Forget lunch boxes filled with boring stuff!!! Here are two whole weeks of lunch box ideas that are super easy to make and kids will love to eat! You won’t find any sandwiches here, just SIMPLE, FUN, WHOLESOME food ideas that will make lunch the highlight of your kid’s day. So grab your kid’s lunch bag or bento box, and let’s get started!
As a first time school mom last year I absolutely did not realize how hard it can be to pack a lunch for even just one kid! It seems like I will have time the night before but then during the bedtime craziness, it just doesn’t happen then I am in a mad rush to get it done the morning of. Then on top of the chaos, I want to pack them something fun, delicious, and healthy to they will actually eat it, and I will feel good about it. How can throwing together a meal for a tiny person end up being so difficult?
Well, I finally got to the breaking point one day and did what I do best. Sat down. Spent some time going through ideas. And wrote a list. A BIG list of lunch ideas that I thought my little guy would love to eat AND were quick and easy for me to make. Let’s be honest, if it isn’t quick and easy, then I won’t keep up the habit long, so it had to be both.
With school about to start here, and with me now having two kids going to school (well, one in preschool,) I spent the day going back through and updating my no-sandwiches lunch box list, filled with yummy things I know I can make my kids quickly. So browse through, jot down the lunch ideas your kids will love too and keep it handy so that you can have fun lunch ideas to make in a flash!
11 Non-Sandwich Lunch Box Ideas (10 School Days + A Bonus!)
The first rule of cool lunch box making is that there are no rules.
Remember that! If your kids don’t like pepperoni, use ham, chicken, or turkey instead! If they are a vegetarian, just leave out the meat all together. If they hate carrots but love sweet peppers, then by all means, use sweet peppers in place of carrots. Allergic to peanuts? Use almond butter! The key is to use these ideas as inspiration and modify, or trade out things you need to for dietary restrictions, so please don’t feel like there are rules, it is all just inspiration for easy and healthy lunches!
My recipe for the perfect lunch box is:
• A main dish consisting of a protein– This helps me know they are getting healthy food that will keep them full until the end of the school day.
• A veggie or fruit– At every meal I want my kids to eat one super healthy, wholesome thing. We talk about this a lot, and to help my kids understand what healthy food is, I often ask what they want their “healthy thing” for the meal to be!
• Something crunchy- I love to have something with a little crunch. I think it helps pace the meal as you have to slow down a little to eat crunchy things and it just balances the textures in the other part of the meal to make it feel complete.
• Something sweet- Everything in moderation! My kids and I both love to have a little something sweet to finish off our meal and my kids’ absolute favorite is Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks. Even my littlest sneaks into the pantry to find them! As far as a dessert goes Mott’s Medley Fruit Flavored Snacks are a winner!
Having a formula to generally follow makes it easy for me to figure out what to put in the lunch when I am in a rush, or haven’t planned ahead. All of my lunches below pretty much follow this rule as well.
No 1: Hawaiian Tortilla Roll Up Lunch Box Idea
If your kids love Hawaiian style pizza, they will absolutely love these Hawaiian tortilla roll ups! Made with pineapple and ham, they have the sweet and salty combo that makes your taste buds go crazy and I make them on whole wheat tortillas to pump up the nutrition in this easy lunch idea!
Turkey Ranch Roll Up Lunch Box
• Hawaiian Roll Ups
• Grapes
• Sweet Potato Chips
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No 2: Energy Bites Lunch Box Idea
If I made this one lunch and packed it for school for the rest of my kid’s lives, they would eat it everyday and love it! The kids think they are getting a treat with this lunch since the main dish has chocolate chips, but really they are getting tons of wholesome nutrition packed into a fun bite-sized ball! Made with whole grains and peanut butter these have a lot of fiber and protein to keep them going throughout a long day of school. If you don’t love the idea of having chocolate chips in the lunch box, sub them out for raisins or dried cranberries!
To make these just mix 1 3/4 cup quick cooking oats (these are easier to chew for the little ones) with 3/4 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of honey and a handful or two of chocolate chips. Stir until everything is well combined and then form into balls and refrigerate until you are ready to pack them.
Energy Bites Lunch Box
• Energy Bites
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Dried Cranberries
• Apple Slices
• Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No 3: Bean and Cheese Burrito Lunch Box Idea
My kids absolutely love this combo! I make my bean and cheese burritos by grabbing a can of refried beans at the store then mixing it with shredded cheddar cheese and piling it inside a soft fresh tortilla. Roll it up and put it in their lunch box for an easy and fiber filled lunch option! I love to give them salsa to dip the burrito in on the side to sneak in more veggies too!
Bean and Cheese Burrito Lunch Box
- Refried Beans
- Cheese
- Tortillas
- Salsa
- Chips
- Zucchini and Squash “chips”
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No 4: Pizza Roll Up Lunch Box Idea
My kids pretty much never say no to pizza! It isn’t the most lunch box friendly food though, so I love finding new ways to remake it to get the same flavors my kids love, in something a little more lunch box friendly. These pizza roll ups are so easy and my kids can make a record number of them disappear in no time flat!
