This is a guest post from Yumble, a weekly subscription service that delivers prepared, balanced, and delicious kids’ meals to your home. To learn more, visit YumbleKids.com.
Whether you are sending the kids off to school or teaching them at home, it’s always a good idea to have an arsenal of fun, easy lunch ideas up your sleeve. Easy lunches mean less prep work for you, while fun means your kids are more likely to eat everything on their plates or in their lunchboxes.
You’ll want to include a variety of fruits, veggies, and healthy protein options for the kids’ lunches, along with cute little touches that put a bit of excitement into their lunchtime.
Have a good time fixing up these easy and fun lunch ideas for kids. Mix and match the food options to keep it exciting and find the perfect choices for your kids’ particular needs.
Fabulous fruits
If you’re looking for a nutritious homeschool lunch, be sure to include fabulous fruit choice on their plate with the main course. Give these adventurous fruit options a try and see how happy your kids are with their delicious lunches.
1. Ghost Bananas
Ghost bananas are fun and sweet. Open a banana and cut it in half. Then, place three chocolate chips in the banana, pointed side down. The result is a banana that looks like a little ghost with two eyes and a mouth.
2. Apple Cookies
Core an apple but leave it unpeeled (for added fiber) and slice into ¼” thick rounds. Spread with peanut or almond butter and sprinkle with raisins or dried cranberries. If you’re packing these in a lunchbox and want to avoid a sticky mess, sandwich two cookies together and cover them in plastic wrap or a reusable snack wrap.
3. Caprese skewers
On a kid-safe toothpick, thread a cherry tomato, a mini mozzarella ball, and a small basil leaf. Drizzle with a little heart-healthy olive oil for a boost of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and a tiny pinch of Himalayan sea salt for added flavor and essential minerals.
Masterful main courses
From grilled cheese roll-ups to superhero soup, whip up these kids’ lunch favorites to add some fun to their mealtime. Try out variations of these nutritious main dishes.
4. Peanut butter and jelly sticks
Peanut butter and jelly sticks put a new twist on the decades-old sandwich version. To make this awesome main course option, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on two pieces of whole wheat bread. Cut the sandwich into small cubes, then grab a handful of strawberries or grapes. Put the sandwich pieces on a kid-safe skewer, alternating with a piece of fruit.
5. Superhero soup
Heat your child’s favorite chicken noodle, alphabet, tomato, or vegetable soup and put it in a thermos. Then, write a note to your child telling them that this is their special superhero soup that will make them big and strong. Attach the note to the canister. You can add superhero stickers or a printed picture to reinforce the theme.
6. Grilled cheese roll-ups
Grilled cheese is a tried-and-true kids favorite. Put a twist on this classic by turning it into a grilled cheese roll-up instead. Flatten a slice of bread with a rolling pin. Place the cheese on your bread, roll it up from the longest side, and secure it with a toothpick. Then, heat some butter and toast the sandwich all the way around until the butter melts. Let it cool, remove the toothpick, and serve with tomato soup for dipping.
Virtuous veggies
All parents want their kids to eat more veggies. A recent study discovered that what you pair your veggies with has an effect on the amount of vegetables your child eats. When you serve the following vegetables, combine them with main courses that encourage your kids to give them a taste.
7. Steamed edamame in the pod. Put a bit of salt on the outside and watch your kids have a blast getting to the bean inside.
8. Crinkle-cut carrot or sweet potato chips that look like fancy potato chips.
9. Red pepper triangles and cucumber sticks to dip in ranch dressing.
10. Steamed broccoli and cauliflower with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
Super Sides
To fill in all the spaces on your child’s lunch tray, you may need a few extra food ideas. Add a few of the following super easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly foods to your child’s lunch to ensure they get all of the nutrients they need.
- Cashews, peanuts, almonds, or pistachios (as long as your kids or their classmates don’t have food allergies)
- Raisins or grapes
- Ranch dressing singles
- Greek yogurt with a handful of mini chocolate chips
- Nut butter or hazelnut spread for dipping
- Black olives
- Cheese slices
Mix and Match Lunch Ideas
Healthy, fun, easy-to-throw-together lunch ideas are always helpful to have on hand. Whether your kids are eating lunch at home, school, or on the go, it’s a good idea to give them different healthy options to try every day and mix and match ideas until you find the ones they love.
