Practical School Lunch Ideas (Cold & Hot) + Tortilla Pinwheels
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When my son started school, I was determined to pack him healthy, nutritious and satisfying lunches. Without me hovering over him while he ate, he brought his fancy sandwiches right back home, sometimes untouched. I could see he wasn’t really into what I packed for him.
After he brought several lunches back, I resorted to ordering food at school, but that never sat well with me since they weren’t very balanced meals – very little fruit or veggies. And, I could never tell if he actually ate his lunch.
Then I got creative. Read on for great (easy) lunch ideas for cold and hot school lunches your kids will actually eat and you’ll feel good about. Thank you to Shamrock Farms for sponsoring this post!
One of our favorite easy lunches to pack (and make ahead) are tortilla pinwheels and I’ve included the print-friendly recipe for those below!).
P.S. Don’t miss our new lunch ideas post for 2017!
Update on the Lunchbox:
For first grade, my son started using this Planet Box lunchbox (affiliate link).
Start with the drink:
1. Milk: my son’s drink of choice so I always make sure he has milk for lunch.
2. Juice – select a juice box that has reduced sugar and real fruit juice
School Lunch Main Course (Grains & Meats):
1. DIY “lunchables”: crackers, deli turkey or salami, sliced cheese
2. Sandwich or sandwich kabobs: disguise their sandwich by threading turkey, cubed string cheese, and squares of bread on skewers.
3. Mini bagels and cream cheese
4. Easy chicken sliders (canned chicken – drained well and mixed with mayo and black pepper to taste, place filling between lettuce and cheese to keep the bun from getting soggy)
5. Tortilla pinwheels (cream cheese, sliced cheese, deli turkey, thinly sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce or spinach – roll tightly and slice into rounds). Get the print-friendly recipe for tortilla pinwheels below.
School Lunch Fruit:
1. Small banana
2. Grapes
3. Blueberries, strawberries or other berries
4. Fruit kabobs
5. Apricot, apple,.. whatever your kids love
6. Applesauce 7. Peeled clementines
School Lunch Veggies:
1. Baby carrots with ranch in mini cups
2. Cucumber slices
3. Snap peas
4. Salad (romaine, cheese, croutons, side of ranch)
5. Avocado slices (to prevent browning: slice flesh into bite-sized pieces inside the skin, scoop out flesh and replace into shell, drizzle with lemon juice, cover tightly with plastic wrap)
School Lunch Snacks and Treats:
1. Banana bread (Here is my husbands perfect banana bread)
2. Yogurt
3. Pudding
4. String cheese
5. Pretzels, or gold fish crackers
6. Fruit snacks or fruit leather
7. Dried fruit (raisins, craisins, banana or apple chips)
8. Z-Bar or fruit bars
9. Muffin
10. Chocolate chip cookie (click for soft homemade cookies)
12. DIY trail mix
Here are some winning lunch combinations:
[DIY “lunchables”, cucumber slices, grapes, yogurt]
[chicken slider, salad with ranch, trail mix, banana]
[turkey sandwich kabobs, carrots & ranch, apricot, pudding]
[mini bagel with cream cheese, snap peas, strawberries, fruit leather, string cheese]
[tortilla pinwheels, sliced avocado, blueberries, banana chips]
Hot Lunch Ideas (with a Thermos):
Tips for using a thermos: *We recommend the Thermos Foogo 10 oz or Thermos Funtainer 10 oz: *Pack hot thermos in the morning (5 hours before it’s eaten) *Heat the thermos first: add boiling water, cover and let sit 5 min then drain. Heat food until it’s hot. Place into heated thermos and close tightly with lid. Food will be warm at lunchtime.
What to put in a hot lunch thermos:
1. Soup (try: chicken noodle soup or Mom’s meatball soup)
2. Pasta (try: chicken alfredo or spaghetti with shrimp)
3. Pilaf/rice, or stir fry (try: creamy chicken and rice, or shrimp fried rice)
4. Leftovers! You can really get creative with a thermos. Just avoid foods with overwhelming aromas (i.e. broccoli and cabbage).
