Making School Lunches Fun: Easy Kids Lunch Box Ideas

I know I've mentioned this before but I'll reiterate for the benefit of any first time visitors to my blog. I have taken home-packed lunch boxes right from primary school through college and University to life as a working adult (basically, all my life!). It has always been a part of my lifestyle and one that I see continuing for the foreseeable future. 

If you have been following my blog regularly, you will know that I did a blog post for adult lunch box ideas not too long ago. Today's post is on school lunch boxes. 

Let me tell you something about my six and a half year old twin daughters. They have certain likes and dislikes when it comes to food they way most children do. My daughters are small eaters and can probably be classified as picky eaters (just like I was as a child) but over time, that is something that I have come to terms with. As a parent, I have granted my children reasonable autonomy when it comes to portions and have always offered them varied choices when it comes to food groups and cuisines. 

I have been packing lunch and snack boxes for the girls since they started primary school at the start of this year. They have a short snack break and a lengthier recess during school hours. I have been packing relatively light given that they are small eaters and also because they come home in the afternoon and have a fairly large home-cooked hot lunch. The lunchbox undertaking has been going pretty smoothly and despite the early school timings, we have been gradually eased into a comfortable routine. 

We have been using the Yumbox and I'd say, so far so good. Thumbs up for the colors, design and durability and brownie points for the compartmentalized bento design suits my agenda of packing assorted food groups. Packing the lunch and snack boxes is a 20-30 min activity and I make sure it gets done by 7am which is when the kids need to be out the door. My daughters don't expect their food to be hot when they eat it so I stick to usually packing finger foods that are fine to eat at room temperature. They consume the contents of their lunchbox within a two-hour window of it being packed so I don't use ice-packs to keep the food cold (but if you are concerned about food safety then you probably should put them in). 

What I like about sending packed lunch to school is that I know for sure that the food has been prepared hygienically, I can incorporate some variety thus making the meals more wholesome and at the end of the day, I am aware of how much my daughters have eaten. Over the past several months, I have figured out what foods work and what don't and have a reasonably good idea of what to pack for four days of the school week (they eat at the cafeteria on one day of the week). The girls usually do finish all the contents of their snack box and lunch box in school. On the rare occasion anything is left unfinished, it is usually in the vegetable compartment (no surprises there 😆). 

Before I get to the actual contents of the lunchboxes, a little bit of background info. In my children's school, only finger foods are allowed in the snack box, sharing of food is strictly not allowed and there is no nut-free policy. I'd never-ever make any claims of everything in these lunchboxes being "healthy" because that is not my intention and neither is it true. An eating philosophy I firmly believe in is "eat the rainbow" so I sincerely try to incorporate 2-3 portions of colorful fruit and vegetables. Aside from that, I often lean towards nutritious snacks (like assorted nuts and dried fruit, plain popcorn and makhana) and many times, the sweet treat is homemade with reduced sugar and/or healthier substitutes but that is about as far as I go. 

If you are looking for kids lunchbox inspiration, I have compiled some of our go-to combinations. Everything you see in this post is vegetarian but most of the "mains" can be customized to incorporate animal protein of your choice. Wherever recipes are available, I have included the links. Also, you can scroll down to the end of the post for a detailed list of our go-to snacks along with some tips that I hope can save you precious time during frenzied mornings. 

So without further ado, here we go,

Sandwiches 

I think all moms will agree that one of the easiest things to pack in kids lunchboxes are sandwiches. Bread is a huge savior for busy moms who don't have a lot of time to spare. But go the bread route too often and it can get boring. I try to switch it up a bit with different kinds of sandwiches. And yes, using different kinds of cookie cutters do make the sandwiches look more appealing to the kids (and in turn, more likely that they will finish it). It blows my mind to see the kind of variety of cutters there are. I need to stock up on more and pronto.

Not surprisingly, my kids prefer white bread for their sandwiches so that is what I have been using most of the time. 

Cheese sandwiches, PB&J and chocolate-hazelnut (we prefer the Lindt spread) sandwiches are always a winner around here.

Occasionally, I use multigrain bread for sandwiches. The girls have noticed the difference but haven't really complained. I am hoping to phase out the white bread by the end of this school year (fingers crossed).

BTW, these were Valentine's Day special lunch box that I did for the girls 😊 In case you were wondering, I don't have time (or patience) to leave notes on a daily basis but I think it is a sweet gesture and I'd like to do it at least on special occasions. 

And these I did for Halloween and my daughters were delighted 👻

Who doesn't like grilled cheese sandwiches right? And although they taste best freshly made while hot and oozy, my kids don't mind them in the lunchbox. 

