• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS

Dish up the simple joy of healthy, down-home foods your family will LOVE… tonight.

Join 12,000+ families served since 2010!

  • Join Now
  • About
    • About Wardee & TCS
    • Our Team
    • FAQs & Help
    • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Archives
  • Podcast
    • #AskWardee
    • Know Your Food with Wardee (retired)
  • Shop
    • Bible-Based Cooking Program
    • Print Textbooks
    • eBooks & eCourses
    • Recommended Tools & Supplies
    • More Books We Love
    • Complete Idiot’s Guide To Fermenting Foods
      • Errata
  • Login
You are here: Home » Food Preparation » 45 Healthy School Lunch Ideas (Make Ahead, Quick & Easy!)

Make a healthy dinner in 30 minutes or less... while spending $0 extra! Click here for the FREE Eat God's Way “30-Minute Skillet Dishes” formula!

45 Healthy School Lunch Ideas (Make Ahead, Quick & Easy!)

We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

photo collage of fruit wraps and tuna salad with text overlay: "45 Healthy School Lunch Ideas (make ahead, quick & easy!)"

Back-to-school time means back to packing school lunches!

Whether you’re about to pack your first-ever school lunch or have been packing lunches for years, it can be a challenge… and a source of frustration.

Especially if you’re navigating food preferences or allergies, time constraints, and/or healthy eating!

It’s time to simplify your lunchbox routine while developing an arsenal of healthy food choices your family will actually eat and enjoy! Here are 45 lunchbox recipes and bonus tips for packing a nourishing lunch for school.

Healthy School Lunch Ideas

The best healthy lunches start with the highest-quality ingredients that your budget will allow.

And if there’s one category of food that should get priority with quality control, it’s fats.

Opt for the highest-quality fats you can. That means reach for pastured butter, raw cheddar, sustainably-produced bacon, and nitrate/nitrite-free cured meats.

The reason is because environmental pollutants and other toxins are stored in fatty tissue. Always go organic and even pastured and grass-fed for those foods!

Other areas to focus on organic is the “Dirty Dozen” list from the Environmental Working Group. Strawberries, apples, grapes and tomatoes are on the dirty dozen, as are peaches and pears. You can check out their complete list here and take a look at their “Clean Fifteen” list while you’re at it.

So what are good foods to take to school for lunch?

Below is a list of 45 healthy school lunch ideas that kids will love!

In short, there are 8 hot thermos lunch ideas and 7 non-sandwich ideas so you potentially already have 15 days of fun lunch options for your kiddos. Combine that with some bento box lunches and you have a month’s worth of healthy school lunches at your disposal.

Hot Lunch Ideas

tomato soup in a white ceramic bowl with crackers

Image courtesy of Raising Generation Nourished. 

These lunch box ideas will most likely require the use of a thermos. Amazon has a huge selection of thermoses at different sizes to accommodate everyone in the family. Some of them even come with portable spoons attached to either the side or on the cap.

Other great ideas to keep foods warm are to use glass containers (if school permitted and safe with child) and wrap towels or foil-wrap it.

For dry foods such as chicken nuggets, wrap them in parchment paper, then seal in a foil packet tightly.

(Note: I’ve found that chicken nuggets can get soggy in a thermos so my choice would be to use the parchment paper/foil option).

  • Instant Pot Tomato Soup
  • Instant Pot Pumpkin Turkey Chili
  • Easy, Creamy Dairy-Free Macaroni and Cheese
  • Paleo Chicken Fried Rice
  • Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl
  • 5-Ingredient Paleo Chicken Nuggets
  • Carrot Mint Bisque with Fresh Ginger and Bone Broth
  • Veggie-Packed Sloppy Joes

Non-Sandwich Lunch Ideas

a plate of chicken veggie bites with crispy golden skin, arranged next to carrot sticks, lettuce, and a small bowl of ranch dressing to dip into

Image courtesy of The Nourishing Home. 

Let’s face it… sandwiches are so yesterday.

Thankfully, between Pinterest and Google, we can find myriad of ways to feed our children nourishing foods. And no need to compromise when it comes to school lunches!

Muffins don’t have to be for breakfast only.

In fact, savory muffins are a great option for easy lunch box meal for your kiddo. They make a terrific lunch that kids will love.

How could you go wrong with corndog muffin or veggie bites? Packed with protein, nutrition, and fun for the kids!

These are also great to shake things up a bit and skip the thermos. Variety for you as you prepare these foods and variety for your kids as they open their lunchbox!

  • Healthy Egg Muffins
  • Paleo Sausage Cheese Balls
  • Homemade Corndog Muffins
  • Paleo Savory Zucchini Muffins 
  • Pizza Einkorn Muffins
  • Mini Beef Meatballs
  • Grain-Free Savory Chicken & Veggie Bites

Quick And Easy Lunches

photo of a quick and easy colorful lunch, including a banana, fresh blueberries, apple slices, sliced cheese, and more

Image courtesy of Don’t Waste The Crumbs.