Tortilla Pinwheels Recipe (School Lunch Idea)
Ingredients
Tortilla Pinwheels
- 1 flour tortilla
- 2 Tbsp cream cheese
- 1 slice mozarella cheese, (or your favorite cheese)
- 1 oz turkey deli meat , (2 slices)
- 1/4 cup shredded lettuce, (or spinach leaves)
- 1/4 tomato, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Spread cream cheese over tortilla.
- Add sliced mozzarella and deli meat over the top half of the tortilla followed by shredded lettuce and sliced tomato.
- Tightly roll the tortilla from the top downward then slice the roll into rings.
Nutrition Per Serving
Can you tell by the look in his eye that I promised him candy for this photo? 😉
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I love your recipes and videos. These are great ideas that I will try for my lunch.
Thank you, Barbara! I hope you love these!
I love all your recipes I am following you! I am a fan! Your such a cutie 🥰 and I love your jokes and the way you are! You are a lovely wisp of breeze and sunshine!!! Keep up your good works ! I really love your foods!
Thank you, Imelda! That is very kind. I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
My daughter is a vegetarian which makes packing lunch for her a bit challenging. Do you have any ideas for vegetarian school lunches?
Hi Emily! I bet there are some great ways to make vegetarian school lunches, but I don’t have anything specific now. I am adding it to my list! Thank you for that suggestion!
Natasha, I found this post to be especially helpful, but for a different reason than you posted: children and work. I’m a senior, so I do not fall under either of these categories, however, our church has Brown Bag fellowships on Sundays after our worship services, several times a month. I’m not big on sandwiches and find myself at times, at a loss as to what to prepare for that time. This lunchbox with dividers and what I call ‘grazing’ foods is right up my alley. 🙂 Thank you for the idea and inspiration!
That is wonderful! So glad to hear that.
Hello,
Please do you have any easy recipe for bagel with video?
Hi Wadad, I do not at this time but thank you for that wonderful suggestion! Adding that to our list!
I know this is an old post but thank you so much. My 1st grader started school today and came up to me last night and said, “Mommy, I am 6 years old. I think I am responsible enought to bring my lunch to school, will you pack it with me?” Thank you so much for the late night inspiration.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
My mom was the cafeteria mgr. when I was in grade school. It was eat it or else. She knew the beets and brussel sprouts were going to go begging. A hot lunch every M-F.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Ralph! Mother knows best!
I know this is old but I just found this site. Been looking for different lunch ideas for my 4th grader. Thanks so much for the options!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that was helpful!
I know this is a very old post, but if someone happens by who has a picky child I have a pretty good solution (not for toddlers because of the choking hazard) that people usually say they never thought of.
Cook up a couple hotdogs and put them in a pre-warmed thermos so they are at least warm by lunchtime. Wrap a hotdog roll or two in foil or whatever you normally wrap,your bread products in. Give packets with ketchup and/or mustard for the child to put on themselves. I PROMISE all of his/her classmates will be begging to trade lunches! It isn’t something many people think of but you can do turkey Frank’s if you are worried about the nutritional content. Or switch it up and put mini meatballs and marinara in the thermos with a side of shredded cheese and let your child enjoy meatball subs. They love the food choice, as well as the Attention they will get making the food up to eat while the other kids are drooling over their delicious (what kid doesn’t love a hotdog???) lunch. It keeps really well in a thermos, too.
I love those ideas. I know my son would love a hotdog at lunch! Thank you for sharing!! I’m a big fan of using a thermos especially since a microwave is not available.
Thanks for sharing such a pleasant idea, post is nice, thats why i have read it entirely
Thank you for reading!
do you pack an ice pack with the cold lunches. Im always concerned about any dairy products, such as cheese, ranch, yogurt, etc. sitting in the bag for a few hours before lunchtime.
Hi Nella. Yes we recommend using ice packs. His lunch box came with the ice pack so it keeps the milk cold for the entire time he is at school 😄.
