100 Lunch Box Ideas Your Kids Will Love

When I was growing up, I took the same thing in my lunch box nearly every day: a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and either a Fruit Roll-Up or a packaged snack cake (probably a Ho-Ho).

Though my kids are definitely open to a wider (and healthier!) variety of foods than I was, there are staples that make regular appearances in their lunch boxes too: PBJs, raisins, applesauce, whole grain crackers.

What about kids who don’t dig sandwiches? Here are three ideas for using deli meat:

1. DIY Lunchable: Cut meat and cheese into small squares and pack along with crackers and some yummy sides like pretzels and fruit.
2. Kebabs: Use a popsicle stick or toothpick to skewer pieces of meat and cheese, and you can also include lettuce and cherry or grape tomatoes.
3. Roll-Ups: Roll up slices of deli meat by itself, with a slice of cheese, or around a string cheese.

Want more lunch box ideas? I received so many stellar suggestions from you that I compiled them into ONE MAMMOTH LIST below.

Get More: All My Top Posts About Packing Lunches

100 Lunch Box Ideas

Protein-Rich Foods

• Turkey, roast beef, or ham rolled up
• Turkey, roast beef, or ham cut into squares for a DIY “Lunchable”
• Deli meat slices in lettuce wraps
• Cheese cubes or string cheese
• Hummus & pita
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Sushi
• Salami & cheese rolled up together
• Cottage cheese with fruit
• Yogurt
• Chicken salad with whole grain crackers
• Egg salad sandwiches
• Mini-quesadilla
• Tuna sandwiches
• Taco fixings (flour tortilla + cheese + tomatoes + meat + guacamole)
• Burritos
• Egg Frittatas
• Nuts
• Leftover pork or rotisserie chicken
• Sun Butter on a tortilla
• Individual nut butter packets
• Cold pizza
• Peanut Butter “Burritos” (peanut butter on a tortilla, topped with fruit and rolled like a burrito)
• Black bean dip
• Chicken nuggets
• Grilled cheese 
• Quinoa salad

Grains

• Mini bagels
• Pita pockets
• Whole grain crackers
• Cold soba noodle salad
• Cold pasta salad (bowtie pasta + veggies + Italian dressing)
• Mini pancakes spread with nut butter
• Mini pizzas (English muffin + pepperoni + cheese)
• Rice cakes 
• French toast

Items for Thermos

• Spaghetti
• Chicken or Vegetable soup
• Refried beans
• Mini meatballs
• Homemade mac & cheese
• Lentils
• Chili
• Rice & beans
• Pesto pasta
• Lasagna
• Ravioli or Tortellini
• Stir Fry
• Oatmeal

Fruit

• Grapes (fresh or frozen)
• Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
• Mandarin oranges
• Sliced oranges
• Pears (fresh or canned)
• Melon like cantaloupe & watermelon
• Frozen smoothies in squeeze pouches
• Applesauce pouches
• Dried fruit such as raisins
• Apple & peanut butter sandwiches
• Frozen fruit (thawed by lunchtime)
• Freeze-dried fruit
• Fruit leather

Veggies

• Celery with peanut butter and raisins
• Rainbow carrots
• Sweet bell peppers
• Black olives
• Edamame
• Snap Peas
• Grape Tomatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Pickles
• Side Salad
• Frozen peas
• Cucumbers & hummus

Savory Snacks

• Pita chips
• Chips & salsa
• Pretzels
• Seaweed snacks
• Popcorn
• Trail mix
• Jerky
• Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• Blue corn chips
• Individual cups of guacamole
• Rice crackers

Sweets

• No-bake peanut butter energy balls
• Fortune cookie
• Homemade muffins
• Waffles with cream cheese
• Small piece of chocolate
• Granola bars
• Yogurt-cream cheese dip for fruit
• Banana chips
• Boxes of chocolate or vanilla milk
• Yogurt covered raisins
• Graham crackers
• Homemade pudding

Fun Extras

• Note
• Joke
• Sticker
• Note written on a paper napkin
• Cloth napkin so they feel fancy
• Silly drawing