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You are here: Home / Packing Lunches / 100 Lunch Box Ideas Your Kids Will Love

100 Lunch Box Ideas Your Kids Will Love

by Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RDN
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100 Lunch Box Ideas

Thank you to Applegate for sponsoring this post!

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. I also like to pack Applegate deli meats, including my younger son’s favorite (Black Forest Ham), my older son’s favorite (Roasted Turkey), and my favorite (Genoa Salami). I love that Applegate’s meat comes from animals raised humanely without antibiotics and hormones, because that’s important to me. 

Applegate meats

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

100 Lunch Box Ideas
  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.

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100 Lunch Box Ideas

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
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[Tweet “100 things to pack in a lunch box:”]

Disclosures: I am a member of the Applegate Sandwich Board advisory group and am compensated for my time. All opinions are my own!

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Category: Packing LunchesTag: lunch box, lunch boxes, packing lunches
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leisa

    at

    These are such great ideas! I always run in to a problem with my daughter though. She is dairy free and doesn’t eat meat. She just doesn’t like it, which I am fine with. Any other suggestions since those two issues make a lot of options not viable.

    Reply
    • Sally

      at

      Hi Leisa–Protein sources could be hard-boiled eggs, edamame, leftover baked/grilled tofu sticks (a friend of mine packs that for her vegetarian son and he loves it), hummus/pita, nut butters (if school permits nuts/peanuts) or sunbutter, refried beans and non-dairy cheese on a quesadilla, non-dairy milk and non-dairy yogurt, and pasta (grains have protein as well). Here’s a resource I found that may help too: http://www.godairyfree.org/news/dairy-free-lunch-box-recipes

      Reply
  2. Sara @sarahaasrdn.com

    at

    I mean, I am forwarding this to every mom I know! Awesome list Sally!!!!

    Reply
    • Sally

      at

      Thank you Sara!

      Reply
    • Keri

      at

      I agree, awesome list! Thank you so much!!!

      Reply
      • Sally

        at

        Thanks Keri! Hope it’s helpful to you.

        Reply
  3. Lauren Harris-Pincus

    at

    What an awesome list, it should be every mom’s go-to guide 🙂

    Reply
    • Sally

      at

      Thanks Lauren!

      Reply
  4. Amy Griffin

    at

    Where did you find the containers you pack the lunch in? Would you mind sharing a link where I can but them? I’m having a hard time finding some that all three compartments seal to keep all the food fresh. If they don’t all three seal separately, the crackers get soggy.

    Reply
    • Sally

      at

      Amy–they are EasyLunchboxes! I love them. http://www.easylunchboxes.com/

      Reply
  5. Sarah

    at

    Great list and I love the pictures!

    Reply
    • Sally

      at

      Thanks Sarah!

      Reply
  6. Vivian

    at

    These are such a great list. It is very helpful and I will follow these ideas to make my lunches.

    Reply
  7. Neha Goyal

    at

    Amazing post! The ideas shared in this post are creative and awesome.

    Reply
  8. alisha

    at

    this is a really helpful post for a mom like me who is always confused what should I prepare for my child. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work

    Reply
  9. SHERENE ASTRUP

    at

    Hi Sally…these are great suggestions! I love the variety that you’ve listed to satisfy even the most fussy of eaters and so many healthy options! I love it so much that I’ve included your link and list in a blog post of my own 🙂

    Reply

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