Who is getting their 4 year old to eat a hoagie and a salad for school lunch?! Teach me your ways, sensei! My kid won’t even eat her peanut butter sandwich (which she has happily eaten for 3 years now), because it’s “weird”. 🤦🏼♀️
Hi Katie! Kiddos really tend to be picky don’t they? Haha oh man that’s a great excuse “weird” 🙂
my 4 year old would live on salad, veggies and hummus if I let him
That’s amazing!
Today my 4th grader told me that I need to up my game (quite literally he said this) and stop with the sandwiches. Thanks for the great tips, I look forward to trying these.
You’re so welcome! But oh man! Looks like you have a fancy eater on your hands! 🙂
Is it safe to put shrimp fried rice in a thermos??
Hi Brittany, I don’t see why not! 🙂 So long as you don’t go past the recommended times and start with hot food, it should be fine just like putting in a chicken-based meal.
My child is a very picky eater, he doesn’t eat the lunch I pack him. I try my harder at to give him healthy lunches but for some reason he doesn’t want the lunch.
I have seen my fair share of picky eaters! Hopefully these gave you some good ideas!
Lovely…i really struggle everyday with my school going toddler….hopefully these awesome ideas will help me a lot.Thanks for the pictures and great share.
My pleasure Mathur, I really hope your little one enjoys them!
I like all the ideas…but I don’t like fruits and veggies!!!!
Leave them out Lizzy 🙂
what about noodle recipes?
Hi Melda, noodles or just about any pasta is a great idea for the thermos. Type pasta in our search bar above to explore all of the pasta recipes we have posted.
Thank you!
You’re welcome Becky!
Love the ideas and recipes, my only suggestion would be a Tupperware type dip container instead of the daily plastic throw-aways. 🌲 🙂
Great suggestion Cory! 🙂
Why can’t you wash the throwaways? 🙂
👌👌 need this post! Also where is the plastic lunch box container from?
The old one was from Costco and I’m not sure if they sell it this year or not but it’s worth checking! The new one we use is a Planet Box.
Another year another lunch planning spreadsheet….! But this year I have high hopes that I will actually STICK to it! The key difference: simplicity. Thank you so much for this!
I think that’s the most challenging part of back to school! I hope you get some good ideas here. Make sure you check out our new school lunch post also.
It is so hard to think of recipes on you’re own but Natasha you make life easy and a little bit confusing . Some of you’re recipes where off the hook but on others a little bit more .
Thank You So Much !
Natasha, I also want to say thank you and “molodets”! I first came to your site for your medovik recipe and have found so many other great recipes and hints. Your site is so well organized and colorful. My husband is Ukrainian, but making Ukrainian food in America can sometimes be tricky. You help decipher it a bit. Keep up the good work!
You’re welcome Mindy! Thanks you for following and sharing your thoughtful comments! 😀
Natalka, I’ll call you by your Ukrainian name. Mолодець! I have to tell you how proud I am of a Ukrainian woman that is so awesome at “doing it right”! I just posted this on Facebook. Got your recipe for a salmon from my niece, a dentist in Chicago, Bohdanna. I started to check out your recipes and was very impressed with them. Most of all your presentation of your recipes. The pictures and videos are really, really good. You should be on FoodTV. Your so much better than some of those worthless food shows. If you could do more kids lunch box meals that would be great. I would totally appreciate this. Be Well. Z Bohom. BTW – My husband, Mykola, made your Creamy Broccoli Salad and it was great. I made the cheesy mashed potato pancakes. Very nice. 🙂
Thank you so much Anna! It’s so nice to hear from my fans. I will keep your request in mind! Thanks for sharing 😀
Thank you! This is great! Helps to move away from the standard sammy and chips lunch.
You’re welcome Michelle! I am glad you found it helpful!
plz plz plz post more lunch ideas.. specially Asian type.. for pakistani kids
Love these ideas! I really struggle to find easy, practical lunch ideas for my three kids. I especially like the tortilla pinwheels – they are going on my list! Thank you, Natasha!
