Ultimate List of Lunch Box Ideas
With this Ultimate List of Lunch Box Ideas you can pack a different lunch every day all year long!
Anything you have to do every day will soon feel like a chore. Cooking, laundry, vacuuming, taking out the garbage, the list goes on and on.
Packing a school lunch for my kids is something I do 5 days a week. I begin every school year with the best intentions of making sure it’s healthy, delicious, and includes a variety of yummy foods. But it never fails… a few weeks into the school year I seem to lose my steam and creativity.
That’s not happening this year, and it doesn’t have to happen in your house either.
For almost a year I’ve been collecting lunch box ideas and adding them into a spreadsheet on my computer. I’ve used that collection to create an Ultimate List of Lunch Box Ideas. This list has been months in the making, and it’s pretty exhaustive (if I do say so myself)! I’m excited to use it and to share it with you!
How to use the Ultimate List of Lunch Box Ideas
- Choose a Protein and Carb combination for the main part of the meal.
- Add a fruit and/or veggie to accompany it.
- Does anything you’ve selected so far need a dip or spread?
- Calcium is important for growing bones. Don’t forget to pack something from the dairy list. This can even substitute as the main part of the meal when you pack something like yogurt.
- Don’t forget the extras! Treats and nuts can be great additions.
- Dessert should be a healthier choice most days, but it’s OK to indulge sometimes.
- Choose a beverage.
Time to make your lunch selections!
Proteins
- Boiled eggs
- Chicken (leftover)
- Chicken wings
- Deviled eggs
- Ham
- Hamburger Patty
- Hot dogs
- Jerky
- Lunchmeat (bologna, ham, pastrami, salami, turkey, etc.)
- Meatballs
- Peanut butter
- Pepperoni
- Taco meat
- Tuna
Carbs
- Bagel Chips
- Cereal bar
- Chips (potato, apple)
- Crackers (Ritz, saltine, whole grain)
- Dinner roll
- Dry cereal
- English muffin
- Garbanzo beans
- Goldfish crackers
- Graham crackers
- Granola or bar
- Mini bagel
- Muffins
- Naan Bread
- Pancakes
- Pasta
- Pita
- Popcorn
- Pretzel roll
- Pretzel sticks or thins
- Rice
- Rice cakes
- Sandwich bread
- Tortillas or tortilla chips
- Veggie chips or straws
- Waffles
Fruits
- Apple slices
- Applesauce
- Apricots, dried
- Avocado
- Banana
- Banana chips
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Honeydew
- Kiwi slices
- Mango (fresh or dried)
- Orange wedges
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Pomegranate
- Raisins or Craisins
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
Veggies
- Baby carrots
- Bell pepper strips (red, orange, yellow, green)
- Broccoli (raw or cooked)
- Cauliflower
- Celery sticks
- Cherry tomotoes
- Cucumber slices
- Edamame
- Green beans
- Lettuce or salad
- Mushrooms
- Olives (green or black)
- Peas
- Pickles
- Spinach/salad
- Sweet potatoes
Dairy
- Babybel
- Cheese cubes
- Cheese slices
- Cheese sticks
- Cottage cheese
- Laughing Cow wedge
- Yogurt
- Yogurt tube
Dips & Spreads
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Honey mustard
- Hummus
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Peanut/Almond butter
- Ranch dressing
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Yogurt
Treats
- Brownie
- Cookies
- Fig Newtons
- Fruit leather
- Fruit snacks
- Homemade bars
- M&Ms
- Marshmallows
- Puppy chow
- Pudding
- Rice Krispy Treat
- Trail mix
- Yogurt covered raisins
Nuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Beverages
- CapriSun
- Flavored water
- Juice box
- Lemonade
- Milk
- Pouch drink
- Sports drink
- Water
Ultimate List of Lunch Box Ideas – Printable Version
Post this list on your refrigerator or hang it inside a kitchen cabinet to reference when packing school lunches.
Click HERE to download
Your Ultimate List of Lunch Box Ideas is sized to print on a regular 8.5 x 11 copy paper.
Love it? Pin it!
Do you have more ideas?
I’d love to hear your ideas for packing lunches. Comment below, and I’ll keep this Ultimate List of Lunch Box ideas updated with your help!
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Nice Article, thanks for sharing and keep posting
Thanks
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Work and home both keep us moms very busy and often we forget the essential basis of food….the nutrition part. I try keeping stuff ready with nutrition check but fussy eater breaks the plan completely.. n i get distracted offering what she likes n is not healthy 🙁 This blog is a reminder to keep doing the same without getting depressed. TIA
Being a Mom is a never-ending and sometimes exhausting job. We are never going to be perfect at it, but learning from and leaning on other Moms can help a lot! No Mom feeds her kids healthy all the time, but this list helps me remember to at least sneak in a few healthy choices for lunch. I’m so glad you found it helpful, too!
~Melisha
Very nice list. We as working moms with fussy eating kids forget to follow the nutrition part. Thanks for the reminder….will keep a check…thanks