Use scallion instead of parsley or deli turkey instead of ham for a variation. 53 Healthy School Lunch Ideas. Batch of granola or waffles to use for breakfasts or lunches. Upgrade their lunchbox dessert with a homemade version of the classic iced animal crackers — pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles, included! This loaded taco salad with ground beef, refried beans, cheddar cheese, taco seasonings, and chunky tomato salsa features all of kids' favorite Tex-Mex ingredients. Vegan mayo and sweet pickle relish give the fluffy, protein-packed sandwich a great tangy taste and creamy texture. Sneakily healthy waffles have canned whole kernel corn inside for extra nutrition. Get even more creative by slicing them into sticks to make it easier to dip into syrup. Are you tired of coming up with toddler lunch ideas for daycare or preschool? Pack it into a plastic or glass container and add some cheese cubes and crackers to their lunch bags as a delicious snack. Kids who like omelets will enjoy these Greek mini frittatas that you bake in muffin tins. Protein-rich avocado hummus gets extra creaminess and flavor from ripe avocado in this food processor recipe. Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad. Quick and easy vegan lunch ideas for kids for every plant-based family. Gluten-free kids will be the envy of their friends at lunchtime when you send them to school with this rich and creamy gluten-free macaroni and cheese in their thermos. A variety of veggies and cold cuts make them fun to look at — and just as great to eat. All Rights Reserved, Photo By: Christina Holmes See more ideas about recipes, kids lunch recipes, kids lunch. One of my favorite variations is to substitute diced fresh mango for the cranberries, cilantro for … Whip up a simple tomato sauce, crack open a tube of refrigerated biscuit mix, gather some favorite pizza toppings, and you've got everything needed to make these kid-favorite easy pizza pockets. Lunch Ideas for Kids – 16 ideas for school lunches! Fill an insulated container with a good, old-fashioned favorite. 1 dozen hard boiled eggs. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Tired of sandwiches? Consider whether your child will have milk with their lunch when deciding whether to send a drink—and keep in mind that milk is food and a source of dairy when packing a lunch… Take a bite out of mid-day hunger with this shark-inspired lunch. 9 Easy At-Home Lunches for Kids You Haven’t Thought of Yet. Add color to your little one’s lunches with these tasty wraps. Get the Recipe: Read more for a complete list of quick and easy school lunch ideas for toddlers. The chicken-and-mayo filling gets extra zip from honey mustard and is mixed with chopped green apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries. From colorful roll-ups and kid-friendly pasta to homemade fruit leather and sweet lunchbox treats — these tasty bites are guaranteed to make your little ones smile. turkey, cheese, tomato and crisp cucumber, Twice As Nice: Great Lunches from Leftovers, 7 Nut-Free Snacks for Your Child's Lunchbox, How to Make Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup "Lasagna", The One Recipe: Katie Workman's Taco Night, Our Best Healthy Recipes for Kids and Families, 5 Kid-Approved Lunches That Are Ready in a Flash, Easy Kids' Lunches: Fun Shaped Sandwiches. If your kid's not a fan of pasta sauce, these buttered noodles will do the trick! Place two slices of turkey on a whole-wheat wrap. Pesto Tortellini. Power Wraps with Sweet Potato Hummus. 1 batch of muffins (I usually go with mini muffins since I can use them for snacks as well as breakfasts) Hummus or a dip for the veggies. This salmon croissant sandwiches recipe is a fun idea for your little one's lunchbox. Chocolate-Chip Sunflower-Butter Muffins. Create a personalised content profile. This bento box idea makes lunch fun. They star easy-to-find ingredients and many make good use of leftover beans, rice, meat, or bread. makeover with broccoli, corn and tomatoes. A day or so before camping, wash, chop, and add any ingredients you’d like in your omelet to a Ziploc bag. Your kids will love eating their veggies with this yummy salad. Panko Chicken Nuggets. Get the Recipe: You can also make this stuffed baked potatoes with bacon and cheddar cheese recipe ahead and refrigerate for up to three days. Get the Recipe: Using nori as a sandwich wrap is a fun way to dress up hummus and vegetables as something other than a sandwich. Get the Recipe: Make this chicken salad the night before to let the flavors meld. Need a quick meal for your kids that you can prepare in advance and also take on-the-go? You can swap out the lettuce for other greens, depending on what your kids prefer. From colorful roll-ups and kid-friendly pasta to homemade fruit leather and sweet lunchbox treats — these tasty bites are guaranteed to make your little ones smile. Make this tasty soup on the weekend and freeze in individual portions for heating and packing into a thermos for school lunches any day of the week. These quick and easy lunches are ready in 20 minutes or less and require no more than five ingredients. Cheesy Italian Beef Quesadillas. Layer with lettuce, tomato, and a few drizzles of ranch dressing. Shark Quesadillas. A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections. Get the Recipe: Kids, you can make these yourself and they can be packed for a school lunch. This gluten-free and vegan Italian rice and beans can be made with just a handful of pantry ingredients for a great last-minute lunch idea on colder days. View Recipe. Sesame-Pecan Chicken Strips. Three kinds of beans provide this Tex-Mex vegetarian crock pot taco soup with plenty of protein, and the seasoning mix gives it the familiar taste of their favorite Mexican food. 4538553.jpg. If your kids are getting started in the kitchen, these Easy Lunches Kids Can Make are the perfect starting point! Many of these recipes are also quick to put together and make a great packed or on-the-go lunch for adults, too. Rounding out our easy lunch ideas for kids is a classic egg salad, with a twist. This vegetable fried rice with spinach makes a healthy, meat-free thermos lunch idea for busy kids. By Ashley Kappel Updated April 15, 2020 Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. Send yours to school with this healthy strawberry spinach salad. … Feel free to adjust the toppings for these mini pizza bites to suit your family's tastes. Crunchy Cereal Chicken Fingers, Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese and Ham Stuffed Peppers, Get the Recipe: Bake them quickly in the morning and send them off with little containers of sour cream and salsa for dipping. Amaranth flour is the secret to the thickened four-cheese sauce. Develop and improve products. Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich A bonus for kids who love peanut butter is that they're able to eat it during school hours and not put any of their fellow students in danger. Lunch doesn't have to be a chore. Kids large and small are sure to love these bite-sized quesadillas. Little ones will gobble up these crescent roll pigs in a blanket. Vegan and vegetarian kids can enjoy the texture and taste of "egg" salad sandwiches with this sneakily healthy vegetarian tofu egg salad. Get the Recipe: Get the Recipe: Float some goldfish crackers on top for a whimsical surprise. Blend peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, lime juice, agave syrup, minced ginger and garlic, sriracha, and salt into a smooth, lump-free dip. Hearty pasta gives classic Caesar salad a satisfying, kid-friendly upgrade. Jonathan Boulton. Get the Recipe: Cauliflower Pizza Bites. Make-Ahead Lunch Box, Get the Recipe: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. Broccoli Pesto Pasta. Pickle Roll-Ups. Get the Recipe: Deli-style turkey breast and honeyed ham slices are layered onto a whole-wheat tortilla wrap with Dijon mustard and some greens, then rolled up for an easy ham and turkey wrap. A Mason jar salad is almost too cool for school. Cold Peanut Soba Noodles With Chicken. You don't have to spend your Sundays meal-prepping to have healthy and satisfying lunches throughout the week. ©Copyright 2012 Jackie Alpers - All rights reserved, Photo By: Marshall Troy If you're looking for nutritious ideas that children will actually finish, try recipes that are sure to win approval from the short set. Make their day with a breakfast-for-lunch-inspired recipe: cheesy eggs baked in a mini pie crust along with crisp, salty bacon. This smooth and creamy perfect tomato soup in a thermos makes a great lunch for kids on cooler school days. Pack in an insulated lunch bag for school with some raw veggie sticks or whole fruit. For those hot days when kids often crave a lighter lunch, this sweetened honeyed fruit salad with honey, lemon, and just a little sugar does the trick. This dairy-free vegetarian pasta salad is both dairy and meat free, making it a great lunch for kids with dietary restrictions. Homemade Lunchable. ©Christina Holmes. If your kids dig chicken nuggets, they'll enjoy these home-baked chicken tenders with a crunchy crouton coating. Your little one is sure to be the talk of the lunchroom when they pull this magical snack out of their lunch box. This deli turkey sandwich is served on hearty rye bread and smothered in melted swiss cheese. Kids will love shaking them up before they dig in, and they're packed with plenty of nutritious ingredients that parents approve of, like cooked chicken, hard-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Fill kids' thermoses with the rich and filling soup, which—along with some crackers—makes an excellent school lunch on colder days. Whip up a batch and pack with pita bread triangles and raw veggie sticks for dipping. Get the Recipe: The morning you’re leaving, crack open a couple eggs into the bag. These ones feature lots of kid-favorite ingredients: turkey, cheese, tomato and crisp cucumber. © 2021 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. 3 of 13. Get the Recipe: To cut down on morning prep, make (or pick up) the egg salad the night before. Get the Recipe: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Unicorn Bark. This keto chicken salad recipe is filling, bursting with nutrition, and easy to make with kids. These cheesy meatball bombs that start with packaged biscuit dough explode with kid-favorite Italian flavors of meatballs, tomato sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Mini Quiches with Peas and Bacon. Most kids love sweet, fresh strawberries when they come into season. Quick and fuss-free is the name of the game here. Mel's Banana Muffins. Make a batch of this, and you’ll have lunch for most of your week. Breakfast cereal adds a playful crunch to otherwise run-of-the-mill chicken fingers. Vegetarian oven-baked cheese quesadillas with tons of melted cheese and a trio of crunchy, diced bell peppers make a winning school lunch. Slice it into pinwheels if you like. Not only will the tasty options please even the pickiest of young eaters, but many are also suitable for kids eating vegan, gluten free, egg free, or dairy free. Get the recipe from Delish. Cold soba noodle salad is flavorful and fun for kids to eat, thanks to its chewy, nutty-tasting buckwheat noodles, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, and green onions. Get the Recipe: More than 30 Great Packed Lunch Ideas. Chicken Noodle Soup, Get the Recipe: The ultimate avocado toast can be served simply as is or layered with slices of crispy bacon to make a great open-faced lunch sandwich. Baked in a bowl and set aside of ranch dressing option for more vitamins and nutrients flour is name... Cool for school macaroni muffins and avocado wraps challenging recipes are worth forward! Sandwiches and upgrade to these healthy outside-the-lunch-box surprises fingers, get the Recipe: cream cheese and great. Take a bite out of their lunch bag come home empty kitchen, these are... 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