To make the pizza roll up, just spread cream cheese on a tortilla, sprinkle the cream cheese with Italian blend shredded cheese on top, then lay pepperoni or salami slices over the cheeses. Roll the tortilla up gently but firmly then slice it into 6-8 slices. I serve the pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
Pizza Roll Up Lunch Box
- Tortillas
- Cream Cheese
- Italian Blend Cheese
- Pepperoni
- Pizza Sauce (your favorite marinara works well!)
- Whole Wheat Crackers
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No 5: Breakfast for Lunch School Lunch Idea
Breakfast for dinner is always a hit, so why not mix it up and do breakfast for lunch too?! I actually remember my mom sending leftover french toast in my lunch box as a kid and I loved it! You can modify many of your favorite breakfast recipes to be lunch box friendly, but I kept it super simple here with store bought mini pancakes wrapped around sausage links and secured with a toothpick. You can include syrup for dipping or drizzle a very small amount on each one before you pack them in the lunch box.
Breakfast for Lunch – Lunch Box:
- Mini Pancakes (found in the freezer section)
- Sausage links
- Yogurt
- Cucumbers
- Blueberries
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No. 6: Chicken Gyro Wrap Lunch Box Idea
Admission: if my kids knew what this was called they probably wouldn’t eat it! They can get picky just if something just sounds funny sometimes, but if you can get them to taste this, they just might gobble it up as fast as my kids! This wrap is made on a whole wheat tortilla and then you just need two more ingredients: chicken and tzatziki sauce. I just spread a nice generous layer of the tzatziki sauce on a tortilla then sprinkle on some chicken and roll it up to eat!
If you, or your kids, have never had tzatziki you are in for a treat! It is a creamy sauce made from greek yogurt, cucumbers and dill. It is so creamy, rich and refreshing and yet still on the lighter side since its base is greek yogurt! To make this super quick you can grab precooked meat at the grocery store, use meat from a rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken from another meal!
Chicken Gyro Wrap Lunch Box:
- Whole wheat tortillas
- Chicken
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Hummus
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No. 7: Turkey Apple Cheese Pockets Box Idea
This lunch might win runaway hit! I wasn’t sure how my kids would like this lunch the first time I served it to them, since sometimes they are really particular about, well everything, but they absolutely loved this lunch and it was gone before I could even finish putting all of their sides on their plates. It is so simple yet so delicious! Just wrap a slice of cheese and a slice of apple, positioned half way up the slice, in a thickly cut piece of turkey then fold the end under and you have a turkey apple cheese pocket! Try mixing the meats and cheeses to find your kid’s favorite flavor combos.
Turkey, Apple and Cheese Lunch Box:
- Turkey
- Apple Slices
- Cheese slices
- Sweet Potato Chips
- Blueberries
- Apple Cinnamon Crunchies
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No. 8: Blueberry Super Food Muffins Lunch Box Idea
This may look like just another fun lunch box, but this lunch is filled with 6 super foods! These muffins are made with oatmeal, greek yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon, apples, and egg, all of which have been proven to have super health benefits! The muffins are dense and moist and make a great alternative to other “healthy muffins” because they aren’t crumbly like many. You can whip up a batch of these and then freeze them and use them over the next few weeks as a lunch box filler! If you don’t want to make your own, you can sub any of your little one’s favorite muffins for this school lunch idea.
Blueberry Super Food Muffins Lunch Box:
- Blueberry Super Food Muffins (recipe here!)
- Yogurt
- grapes
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No. 9: Corn Dog Muffins Lunch Box Idea
If you want a traditional kid lunch, this is it… with a lunch box twist! It is all the goodness of a corn dog, but without the stick! To make them, just grab your favorite cornbread mix, and make it per the package directions. Drop it into a mini-muffin pan and then put a slice of hot dog in each one. Bake it as the package says and you are ready to go!
Corn Dog Muffins Lunch Box:
- Corn Bread Mix (found on the baking aisle)
- Hot Dogs
- Pretzels
- Raisins
- Apple Slices
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No. 10: Peanut Butter and Jelly Roll Up Lunch Box Idea
This admittedly is a bit sandwich like, but it ups the fun factor about 1000%! My kids gobble these up like no one’s business and are so excited to see these in their lunch box. All you need is a slice of bread, peanut butter (or almond butter) and your favorite jelly. Spread the peanut butter on to the bread first, then a thin layer of jelly, and then carefully roll it up. Use a serrated knife to cut them without smashing the roll up! You can also roll the bread out a bit to get a better swirl if you have the extra time! And if you are nut-free, try it with cream cheese instead!
Peanut Butter & Jelly Roll Up Lunch Box:
- Bread
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly
- Sweet Potato Chips
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Apple Cinnamon Crispies
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
No. 11: Peanut Butter and Jelly Roll Up Lunch Box Idea
I have to admit that this is my favorite lunch to fix for the kids, mostly because it is one of my favorites too! Pasta salad is so easy to make and can usually feed us all week long which is another bonus!
