Kids Lunch Ideas And How to Pack It

Packing lunches for your kids can be a difficult task. If you are not careful, they will come home hungry and unhappy. But with the right preparation, packing kids lunch boxes can become easy! Follow these kids lunch ideas and simple steps to ensure that your child has a healthy and filling lunch box every day.

1.Make sure to pack a variety of healthy snacks

Packing a variety of nutritious snacks will help keep your kids going through the day. Children need to have a variety in their diet, and packing different kinds of foods like fruits, vegetables, protein bars, or oatmeal is an easy way to make sure they’re getting everything they need.

Examples of healthy snacks are fresh fruit, yoghurt, granola bars and raw vegetables. Avoid packing sugary sweets with empty calories such as lollies or chocolate. If your child is under the age of five, avoid giving them any food that requires a utensil to eat (e.g., sandwiches). It’s important for children this young to develop good eating habits early on in life!

2.Include fun activities in your kids’ lunch boxes

Fun activities can include a puzzle, activity book or sticker. If your child is under the age of five years old, it’s important to pack their lunch box with small toys made from durable materials such as plastic or wood (e.g., cars and blocks). You can even write notes to the kids in their lunchbox with the text saying  ‘I love you so much’ or ‘Have a great day at school’.

3.Pack water instead of soda

Soda can be a tempting treat for kids. When they’re thirsty, it seems like the best option. However, soda is unhealthy, and the sugar in it can be harmful to teeth. If your child wants a drink, pack them water instead of soda. It will reduce the risk of tooth decay, and it will also cut down sugar intake. If your kids really want something different than water, try flavored water, which is usually low in calories and sugar.

4.Pack food that you know your kid loves

Kids may not like what you’re packing if they don’t have any experience with it beforehand. Pack items that are familiar so your child will be less likely to reject their meal altogether. This also ensures that they get enough of what they need each day to grow up healthy and strong!

Kids can be very picky eaters, and this is all too common in elementary school-aged kids. If you know your child doesn’t like certain foods, don’t pack them for their lunchtime meal. Find out what they love to eat, make sure it’s healthy, and include a wide variety of other food items so that there are always some leftovers for dinner at home.

5.Pack lunch in the evening, so they are ready in the morning

Don’t wait until the morning to pack your kids lunch. Pack it in the evening so that you have plenty of time to pack all their favorite foods and healthy snacks like cheese sticks or almonds. This way you will be sure to include a variety of foods, and you won’t be tempted to grab fast food on the way.

6.Include a treat!

If you have the energy and time, it’s always nice to pack a dessert. One way is to buy special cookies or cupcakes at your local bakery, shaped like characters from their favorite show, movie, book series etc.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling extra ambitious, bake some sugar cookie dough into fun shapes with animal crackers for sprinkles. Place them in an airtight container so they stay crisp until lunchtime arrives.

Kids love to have a surprise treat in their lunchboxes. It will give them something to look forward to at lunchtime!

Examples of kids lunch ideas

What should be in your child’s lunch? Most children are eating more than just a sandwich and fruit these days. One-third of school lunches now come from the kitchens at home or even fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s. So what should you pack for your kids’ lunchbox?

Here are some recipes on making healthy and delicious lunches that will please both parents and kids:

Sandwich wraps with turkey and avocado slices, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. You can add some mustard or pickles for a kick of flavor if you want to jazz up the wrap.

Peanut butter on whole-wheat bread with sliced bananas (instead of jelly) is always a hit among young children. It tastes like banana nut pancakes without all the gluten because there are peanut sandwiches instead of pancakes wrapped around a banana slice in this case! The next time they have their friends over for brunch, this will be a great lunch idea for them to enjoy.

For older children, you can use Nutella spread, frozen waffles and crepes which are fantastic because they are made only with eggs and milk. You can also use a premade crepe mix that you just add water to, then fry it up in clarified butter or coconut oil for the perfect lunchtime treat!

Other recipes for lunch:

Tuna salad on rye bread is always a great lunch idea because kids get protein which helps them feel full throughout the day; as well as vegetables like celery, carrots and onions. This one could be paired with an apple slice for some extra fiber if your kids are picky eaters who prefer crunchier foods when they’re at school all day long!

For a perfect tuna salad recipe, check out this video : BEST TUNA SALAD RECIPE | easy & healthy

Another good idea is using ham slices instead of tuna – this will satisfy any taste buds while still providing energy from meat. Add lettuce leaves, along with avocado spread to make it more filling and top it off with some homemade mayo if you want to make it extra yummy!

Pesto pasta is also a great idea because it will fill them up and give them that extra energy boost.

Burrito wraps are also great because they’re easy to make and eat, plus you can fill them up with all sorts of goodies like beans or refried beans.

Tortilla wrap sandwiches are also another great idea because they’re a lot smaller than the wrap and can be filled with anything you want!

Soft boiled eggs make for an easy school lunch when it’s hard to find time in your morning routine. Boil some eggs overnight, peel them, then pack up egg cutlets or sliced ham on top of toast slices – this is perfect if your kids have trouble waking up for breakfast.

What shouldn’t you pack in kids’ lunches?

• Candy or other sweets that are high in sugar content. Sugary foods can lead to dental decay and cavities, as well as obesity.
• Yoghurt with fruit syrups is a popular option for some kids’ lunch packs, but it should be avoided because of the added sugars. Instead, pack plain yoghurt topped with fresh fruits such – apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries etc.
• Packaged cookies and crackers may come off looking like they’re healthy enough, but many contain higher levels of fat than you want your kids consuming at school lunches on top of their regular meals throughout the day.
• Messy foods like cereal or soup. These will cause messes in the lunchbox and might also ruin other school items your kids may be carrying with them that day, like their books or homework assignments.
• The food they don’t like to eat. There’s no sense in packing food your kids won’t touch, so be smart and only pack foods they love to eat or at the very least are willing to try out.

Shortly,

The best advice for successfully packing kids lunch is to be flexible. Make sure you have some easy go-to lunches in your back pocket that are healthy but stock up on items like cereal bars or crackers that can help with those days when nothing sounds appealing. We hope we provided some tips on how to pack your kid’s lunch so it will be much easier for you from now on!

Are you interested in other topics about spending your time with family members? Then check out family time category for some other fun ideas!