You’re welcome Carolyn! I am so glad you found it helpful!
I have scoured the internet trying to find kid lunch ideas that are actually reasonable. There are so many websites listing ridiculous recipes that I do not have the time to make…nor would my children eat them!
Then I found this post! Thanks for helping me get my kids out of their lunch rut! These ideas were all very useful and work with my time sensitive schedule!
I am so glad you find them helpful Olivia! 🙂
Thanks for these- I like them all but I would warn not to pack “kabobs” for little ones. I work in a kindergarten class and I am in the lunchroom with them. Hazardous to kids at that age and probably at least the next several grades up. Kids get so wild and silly at lunch :).
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
I thought about the kabob sticks might be an issue (my son could easily get himself in some trouble if I packed them for him haha!) and my first thought was maybe use a straw to poke a hole through the center, then maybe use a pretzel rod in place of the kabob? I don’t know how or if that would work but it might be worth trying at least! Thank you Natasha for helping me love my kitchen again!
I am surprised by the amount of sugar in the milk products (yogurt & milk) that you would recommend. There is more sugar in these products than a candy bar. Kids really need to drink water in their lunchbox.
Hi Anna, I agree and my son always takes a bottle of water to school. He still loves plain whole milk when he comes home though and yes even that has naturally occurring sugar in it but not so much that it’s concerning to me. I do wish the yo-kids yogurts had less sugar though. I haven’t found a better alternative with less sugar though – their baby yogurt line has has the sugar that the toddler/big kids line does. Do you have any yogurt suggestions?
I am getting ready to start packing lunches (thanks for the great list!).
Not sure if this would help you, but I am buying reusable food pouches to cut down on cost and fill with whatever I want. I can make a batch of pudding and fill, or buy a big jar of applesauce for a few dollars. My son wastes a lot of yogurt, so I stopped buying it for him – but I’m sure you could buy low/no sugar yogurt in a bigger container and put them in a reusable squeeze pouch.
That’s a great suggestion Rachel! Thanks for sharing your tip with other readers!
You could buy Greek Yogurt and add fresh fruit to cut down on the sugar products! Or the already prepackaged Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom. We only eat that type of yogurt in our home and my daughter (5 years) loves it and it is the only type of yogurt she knows! Hope this helps!
Great suggestions Ashley, thanks for sharing!
A thought ..perhaps plain yogurt with fresh fruit or even a wee bit of jam or preserves mixed in..works for us
Heyyy
Can you do a post for ADULT lunches?
Im out of ideas of what to put in my husbands lunch box 🙁 Please include both hot and cold and recommendations for thermoses and such. Thanks a bunch!
That’s a great suggestion! It may not be until after the holidays but I will definitely keep it in mind! 🙂 Has you check out the sandwiches I have posted?
Hello Natasha! Thank you for the lunch ideas! My daughter strated school and I was anxious what should I pack for lunch for her and now I have a good source to rely on 🙂
You’re welcome Katrina! I’m so happy you find the post beneficial 😀.
Hello there. I love it your ideas with kids lunch. It’s fantastic.
I just try to find some plastic box for lunch, with 2 or 3 section (like yours)
Maybe you can give me link where did you buying them?
Big thanks. .
Hi Simona, It came in a lunch box that I purchased at Costco. They usually have them before school starts. It’s called the “Arctic Zone Ultra Lunch Pack” They also sell it on Amazon but I’m not sure why it’s so expensive on Amazon. The one we use currently is really nice and I think a good investment. Check it out here.
Natasha you have the cutest kids. Your boy is so handsome and baby girl is just a doll. What a beautiful family you have. How do u find the time to run a family, cook, post, etc? Blessings to you on this motherhood journey. “Hello!” from souther California.
Hi Val, thank you so much for your sweet words 🙂 It’s not easy and without an amazing husband and God’s blessings, I don’t think I would be able to do it 🙂
When using the thermos for hot food, will the contents stay warm on the inside if using an ice pack for juice/milk/fruit?
