Stay out of a lunch box rut this school year with these easy Lunch Box Ideas! With a variety of meats, grains, fruits, vegetables, and snacks the possibilities are endless!
After packing your kids’ lunch boxes, slip one of these FREE printable lunch box notes and jokes into their lunch box for a fun surprise that will brighten their day!
It’s That Time of Year!
Summertime is officially winding down. That means the kids are back to school and I’m back on lunch box duty. Our kids are old enough that we usually have them pack their own lunches, but I still have to provide the ingredients and fixings of course!
I like to change it up so the kids don’t get bored, as well as make sure there are tons of healthy items to keep them energized and happy through out the day. To ensure their meals are well rounded, I typically include at least one item from each category:
- meats
- grains
- fruits
- vegetables
- and sometimes a treat 😉
I compiled a list of ideas from each of those categories. As you can see, there are tons of ideas and hopefully even your pickiest eaters will like at least some of them!
Ideas For Healthy School Lunches
Like I said, I usually try to include at least one item from each category to make sure the kids’ school lunches are well rounded and provide healthy nutrients. You can easily mix and match by pairing different items together! But here is our list of healthy lunch box ideas:
Try These Lunch Box Examples!
Here are 4 examples of lunch boxes made from mixing and matching items on the list! You can see there’s so much variety and you can make so many different lunches from similar ingredients. It’s simpler than you think to cater to each kid’s preferences!
LUNCHBOX #1
- Ranch Dip Snack Pack
- Carrot slices
- Cucumber slices
- Sliced apple
- String cheese
- Peanut butter pretzels
LUNCHBOX #2
- Ranch Dip Snack Pack
- Carrots
- Raisins
- Cubed Colby Jack cheese
- Peanut butter banana roll ups
LUNCHBOX #3
- Ranch Dip Snack Pack
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Ham and swiss cheese sandwich
LUNCHBOX #4
- Ranch Dip Snack Pack
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bell pepper sticks
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- 1 mini bagel pizza
Tips for Packing Lunch Boxes
When you’re like me and have 6 kids, any tips, tricks and hacks for making lunch box packing easier are widely accepted!
Food Safety
- Use an insulated lunch box to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold!
- Pack food while it’s cold.
- Use an ice pack inside your insulated lunch box to keep food cold. (Extra hack: freeze items like juice boxes, grapes, or yogurt packs – they will thaw by lunch time but double as an ice pack!)
- Make sure your kids empty any leftovers in their lunch boxes at the end of the day so spoiled items don’t find their way back.
Simplifying the Packing Process
- Prep any items you can at the beginning of the week—wash and cut fruits and veggies and keep them in storage containers in the fridge for easy grabbing throughout the entire week.
- Pack the night before. This is great to do if there are leftover dinner items that can be thrown into the lunch boxes. Plus, this will ensure you’re not packing in a rush the following morning.
- Have your kids get involved! My kids are mostly old enough that they can pack their own lunches. I’ll provide all the items and keep bins in the pantry stocked with snacks and other items prepared in the fridge so they just have to grab what they like.
Once my kids’ lunches are packed, I usually like to slip a note or joke into their lunch box. I have a whole bunch of FREE printable lunch box notes and jokes that you can use, too!
Happy lunch box packing!!
These look great. Are you able to share a link to the containers please?
This is an awesome balanced menu
Where did you find the containers with DIVIDERS?
I find heavy Glass ones, but not light-weight Plastic ones you have. Thanks
You can find them on Amazon!
For the peanut butter banana roll ups. Is that a flour tortilla or flattened sandwich bread?
It is a flour tortilla. But either would work!
I am a grandma and I love love love all your ideas. I pass them on to my daughters so that they can use them when packing my grandkids’ lunch’s. Keep up the good work. You have a special talent.
Love to try thesr
Hopefully they are helpful!
Love these ideas for my picky eater!
Ideas on how to keep fresh apple slices from turning brown when storing and prepping lunchboxes for the week?
Yes! So most important thing I’d say is to keep the sliced apples in an air-tight container. Then there are actually a handful of methods to try to keep them from browning, including – water and salt, lemon juice, pineapple juice, etc. There are lots of methods on how to do it.
Thank you! This article was very useful. I’ve printed out the chart to hang in my kitchen.
You’re welcome!! So glad to hear you’re being able to use it!
How do you keep the bananas from browniNg Before lunch?
I’ve tried a little lemon juice on it which does help, but there are more ideas online 🙂
Yummy!! I’LL try out with recipes found in my country.
Thank you!! Good luck!
Just curious how do you keep the bananas and apples from turning?
I like to keep the apples together, once sliced…keeping it whole looking. Bananas will turn brown, but if you add a little lemon or lime juice on them, that helps 🙂
I’m wondering as a Canadian mom! We’re not allowed peanut products or buts of any kind at school? And no but butter substitute? So my ideas run thin! Could you give me some inspiration?
Thanks
Meghan
You could do lots of fruits & veggies, ham & cheese sandwiches/rolls, cheese sticks. Hopefully, those help. It can get tricky, trying to come up with different things, but I just rotate different things.
My kids like honey and cream cheese or strawberry cream cheese in their banana roll ups. We also use Flatout bread and granola in with the bananas.
Perfect!! Thanks for sharing!