A spiced potato and paneer (Indian cottage cheese) filling works well in grilled sandwiches too.

Toasted bread rolls are a good option too. I either make a spinach-sweet corn-cream cheese filling or a paneer-tomato-onion filling. 

Another fun idea for sandwiches is to make them in the style of a dumpling. You roll out a slice of fresh bread, cut out a large circular shape, place the filling on one side (I usually do egg-mayo or PB&J), fold into a semi-circle and crimp the edges with a fork. It looks pretty and rest assure, your kids will not complain that it is a boring sandwich.

Pinwheel sandwiches are super easy to make, look fun and taste good too. I usually lightly toast a wholemeal tortilla wrap on both sides, spread a little tomato ketchup, layer a thin simple cheese omelet over it, tightly roll and slice. 

I have also made these type of pinwheel sandwiches using a filling of spinach-mushroom-cream cheese. 

If you get the small variety of tortilla wraps, making rolls is a pretty good idea. I do my take on paneer kathi rolls and my kids really like it.

Speaking of tortillas, quesadillas are a pretty great lunch box option too. We frequently make Mexican food at home and the next day, I usually pack freshly made quesadillas for the girls. We buy corn tortillas, tomato & oregano flour tortillas and spinach & olive oil flour tortillas from La Mexicana and make plain cheese or cheese combined with spinach-mushroom-sundried tomato quesadillas served with a trio of dips. Although I am inclined to add a dollop of guacamole or sour cream for dipping, the kids don't feel the need for anything accompaniment. They are perfectly happy eating the quesadillas just as they are.

My kids absolutely love croissants so I add them to my grocery cart every single week. A 'croissan'wich' is a great option for a lunch box. 

I usually do a combination of cream cheese and jam (Smucker's blueberry jam garners top vote in my household). Some other combinations that have gone down well are scrambled egg with cheese, peanut butter with chocolate and a fresh cheese with garlic & herbs spread. 

While still on the subject of sandwiches, bagels and pita pockets are some great options too.

Pizza

If my daughters are asked to name their favourite pizza, it will be Margherita pizza for sure. I frequently make homemade marinara sauce. In the event that I have extra sauce, I make bread pizza for the girls lunch box and they absolutely love it. Mini pizza crusts would be an even better option but I don't always have these at home. 

I add a slice of cheddar cheese on the bread, generously slather the sauce, top with shredded mozzarella and bake in a hot oven for 10 min. 

As my children would say, easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

I've done the same with sliced baguette as you can see here

Also recently, I have been packing the Spinach Pesto Mini Pizza from Fusspot & Foodie and the girls love it. All I have to do is warm it up in the oven or microwave or a few minutes and pop into the lunchboxes. It is a lifesaver on days when I am especially pressed for time.  

Muffins

I've experimented a few times with muffin recipes and they have worked pretty well. I like to use a combination of whole wheat and plain flour to make muffins. 

I have made oatmeal raisin muffins, apple walnut muffins, blueberry muffins and I recently tried a savory cheese muffin which was rather well received as well. 

Mini Quiche

This was an unexpected roaring success. I happened to have some leftover homemade shortcrust pastry that I had used the previous night to make vegetable pot pies, so I put together simple mini quiches for the lunchbox the next day. The girls loved it so much that they kept asking for it all week. 

The following week I made the mini quiches with puff pastry. It didn't work as well as the short crust pastry but the girls enjoyed it nevertheless. 

I have done broccoli-cheddar, broccoli-mushroom and spinach-mushroom quiches so far. The broccoli-cheddar is the clear winner with my kids. You can find the recipe here

Pancakes

Pancakes are something I reserve for the weekends because it is nice to enjoy them at leisure. I have packed them only a few times in the lunchbox but my kids love them so much that I sometimes make an exception. 

I have been using instant oats to make chocolate chip pancakes or berry pancakes with a light drizzling of maple syrup. 

I have also made pancakes for the lunchbox using the Millet & Oat Chocolate Pancake Mix from Fusspot & Foodie. Works out great.

Pasta

Most kids like/love pasta, don't they? Mine are no exception. I have a few basic pasta recipes up my sleeve. I use whatever pasta I have on hand, cook it and toss in one of the following sauces - a basil-walnut pesto, a herby tomato sauce, a cheesy cream sauce or a roasted vegetable and tomato sauce. 

Other times, I bypass the sauce and either do an aglio olio or a stir-fried veggie pasta seasoned with Cajun spice. 

Paratha

The only reason Indian food doesn't feature much in our lunch boxes is because I prefer to pack light finger foods that can be made quickly. 