Hi Trina, it is recommended not to place it in a cool lunch box. I always pack it outside of his lunchbox (there is a strap or pocket that I loop it through), but I don’t put it next to an ice pack.
Thanks for the tip.
Thank you so much for this post finally a realistic approach to lunch and snack time. God Bless!
Thank you Yuri, blessings to you as well 😀.
I had squarely put a thermos in the liquid/soup box and never considered it for leftovers. Thanks, this opens up a lot of options.
You are welcome Evelyn 😀.
How do you pack the milk to make sure it stays cold until lunch time?
His lunch box came with the ice pack so it keeps the milk cold for the entire time he is at school 😄.
I make milk ice cubes and put several in the drink container before I fill it with milk. The frozen milk cubes melt during morning classes and the milk is cold at lunch.
That is so smart!! Thank you for sharing that great tip! 🙂
Thankfully my kids aren’t picky eaters! They love whatever they get typically but a favorite is a wrap vs a sandwich
My son’s favorite is a good old PB&J.
This really works.
This is the best school lunch prep post I have ever read. SO Helpful! the lunches are things my son will actually eat, he’s a bit picky, and the step by step, choose a drink, choose a main, choose a snack, Takes the stress right out of making lunches!
Ange, thank you for such a nice review 😀.
Ok, Natasha. Now you had me in complete crocodile tears when I read this post. My firstborn will be going to Kindergarten this Fall and the thought of him not being home with me is heartwrenching. But thinking about what to give him to eat everyday for lunch is also a struggle. This is such a fantastic post that I cannot thank you enough. I know you are super busy with your schedule but if you could do more of these posts – wow, that would be so helpful for us mommies! You are truly a blessing.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. It is bittersweet when they start Kindergarten. I’m so happy you enjoyed this post. 🙂
Hey Natasha,
Can you tell me where you bought the blue sectioned tupperware from? Thank you!
Hi 🙂 It came in a lunch box that I purchased at Costco. They usually have them before school starts. It’s called the “Arctic Zone Ultra Lunch Pack” They also sell it on Amazon
Thank you so much : ) I’ll keep an eye out for it. I’ve really enjoyed the recipes on your blog, thank you!
i really enjoy your recipes.
my tweens go to a peanut-free school 🙁
Are there any other lunches you recommend? I usually pack extra for their friends who don’t like the school lunches.
Thank you very much….
Jesica, we usually pack these lunches or leftovers in the thermos :).
Here is Australia kids are discouraged in taking sugary drinks to school so the kids generally only take water… Our canteen set up is different too so although kids can order lunch the food on the menu needs to fit certain guidelines… But these lunches look great and I will be using some of these 🙂
Tweet – https://twitter.com/mitadav/status/640209347021262848
I live to pack Veggie sandwich and fresh fruit.
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/639959838622007296
I love to pack sandwich, fruit and yogurt.
P Band J cut up in quarters, grapes, pretzels, and rice crispies treats.
https://twitter.com/davisesq212/status/639937274285817856
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/my4boysand1/status/639933671735185409
I love to pack turkey rollups and apples with peanut butter!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/639908747104677888
My kids like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/639904436014448640
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
So far, no sandwiches, it’s been muffins with fruit or goldfish, wraps with deli meat and cheese or my version of luncables
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
My daughter just started kindergarten last week. Inspired by your post, I tried packing her favorite pasta dish in a cute thermos. She came home super happy saying her lunch was yummy and the container was empty. Thanks for the ideas! I’m one happy mama. 🙂 She also loves Persian cucumber slices in her lunchbox.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/639651453267746816
My son likes turkey and cheese sandwiches.
When I pack a lunch, I prefer (& seem to need) lots of protein. I like “snacky” things like beef jerky, Baby Bell cheese and a nut mixture & pair it with a sweet,crisp apple…and of course, something sweet, like dark chocolate with sea salt 😍
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/639512962374332416
My boys like yogurt and fruit salad as part of their lunches.
