Looking for a fun way to pack some simple yet hearty food in your child’s lunchbox? We have a huge list of over 40 kids lunchbox ideas.
Let’s be honest…packing lunches is not something we really look forward to.
So maybe you’re a mom who likes to dream up cute themed lunch boxes, but even if you’re not, here’s a great lineup of frugal, hearty, fun, and relatively easy lunches that your kids will love. Available.
40+ Frugal and Hearty School Lunch Ideas
Thank you to all my followers Share your favorite school lunch ideas on our Facebook page!
Kids lunch ideas: sandwiches and wraps
Sandwiches and wraps are fairly traditional school lunch items, but these ideas give you a little twist to help you break out of your lunchbox-making rut.
- Tortillas with your choice of turkey, ham, pepperoni, or cheese
- Hawaiian roll mini ham and cheese sandwich
- Homemade clusterables (you can also buy clusterables) solid manufacturer)
- Wrap the peanut butter and banana in a tortilla and cut into rounds.
- mini bagel and cream cheese
- chicken caesar wrap
- All types of “wraps” with your favorite meats and cheeses
- Nutella on whole wheat bread
- Pizza wrap (a tortilla with a small amount of pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings)
- “Sub” hot dog buns
- Pizza sliders (pizza meat, mozzarella cheese, and a little sauce on a small bun)
warm lunch ideas
Many people thermos to keep food warm. Or, if your child has access to a microwave, send a small plate to heat up their lunch at school.
- leftovers! Reheat what you had for dinner the night before and pack it up. thermos
- Mini waffles and chicken nuggets that combine chicken and waffles
- Mini pancakes! Send along with syrup, peanut butter, jelly, honey, or anything else you’d like to dip or spread.
- Chicken/beef and rice set thermos
- Grilled Chicken Drumsticks (Make 2 batches for dinner and send leftovers to school lunch)
- grilled cheese sandwich and soup
- Baked potato, cheese, sour cream and bacon
- homemade pizza
- leftover pizza
- roll pizza
- chili or other soup of your choice
- macaroni and cheese or spaghetti
- chicken nuggets or fish sticks
- mini corn dogs or hot dogs
- “Walking Taco” combines taco meat, cheese, and a bag of Fritos.
More creative lunchbox ideas for kids
Our followers had lots of clever lunch ideas. Perfect for those days when your pantry is a little thin and you’re running out of leftovers. can’t do it Make me another sandwich!
- Parfait bowl (layer honey, oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt in a small container)
- homemade lunch menu
- hummus & pita bread
- Salami, cheese cubes, pretzels, sliced fruit, boiled eggs
- nachos/quesadillas
- deli meat wrapped around cheese stick
- Salad mix, grape tomatoes, some shredded chicken
- Pasta salad with chicken and vegetables
- Mini muffins with boiled eggs and cheese sticks
- A bag of cereal (milk can be purchased from the school lunch line)
- trail mix and beef jerky
- yogurt + fruit
- Energy with yogurt
- Drinkable smoothie or protein shake with pretzels and goldfish
- Apple and/or Banana with Peanut Butter + Cheese Sticks
For more frugal, hearty, and fun school lunch ideas, check out Check out the comments on this post. You might also find some great ideas here, here, and here.
What are your ideas for school lunches that are simple, hearty, and fun? Share them below!
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Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com
