Fast, healthy lunchbox food that kids will actually eat
Plus a list of convenience snacks that grown-ups will like too
Who else dreads making lunches? I have tried simplifying the chore in every way: I have meal prepped for the week, I have made five lunchboxes at a time, I have created a menu for the kids to choose their next lunch. Still, it seems that everyone in the family gets tired of eating the some old things. We cycle through the same options, and over the years, we have developed a decently diverse repertoire.
I have already written about my favorite lunches, so below you will see ideas specifically for my kids. I also included some snack suggestions that both the kids and I particularly like. We try to cut down on individual packaging, but for whatever reason, the kids have always found a snack more appealing when it has the fancy brand packaging instead of being portioned out into our own reusable bags from a bulk supply. I recognize the wastefulness in that, but I have opted for convenience here. When at home, we do not eat individually packaged foods—those are only for when we are on the go.
Like many families nowadays, we use Bento-style lunchboxes with several different compartments. I like that these boxes cut down on paper and plastic waste and encourage eating a variety of foods. Every lunch we pack has a fruit and a vegetable. For fruit, we usually have grapes, and vegetables include baby carrots, baby cucumbers, sugar snap pea, and grape tomatoes. The kids then pick their protein source (see below) and can choose something crunchy (like chips) and/or sweet. My kids absolutely eat potato chips, Oreos, and candy on a regular basis, but I try to ensure that there are plenty of healthy foods available too.
If the kids come home with food still in their lunchboxes, we have them eat that before reaching for snacks because we really try to teach the kids not to throw away perfectly good food.
Lunchbox go-tos:
Mini avocado smashes or guacamole packets with whole grain crackers or chips and carrots and cherry tomatoes
Whole wheat or protein wrap with jelly
Soy yogurt with granola
Prepared seasoned tofu, such as Tossables
Energy balls made with oats, peanut butter, coconut, and ground flaxseed (plus some maple syrup and chocolate chips for sweetness)
Plant-based meats, such as Field Roast pepperoni or (cooked) plant-based hot dogs
Leftovers
Cold peanut or sesame noodles
Chickpea pancakes with a dipper (such as ranch or marinara sauce)
Pesto pasta
Peanut butter and Wheat Thins
Edamame in the shell sprinkled with sea salt
Snack lunch (nuts, dried fruit, plant-based cheese, raw veggies, pickles)
Favorite healthy convenience snacks:
It goes without saying that apples, clementines, bananas, and other fruits are simple, easy snacks. We also eat snacks like peanut butter pretzels, graham crackers, and chips and salsa. Below I listed snacks that are easily portable and maybe a little less common.
Bare apple chips (These get stale quickly and are worth buying in individual packages)
Wonderful pistachios (We love the seasoned kind, especially the salt and pepper)
Popcorn (This also gets stale quickly and is worth buying individually packaged)
Solely dried mango strips and mango jerky
Larabars (I love that these are just dates and nuts)
Hopefully this gave you some new ideas to try! Let me know if you have any more food posts requests.
This gives me some ideas as well for meals when we’re keeping the grandchildren!