My husband packs my daughters lunch, and he likes to make sure that she always has a nice healthy snack, and a sweet treat. I love all these ideas, and might take over her lunch prep now.
I like a sandwich sliced in half so I can eat half of it before lunch as a snack, an apple, and tea that I just bring in the bag and add hot water to during lunch. So filling! Typical Ukrainian lunch, even at home lol
In general, our school lunches are very good so sometimes my first grader packs and sometimes eats at school. One quick note about school lunches before I go on to our pack lunch ideas – schools are now required to provide salad bar with fresh fruits and veggies so often they aren’t listed on the menu that is in the school newsletter because they are there daily. Before completely dismissing your school lunch program, try it with your child a time or two. I’ve been a K12 teacher and had other jobs that allowed me to visit lots of schools. School lunches have made great strides in the last few years increasing whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies and eliminating fatty, empty-calorie foods.
On to how it works at our house …
I don’t pack drinks. She can buy a milk for $.35 that comes from a local dairy that happens to be the same brand we buy at home. My first grader will eat nearly everything that is supposed to be hot at room temperature or colder so at this point, she gets leftovers like the rest of us generally eat for lunch. In addition to the items on your list, we’ve had success with the following:
– Cold pasta tossed with a little shredded or cubed cheese and some cubed cold cut or salami;
– Bell peppers either the minis or sliced bigs;
– Chicken strips or nuggets with barbecue sauce or pizza sauce;
– A variety of whole grain crackers;
– Make your own pizza (also a Lunchable copy-cat) with tortilla rounds, sauce, pepperoni and shredded cheese;
– Nachos with whole grain chips, homemade fajita strips or taco meat, copped fresh veg and a little cheese;
– PB&J roll-up using the crustless bread or a tortilla;
– When I send sandwiches of any kind, I cut them with sandwich cutters to make them more fun (and take off those pesky crusts);
– Quesadillas;
– Steak and veggie strips with dipping sauce;
– Cherry or grape tomatoes;
– Last night’s chicken and rice (I don’t make mine with a creamy sauce) as a cold salad.
The list is pretty endless. Rarely do I buy special foods for lunches. I plan for leftovers when I make dinner, and we adapt them (or eat them as-is) for lunch.
I liked putting something unexpected in my daughter’s lunchbox.
I don’t have kids, but when I was a kid myself I loved getting fresh fruit in my lunch.
My son started kindergarden, and just like yours, those fancy sandwiches came back home untouched. so, yest I took deli meat with cheese and rolled it up, he actually ate it. I also put grapes and baby carrots with ranch, milk the kind you posted and granola bar.
I love this so much! Im probably going to do this for myself. Always have to put so much time into meal planning for things that are easy on the go between work and college. Thank you!
My favorite thing is to put little notes in my daughter’s lunch box!
we love homemade corn dog muffins and homemade chicken nuggets!
Right now my kids are packing cucumber slices in their lunch every day because we have so many from our garden! During the rest of the schoolyear, applesauce cups are our quick go-to for fruit.
My 8 yr old son is kind of picky, but he will eat a peanut butter sandwich, grapes or a banana, yogurt, OJ, and maybe a treat like fruit snacks.
My tweet.. https://twitter.com/staceygrantham/status/636634047368794112
I tweeted https://twitter.com/royaldixie/status/636281437772226560
I always pack some fresh fruit/veggies and a sandwich of some sort.
I tweeted!
https://twitter.com/myWAHW/status/636184164836880385
I love packing variety, homemade lunchables! With a little treat and notes!
I typically pack a sandwich with one or two of the following: fruit, yogurt, chips, cheese, granola bar, trail mix, carrots, etc.
How do you keep food safe for 5 hrs?
Hi Cheryl,
The container says up to 5 hours, but be sure to follow the preparation instructions in this post for best results. You have to make sure your thermos and food are hot when you seal it. – Natasha
I usually pack a sandwich, a fruit such as an apple or a banana, something from the vegetable category – either carrot sticks or grape tomatoes and something sweet – a cookie or a candy.
