UPDATED: Since 2017, this post has been my #1 blog post of all time!
While I’ve left some of the original lunchbox pictures the same (hence the not-so-great photography), the ideas don’t change and continue to be our family favorite year over year.
You’ll also notice that I’ve sprinkled in links to MORE blog posts with lunchbox ideas that have continued to grow and adapt to feed my growing girls.
Updated: September 2022
Don’t forget to download your copy of the handy printable collection—and get another 25 recipes for free!
And, psst…, if you watch the video below, you’ll get 10 MORE ideas!
How to Pack a Healthy Lunchbox
When it comes to healthy lunchboxes for my kids, there are two sides to me: food-loving dietitian mommy, and woman who gets really bored—really quickly—with packing kids’ lunch boxes.
One one hand, making a balanced and tasty healthy lunch for my girls each day is my highest priority.
But listen—I’m always on the lookout for lunch box ideas to make that process easier.
If you’re like me, you’re probably already burned out on trying to come up with new, creative, healthy lunchbox ideas for your littles ones.
(And heck, none of us want to have one of those notes sent home from the teacher about “unhealthy Oreos.”)
But coming up with a healthy lunch day in and day out doesn’t have to be difficult.
Stick with me, mom and dad… I’ve got you covered—here are dozens of easy, healthy lunch ideas to love!
Now you can take the guesswork out of making healthy lunchboxes for kids—and the brainwork out of coming up with the ideas.
***Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for tips on how to use the list!***
Why use these kids’ lunchbox ideas?
This list is the one I always wished I had—and I strongly encourage you to use it yourself.
Why?
When you’ve got 125 lunch ideas for kids in your pocket, you’ll feel less mommy/daddy guilt about making lunchtime meals every day. (Especially if you’ve got what I call “Lunchbox Lethargy”—and the task just sucks the life out of you.)
Using these dietitian-prepared combinations will also empower you to try new foods with your children, and encourage your kids to enjoy foods that taste good.
And now, without further ado (and in no particular order)…
Cheese tortellini with olive oil, salt, and parmesan, hard-cooked egg whites, apple slices, no-salt-added canned green beans, dark chocolate chips
Chopped turkey and cheese skewers, yogurt, watermelon, blueberry lemon mini oatmeal muffins, sticker
Ham and cheese roll-up (1 slice ham and 1/2 slice muenster cheese), unsweetened apple sauce, raw carrot sticks (for toddlers, steam in the microwave for 1 min before packing), double chocolate mini muffins, ranch dressing
125 Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids—How I made the list
You’ll find that these recipes try to include most, if not all, of these categories:
protein (e.g. baked chicken, low-sodium sliced deli turkey)
dairy (e.g. cheese, yogurt or milk)
fruit
vegetables
dip (e.g. hummus), and
what I call a “happy”—things like chocolate coins, love notes from Mom or stickers that bring a smile.
Stick to this formula, and you can’t help but make a healthy lunch.
One thing I want to say, though: I’m not perfect, and I’m not afraid to send items that may have some sugar, salt, or fat.
I’ll give my kids cake, chocolate chips or potato chips now and then, and ranch dressing has a starring role in many a lunchbox. When this is the case, I find ways to balance their intake of lower sugar, salt, or fat in the lunchbox and throughout the day.
For example, some brands of yogurt are pretty high in added sugar—but I’ve had a hard time getting my girls to eat plain yogurt sweetened only with fruit.
So I do things like make “half and half” yogurt by mixing the sugar sweetened yogurt with plain yogurt (and they are none the wiser)—or I may just go all out sweetened here and there. Because to me, some sweetened yogurt is better than no yogurt at all.
Similarly, it’s worth 1 tbsp of ranch dressing to get them to eat five carrot sticks.
How My Lunchbox Ideas Work
The other thing you need to realize is that not every healthy lunchbox has the complete formula every time. On those days they miss veggies at lunch, for example, or have no dairy in the box, I make sure to make up for it another meal. We may have double veggies at dinner, say, or cucumbers and hummus for an afterschool snack.
And as you go through the list, you’ll see that many foods repeat. My kids love low-sodium deli turkey; hummus or ranch for dipping vegetables; pasta (spaghetti, tortellini, mac and cheese); hard-boiled eggs; carrots; and all kinds of fruit.
That’s why I’m not afraid or ashamed to offer those foods over and over again—plus I know they’ll get eaten and I’ll end up wasting less.
However, I also try to include unfamiliar foods here and there, since they are often more apt to try new things in their familiar and comfortable school environment.
Yes, You CAN Make Healthy Lunch Boxes for Kids
As you can see, none of these healthy lunchbox ideas are earth-shattering or unrealistic.
In fact, I use the phrase DOWN-TO-EARTH, DOABLE, AND DELICIOUS over and over when I describe how we approach food in my family, because I believe in making sensible food choices that focus on flavor and variety.
That’s the thinking behind these healthy lunchboxes—the kind of thinking I hope to encourage you to explore. Go ahead and download my handy printable and get started.