School Lunch Ideas Your Kids Will Love

This post may contain affiliate links which may give us a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

As a mom of three, I think the current count of school lunches I have had to pack so far is somewhere around 57,980. Or that’s just what it feels like. Trying to figure out what to pack in a school lunch is a struggle. There are many times when I’ve thrown my hands up in the air and told my kids that I didn’t care what they took as their lunch. They should just grab whatever. Or I’ve defaulted to sending the EXACT SAME lunch for days on end.

If you are in the same boat, we have some school lunch ideas for you, sourced from other parents in our Facebook group. Not from me, because I’d tell you a pb&j, yogurt, and some sort of fruit are IT. Although, one thing I do know about are the different lunchbox supplies and tools you need to make packing a lunch a lot easier! So we have some of those for you as well.

School Lunch Ideas Your Kids Will Love

Back-to-School Supplies: Lunchbox Necessities

This cut and seal tool lets you make your own “uncrustables” for way less than the pre-packaged ones you find in the freezer. Plus, you can customize them how you want (and let’s be honest: probably use better ingredients than the pre-packaged ones). I even make a bunch ahead of time and freeze them.

If you like to make bento-style lunchboxes, you can send your child to school with this bento lunchbox. Or grab this set of seven bento lunch containers if you’re like me and have multiple kids.

This dishwasher-safe set of reusable snack bags are a green option for packing lunches – and the patterns are so cute! (Try these snack bags if your child would balk at the cutesy patterns.)

Disposable plasticware and straws are wasteful, yet it’s not exciting to watch the silverware slowly disappear out of your drawer either. This set of reusable travel utensils contains everything your child could need, straw included.

This thermos can help when you want to send in a hot lunch for your child (though it will keep foods cool, too). It comes in a variety of colors and will easily fit in a standard lunchbox.

A water bottle is great to add to any lunchbox. Since I toss my Swell water bottle into my gym bag and toss it all around my car with no leaks, I’m getting this smaller Swell water bottle for my kids this year.

School Lunch Ideas:

Chicken Taco Bento Lunch from Thrifty Jinxy – with printable lunch notes too
Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas from Little Eats & Things – for when you want something simple to add to a GF lunch
Homemade Pizza Lunchable from Glitter on a Dime – looks WAY better than the store-bought Lunchables
Homemade Spaghetti-O’s from Strength & Sunshine – gluten-free, allergy-free, and vegan
Easy Cucumber Sushi from Raising Whasians – a gluten-free kid-friendly version of sushi
Chicken Caesar Wraps from Moneywise Moms – filed under “I’ll eat this if my child doesn’t”
Homemade Cereal Bars from Organized Island – a fun snack to add to a lunchbox
Hummus Dipper Lunch from Easy Real Food – plus four other ideas you can make in 5 minutes or less
Doritos-Flavored Pretzels from Keri Houchin – would make a tasty side to a traditional sandwich
Kid-friendly Avocado Toast from Theresa’s Reviews – three different recipes to try
5 Healthy Lunchbox Combos from Three Little Ferns – easy ideas to get you through a whole school week
Sandwich-Free Lunch Ideas from Friday We’re in Love – so many simple, yet delicious ideas
Build Your Own Lunch from Clarks Condensed – have your child pick one item from each of the categories in this helpful list to build their own lunches
31 Days of Nut-free Allergy-Friendly Lunches from Busy Bee Kate – a great list for those who have allergies or food restrictions at school
A Week of Easy Lunches from Brooklyn Active Mama – this is a mama after my own heart with her simple ideas

About the Author
Latest Posts

About Shell

Shell worked as an influencer for over ten years though now she's found her happy place working mostly behind the scenes. She lives on the coast in NC, where her three boys keep her busy with all of their sports and activities. Shell loves a good bargain, a spicy recipe, and new adventures so she can say "YES, I did THAT!" On her best days, you can find her on the beach with a book in hand.