My kids love anything they can dip in their lunches.
I pack a sandwich, apple, chips, and a cookie.
Here’s my tweet! https://twitter.com/Pintesting/status/635519457536909313
Luckily, I only need to pack a snack for my child- the favorites are yogurt, fruits, and cereal.
I love these ideas! My kids are out of school (college, even!), but I still try to pack healthy lunches for my Handsome Hubby and me. This is definitely getting Pinned and Shared. 🙂
Hi, was just wondering where you got the lunch box from? The one that’s in all the pictures?
Hi Aislinn, it’s from Costco. They usually have them this time of year and it’s the best price for this same lunch box at Costco. – Natasha
Great ideas! My little guy loves lentils and beans. I also freeze little homemade fruit or fruit and veg pouches. They lunch cool and defrost by lunchtime.
My kids love cheese, fruits, any kind of sandwiches….vegetables with ranch….
This is my first year packing lunch for my kid, at work I am known to bring the weirdest lunch :), it’s either leftovers, soup, hearty bread with vegetables especially the once in season
My kid loves pull-apart cheese sticks. And mostly finger food! Anything that doesn’t require a fork or a spoon.
Thank you for some ideas. I know I get stuck in a rut with my kids’ lunches. They don’t complain much yet, but I fear it’s coming.
Have you found the thermos containers fit well into most lunch boxes/bags?
Hi Julie, it depends on what you’re packing. If I’m packing things in the lunch box that need an ice pack then I don’t include the thermos in there. The thermos is about the size of a mug (maybe slightly wider). – Natasha
My oldest is not in school yet. For my husbands I pack left overs from dinner plus fruits. Some times sandwich or garden salad with meat and fruits. Fruits is a must for him.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/635180764888481792
My son loves yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit snacks or apple sauce in his lunches.
Homemade bread with anything that you can think of. Home made bread goes great with anything. Add salad, fried cabbage, sandwich meats, cheese, and so on… perfect snack/lunch for work or school.
I don’t have any children but if I need to pack a lunch than it would be sandwiches either with regular white bread or with bagels and something to drink: a juice or a can of soda.
Ham Sandwich, cheese curds, baby carrots, iced tea! Mmmm
I love to make every lunchbox with the following must haves:
-Something Filling (usually dinner leftover or soup)
-Something Sweet
-Something Fruit
I don’t have any children, but pack lunch for my husband and myself during the week to save money! I try to pack veggies and hummus and some easy wraps are always a good staple for our lunches.
Would you know the brand of the gold storage container you used in the photo?
Hi Anna, I don’t see a gold storage container. Which picture are you referring to? The thermoses maybe? – Natasha
i posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/634696578654072834
When i pack my lunch i usually like a sandwich and chips
I have a 13 month old so i dont pack school lunches yet, but whenever we go somewhere i pack peperjacks or havarti cheese, bananas, stacys pita chips, cottage cheese, or avocado.
I like to pack lunch meat/cheese roll-ups and veggies and fruit. He usually gets a treat too.
I love the idea of the sandwich on a skewer! My daughter (who is 6) refuses to eat “meat” sandwiches, but she LOVES kabobs!!! I am definitely going to try this. I also like the idea of the mini bagels with cream cheese (for her lunch and for mine!). Hopefully, this year she won’t be stuck with peanut butter and honey/jelly sandwiches for 4 out of 5 school days. Thanks Natasha!
I like to pack granola bars, fruits
This year I will be using your suggestions to pack a healthy lunch for my grandson. Thank you for some great ideas and the pictures make it even more appealing.
Enjoy your blog a lot! Good Job!
I have a 10 year old…uhhhh…
Packing a school lunch looks almost like a fight sometimes:)
Yogurt (Denimals works ALWAYS)
String cheese
Crackers
Baby carrots
Apple
Blackberries
These are the foods she’ll eat for sure!
https://twitter.com/natashaskitchen/status/630976506722816001
Something homemade and healthy but tasty
tweeted…
https://twitter.com/katklaw777/status/632938567451283456