Iam always looking for Healthier snakes and lunch ideas. Thank you
You are so welcome!! So, am I!
Excellent
Thank you!
My daughter enjoys a healthy snack and so do I with her so we enjoy carrots and Ranch and she also enjoys mini pizzas and so do I.
That’s good that likes carrots! Thanks for stopping by!
With carrots or pretzels!
YUMMY! Love pretzels with dip!
I love Marzetti Dios with celery sticks!
Agreed!
We pack the dips for softball weekends! We love them.
Perfect!! Thank you!
With veggies
That’s what we like!! Thank you!
I love dipping my carrots
Agreed 🙂 Thank you!
I love to take some veggies and dip along with me to work so I can have something to munch on during my break.
Yes, I agree!! Got to have snacks at work 🙂 Thank you!
With ranch
I agree!! Thank you!
Love the lunch box ideas.
Thanks so much!
What kind of containers do you use? What brand? Where did you get them?
Can you buy in store if so where
The dip? You should be able to find them at your grocery store. You can find it at Wal-Mart, Target, etc. Hope you find it!
We love Marzetti dip with broccoli and cauliflower.
I agree 🙂 Veggies are my favorite in it! Thank you!
With carrots and celery
YUM!! Thank you!
With pita chips and veggies! I love these dips with just about anything ☺️
Sounds yummy! Thank you!
Use marzetti dips for pizza
Great idea! Thank you!
My daughter likes packing Marzetti Ranch dip with celery,carrots,broccoli and cauliflower.
I agree..so yummy! Thank you!
Love their ranch dip served with cucumbers, celery, carrots and broccoli
Agreed 🙂 Thank you!
With baby carrots!
Hot wings,Baked wings,Baked Potatoe Chips.
YUM! 🙂 Thank you!
I love Marzetti on everything except basically fruit? I have to have it!
So kid friendly! My daughter will literally eat Anything if it’s dipped in ranch. So easy to grab these along with some veggies for snacks on the go
I’m with her 🙂 Thank you!
Love some Marzetti Ranch Dip With baby carrots!
YUM!! Thank you!
Ranch with Cauliflower
Yum, yum!! Thanks!
They work great for the kids and hubbies lunch. My oldest dips her pickles in it.
I love to eat it with fresh crisp veggies mmmm!
I agree 🙂
I love taking them on picnics. I love dipping rolled up turkey, provolone, and a pickle in the ranch. They also make a caramel too I believe. Yum!
Yum! Sounds perfect! Thank you 🙂
We like using pepper slices and carrots, love the on the go choice with them!
I agree 🙂 Thank you!
We love eating cut up fruit and veggies and dipping them in the marzetti dips! Yum!
We love them too! And, so good for you 🙂
I love the mini pizza tray. I would never of thought of that. Thank for all wonderful ideas. 🙂
I love it with carrot sticks!
Also great to dip pretzels, cheese sticks and pepperoni.
With ranch
There very good ideas to do and very healthy for the kids to enjoy eating healthy snacks.
How do you keep the apples from turning brown?
Good question? It’s hard! My kids will eat it whole, but I will slice it & keep it together. Still turn a little brown, though.
I love dipping my cauliflower in the Marzetti’s ranch dip!! I love fresh cauliflower for a snack or side dish. I love the lunchbox ideas!!
Thank you so much! It’s a great snack!
Ive never tried them before!
The dips are just perfect sized, portable and convienent for dipping our veggies when we go on spontaneous picnics to the park!
Yes, they are 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by!
These lunches look amazing! Just what I needed to see because I ha e been a lunch rut with my kids lunches! I love the dips with veggies any day! Thanks!
Glad these could help!
Apple slices and peanut butter. Slices of roast beef. And carrots and the ranch Marzetti dip. And berries
Sounds perfect!! Thank you!
Our whole family loves the dip for our veggies! Especially in long car rides and travel situations. Great way to sneak in some veggies!
I agree!! Thank you!
I love to dip carrots and chips in ranch or blue cheese. Yum!
YUM!! Me too! Thank you!
We love dipping baby carrots!
My favorite!! Thank you 🙂
My fave is the Marzetti Ranch and baby carrots. Yum!
I love those divided containers!!
Thanks so much!
I haven’t ever tried them, but I’m always needing ideas for lunch that isn’t a sandwich so I am going to buy some of these for my boys. Thank you!
Hope they like them!! Thank you!
What kind of Tupperware do you use for your kids lunches?
I have all different kinds. It just depends on what they want in their lunch that day. I don’t have a specific kind.
We love it as a dip for veggies! I know it’s boring but we love it 🙂
Not at all..same with us 🙂
I use the blue cheese to dip my pizza. These lunches are inspiring me to be a little more creative (and healthy) with my own. I have not seen the little dip packs in my area : (
Who says they have to just be for kids?? They are perfect for us, too 🙂
Outstanding photos ! ! The colors, the setup, the food choices, bravo ! ! Kristyn you deserve an award.
Thank you..you are too nice 🙂
i just love picking one of these and dipping in with anything as a snack on the whim… whatever is around!
Me too! They are all so good!
What do you have wrapped around the peanut butter and banana?
It is a tortilla cut into strips 🙂
When we have picnic lunches (in the car, park, vacation, special outings) we enjoy using Marzetti dip!