Parathas are a kind of flatbread that are made with a dough of whole wheat flour and a spiced vegetable filling. This is one of the few Indian dishes that checks the box and is something my kids like as well. Whenever I make paratha for dinner the previous night and have leftover vegetable filling, I use it to make parathas for the lunchbox. Aloo paratha and rajma cheese parathas are huge favorites around here. 

Methi thepla is something I make quite often for weeknight dinner. Everyone at home likes it, especially the kids. If I happen to have leftover dough, I make theplas for the kids lunch box the next morning. Just a dollop of butter on the side is enough for them. The lunch box comes back home empty 😊

Kotthu parotta is another simple Indian lunch box staple you can make fairly quickly. I use the store-bought frozen paratha for this. I make the paratha in the morning and chop it up. Then I fry chopped onion, tomato, minced ginger-garlic together then I add some red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and fry till the spices are cooked. Then I add in whisked eggs, season with salt and when the eggs are just cooked, I add in the paratha and freshly chopped coriander. 

Fried Rice

If you have leftover rice, making a simple fried rice is a no-brainer. It comes together quickly and is highly customizable I ask my domestic helper to make fried rice because she knows how to make it just the way my kids like it.

Bee Hoon

Bee Hoon is another dish that is versatile and quick to make. I almost always have rice noodles in my pantry so on those days when I run out of other ideas, I turn to bee hoon. 

I must admit that my kids aren't as fond of bee hoon as they used to be (I'm hoping it is just a phase) so it makes an appearance in the lunch box less frequently. 

Mini Burger

We have black bean burgers quite frequently for dinner and it is something everyone likes. On the rare occasion that I have any black bean mixture leftover, I make mini black bean burgers for the lunchbox the next day. A shallow-fried black bean patty, lettuce, some cheese and ketchup sandwiched between lightly toasted mini whole wheat buns, seals the deal.

On the days I have mixture leftover from aloo tikki or vegetable cutlets, I also assemble mini burgers as described above. 

List of the sides and snacks in our Yumbox and snack box, 

Note that after many months of trial and error, these are the things my daughters will willingly eat. For non-fussy kids, the sky's the limit

Vegetables:
Steamed broccoli
Steamed baby corn
Steamed sweet corn
Carrots 

Steamed green beans
Cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes 

Cooked edamame 

Fruits:
Apple

Pear

Banana

Orange

Watermelon

Apricots

Dragon fruit
Grapes
Berries
Mango
Papaya

Pomegranate

Cherries

Figs

Longan

Sweet treats:
Biscuits (we mostly go for the Marks & Spencer, IKEA, Sainsbury or Tesco brands)

Animal crackers

Fruit Crisps

Dry wholegrain cereal

Buns

Chocolate brownie
Blueberry banana bread

Zucchini chocolate bread

Marble cake

Cheesecake

Milk burfi

Date & nut energy balls

Granola bars

Dried fruit (Dates, apricots, prunes, jumbo raisins)

Savoury snacks:
Poppables

Goldfish crackers

Veggie straws

Pea crisps

Makhana

Rice crackers

Pretzel pieces 
Popcorn

Boiled eggs
Cheese sticks or cubes
Ritz crackers 

Nuts (Pistachios, cashews, boiled or roasted peanuts)

Butter murukku/chakli

Nachos

Banana chips

Jackfruit chips

Time saving tips and tricks for school lunches:

• If possible, draft a rough plan of what to pack in the lunchbox for the week ahead and finish the grocery shopping required for it before the start of the week. I usually plan our weekly menu and grocery shopping list at the same time that I outline the school lunchbox plan so it is like killing three birds in one stone
• Keep all the readymade/store-bought snacks and sweet treats required for the lunchbox in one bag or box. This ensures that you don't waste time looking for the different things
• You can boil eggs the previous night and pop it in the fridge
• If you have an instant pot, keep an ear of corn overnight to pressure cook for 3 minutes with delay start for 6-7 hours. When you wake up, the corn is ready and warm to receive a slathering of butter. I can't tell you how much I love the delay start function
• Roll out and line a well greased muffin tin with short-crust pastry, lightly prick with a fork and bake for 5 min the night before. Once cool, pop into the fridge. The next day, just make the vegetable & egg mixture, add it in and bake until done
• If you aren't able to batch cook sauces over the weekend, keep bottles of store-bought marinara sauce, pasta sauce and pesto sauce in your pantry. They come in super handy
• Muffins generally freeze really well. To freeze, make sure muffins are completely cool and then wrap securely in foil or freezer wrap, or place in freezer bags

Follow me on Instagram (@meinblogland) for regular updates on kids lunch box ideas.

I sincerely hope you found this post useful. Till next time...

Cheers,

Megha

None of the products mentioned in these post have been sponsored. They just happen to be some of the products we love around here