You can make pasta salad in a million ways, but the super easy way I do it is to cook the pasta (make sure it is something bite sized they can easily eat at school!) then drain it and run it under cool water to cool the noodles off. Place the drained pasta in a bowl and pour Italian salad dressing over it and mix until it is coated. Add your kids favorite veggies, cheese cubes, and pepperoni or deli meat. Then just portion out and refrigerate! So simple!
Peanut Butter & Jelly Roll Up Lunch Box:
- Pasta
- Italian Dressing
- Veggies
- Cheese Cubes
- Pepperoni
- Apple Cinnamon Crispies
- Grapes
- Apple Slices
- Mott’s Medleys Fruit Flavored Snacks
There you go! 11 no-sandwich lunch box ideas to get you going for the school year. That is enough for 2 weeks (10 school days) and one extra in case your kiddo doesn’t like one. Hopefully this leaves you inspired to spice up your lunch boxes and convinces you it doesn’t have to be hard with just a few things on hand!
If you are full on figuring out everything for school, make sure to check out my **5 Minute Wholesome & Filling Breakfasts** and **2 MORE Weeks of Lunch Ideas** here!!
Do you have any creative lunch box favorites? I would love to hear about it! Leave me a note in the comments and it would make my day! I read each and every one!
For more lunch easy lunch box ideas make sure and visit my Pinterest board!
Mott’s is a registered trademark of Mott’s LLP, used under license. © 2016 Mott’s LLP
Cheryl says
Love these ideas my kids are always saying they are bored with sandwiches and pasta will give theveryone a go:)
Heidi says
uggg seriously…wraps and rolled up bread is basically a sandwich. was hoping for other ideas.
Lynnette says
What’s your favorite and most successful way of keeping the apples from going brown? Thanks for the great ideas!
Kimber says
Hi Lynette, I like to either put them back together with a rubber band around it or give them a quick dunk in salt water.
Linda says
After slicing, I cover them in water and squeeze a slice of lime or lemon in the water. Citric acid keeps them from browning. Pineapple juice works too. Doesn’t alter the taste of the apples.
Joyce says
These idea are great, not just for kids–my own children died at very young ages, though my son lived into early adulthood (this isn’t a bid for sympathy, please understand), but he wasn’t a fussy eater at all, and loved to help me prepare all meals, including his school lunches. But I digress; these ideas are excellent for us seniors, too, who don’t need nearly as many calories as we used to, but don’t always feel like thinking up something for a meal.
My only concern with these lunches is, and please understand that I’m not criticizing, just curious, isn’t that little bag of fake fruit (dessert?) loaded with sugar? I know nothing about the dried fruit “gummies” I see on the shelves–Jayson wasn’t able to have sugar at all, so we never got around to that aspect of a meal–but just wonder if they aren’t loaded with all kinds of chemicals and sugars to make them what they are?
SherryBee says
I’m a senior with cancer and nerve damage in half my mouth. I have to eat soft or liquid foods and am thrilled to find your lunch ideas. I want to eat as healthy as possible, not chemical packed Ensure, etc. Thank you so much for your wonder ideas!
Peggy Lawson says
Thank you for all the great ideas!
Eli says
These are all great ideas, I was just wondering how long can these food stay out at room temperature? My daughter has lunch about 3 hours after I drop her off at school, and her food just sit in her lunch bag till then. This is her first year in kindergarten so I am new to all this and unsure how safe cold meals are.
Kimber says
You can use cold packs or thermos bottles to keep things warm or cold. Also, I will do things like freeze fruit, sandwiches, or yogurt so that they help to keep the lunch cold and stay at a good temperature until serving.
Brooklynne Sulfridge says
Yes! I freeze fruit and use the cold packs and thermos’ also but I haven’t had much luck with the thermos to be honest.
I love these ideas though! My daughter was sitting with me earlier trying to help me with the grocery list for their school lunches. New ideas to try and we came across this. Thanks SO much!
Kimber says
You are so welcome! I am glad yall were able to do it together.How fun! They also sell containers on amazon that are supposed to keep food at temperature now, but I haven’t tried them.
Britt says
I wish I could get my son to eat some of these beautiful veggies you have in your lunches. I just bribed him to eat carrots in tomorrow’s lunch by saying I’d give him peanut butter and jelly roll-ups. I came here looking for lunch ideas because he doesn’t like cold food, so it’s really hard to send him to school with something he likes to eat. Do you have any ideas on how to include veggies in a different way in addition to on the side and in salsa? THANKS so much!
Kimber says
Hi Britt- It is such a challenge! I know!! You could definitely get some extra veggies in by mixing purees into things like hummus, mac and cheese, or other spreads you could use on sandwiches etc. I also find that introducing the veggies over and over can really help kids eventually warm up to them. I have heard that statistically kids need to see something 7 times before they want to even try it! While my kids don’t eat all veggies like a champ, we have found a few that they now really enjoy, especially with a side of ranch or hummus.
Linda says
We have nut and egg allergies in our household. Reading through your post about cream cheese as a substitute for peanut butter just made my day! Why did this idea not come to me sooner?! This is a very helpful post. And a wrap is NOT just like a sandwich like another commenter mentioned. It’s visibly different and they get to hold it differently. My kiddos love the variety. Thanks again.