10 EASY & HEALTHY LUNCH AND SNACK IDEAS FOR KIDS

Depending on where you live, your kids might be heading back to school to start the 2020-2021 school year. Many of us are a little out of practice when it comes to having to choose healthy lunch and snack ideas to send with them to school. I know I have been struggling to get back in the groove!! Being a planner, I have gathered some lunch and snack ideas that comply with the guidelines at our school which include no nuts or nut related foods of any kind and nothing that requires heating. The water fountains are also closed, due to Covid, so we have to remember to pack a water bottle every day. 

Kids need nutritious food-healthy fats for their brains, calcium for their bones, and all the vitamins and minerals vegetables offer-and more. To take out some of the stress and make sure you’re offering your child the healthiest foods, we have compiled some lunch and snack ideas, as well as a list of foods to reference when meal planning.

The following ideas are easy to make, kid-friendly, and a perfect way to start off the school year…or break a rut when you can’t decide what to send. Lunchtime should be a source of comfort, so having a list of easy, yummy, and nutritious meals that the kids will love to eat can go a long way towards making the “lunch efforts” much easier on everyone. These easy & healthy lunch ideas require no heating; everything can be served chilled or at room temperature. 

Organization

I recently hosted a Tupperware Party for a friend and they were having an incredible back to school sale. I got a colorful 15 piece set of lunch/snack/water bottles. They have sold out but I found some similar products on Amazon to make meal prep easier! The water bottles below are the ones we have. They are easy for my 3 & 6 year old to pop open and snap shut.

If you click on an affiliate link and buy something, I may receive a small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.

5 Easy & Healthy Lunch Ideas

1. Quesadilla, Guacamole, Tortilla Chips and Apple slices with Roaring Waters Strawberry/Kiwi Capri Sun
2. Turkey roll-up, blueberries & cheese cubes with Chocolate milk
3. Tuna Pasta Salad, crackers and grapes with Capri Sun Lemonade
4. Ham & Cheese roll-up, pretzels and Kiwi with 100% Apple Juice
5. Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit Salad, Granola clusters with Strawberry Milk

5 Healthy & Easy Snack Ideas

1. Laughing Cow Cheese with Cucumber Slices
2. Fruit Kabob
3. Grape Tomatoes and Hummus
4. Fruit Cup
5. String Cheese and crackers

Additional Food Options

I listed a few go-to meal and snack options above with items that we normally have in the house. The staple items in your home may be different. These next lists are for main dishes, fruits/veggies and snacks. Hopefully these food lists and the meal ideas above will help make your life a little easier.

MAIN MEAL:

Cheese + Crackers

Turkey + Cheese Roll-ups

Apple Butter Sandwich

Cheese Quesadilla

Hard Boiled Eggs

Pasta Salad (can add protein)

Meat + Cheese Kabob

Chips + Guacamole

Ham + Cheese Sandwich

FRUITS + VEGGIES:

I like to buy fresh local produce but I always have fruit/applesauce  cups on-hand for those mornings that I am in a hurry or simply don’t feel like peeling and slicing.

Apples

Oranges

Strawberries

Grapes

Peaches

Nectarines

Blueberries

Raspberries

Applesauce

Kiwi

Mangoes

Melon

Baby Carrots

Cucumbers

Grape/Cherry Tomatoes

SIDES and SNACKS:

Chips

Granola Bars

Pretzels

Granola Clusters

String Cheese

Yogurt

Trail Mix

Fruit Snacks

Popcorn

Crackers

Fruit Cup

Pudding Cup

Graham Crackers

Veggie Straws

Goldfish

DRINKS:

Water 

100% Juice Boxes

Capri Sun

Milk 

LOVE NOTE

If you ask my daughter, no lunch is complete without a note from mama. If I forget to include one, she will call me on it after school!! It’s a nice little touch that let’s your child know you are thinking of them.

References for our Readers

50 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

Healthy Food for Kids

7 Brain Foods for Kids