The ideas below are mostly for bento-style lunches. They are convenient for kid’s lunchboxes because they are usually very quick and easy to put together.

Bento is a single portion, home-packed meal (or take-out) with roots in Japanese cuisine. The trend quickly picked up because it’s so easy to pack a variety of foods in one container.

My favorite containers for bento boxes are from PlanetBox. They have three different sizes and tons of accessories to go with them.

Kids love bento boxes because it gives them control over what is packed. It is especially helpful for children with sensory issues or those who are bothered when their “food touches each other.”

Some of these does require a little bit more prep time but typically all these are quick to put together during busy mornings. These bento boxes are fun for even the kids to put together the night before.

Additional foods that can be added to bento boxes that are not on this list include a variety of fresh fruits and veggies: grapes, strawberries, apple wedges, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, carrot sticks, etc. Be sure to add in a small container of healthy dip or hummus if your kids love to dip their veggies in.

I’ve also added raw cheddar and nitrate-free salami or pepperoni to my kid’s bento boxes.

  • Healthy Homemade Lunchables
  • Homemade Lunch Meat
  • Allergy-Free Homemade Vegetable Dip
  • Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bars
  • Gluten-Free Cheddar Cheese Crackers
  • Zucchini Chips
  • Easy Roasted Broccolini
  • Healthy Homemade Nut Free Granola Bars
  • Creamy & Easy Homemade Ranch
  • Easy Whole Wheat Einkorn Cheddar Crackers
  • Green Plantain Crackers
  • Easy Homemade Pickle Chips
  • Healthy Gluten-Free Pasta Salad Recipe
  • Mayo-Free Tuna Salad
  • Healthy Potato Salad with Probiotics

Good Stuff

photo of lemon pudding in pint-sized Mason jars topped with shredded coconut next to lemons that have been zested

This is the category for sweets. Of course, you can always throw in a handful of grapes and call it good. But for inspiration, this section has some really fun yet healthy sweets for your kids’ lunch boxes. These can easily be thrown into the bento box as well.

Remember to follow EWG’s recommendation for Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen fruits and vegetables.

The good thing about most of these recipes are that even though they are considered a dessert in your school lunchbox, they are still packed with nutrition. For example, the gummies and gelatin-type desserts require grass-fed gelatin, which is a great source of amino acids!

The last four items will need a small container to hold them. I love 4-ounce jelly jars but if you have to avoid glass, there are many options available online!

  • Homemade Grapefruit Gummies
  • Egg-Free Paleo Brownies
  • Homemade “Jello” Dessert
  • Mango & Cream Gummies
  • Silky Smooth Dairy-Free Bean Fudge
  • Maple Apple Cinnamon No-Bake Treats
  • Carrot Raisin No-Bake Treats
  • Melon Gummies
  • Flourless Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
  • Pumpkin Leather
  • Peach Fruit Leather
  • Instant Pot Lemon Pudding Cups
  • No-Jello Chocolate Pudding Cups
  • Instant Pot Rice Pudding
  • Instant Pot 3-Minute Applesauce

Other Helpful Articles for Healthy School Lunch Ideas

10 Easy Ways To Pack More Fermented Foods

From dilly carrot sticks to water kefir to homemade string cheese, these super easy ideas will help you pack a variety of nutritious fermented foods in your child’s lunchbox — without adding lots of prep time!

10 Tips For Packing Lunches

Here are 10 practical tips to help you pack delicious lunches all week long, without the stress. These tips will help you to plan and organize the lunch-making routine, and make sure that the packed lunch is actually eaten!

Healthy School Lunch Ideas and Packing Tips 

Stuck for ideas? Need some tips for choosing the best lunchbox or containers? Want to know how to get the kids involved or to create a lunchbox menu plan? This post has you covered! 2-week menu plan included to help you get started!

How To Pack Gluten-Free Lunches

Do you need to make your lunches gluten-free? Here are lots of ideas for thinking beyond the sandwich, as well as tips for keeping lunches gluten-free while complying with nut-free policies.

DIY Reusable Food Wrap

Whether you are trying to cut down on plastic, or are just looking for alternative ideas for keeping food fresh, you can easily make your own reusable food wrap and you can even turn your wrap into homemade snack bags!

4 Sure-Fire Tips to Help Picky Eaters Actually Eat That Healthy School Lunch

Picky eater? No problem! These tips will help you come up with healthy school lunch ideas for picky eaters.

Do you pack your child’s lunch or have them buy it? If packing, what do you pack in your child’s lunchbox?

Main images courtesy of  Natural Details and Common Sense Home.

This post was originally published and written by Andrea Sabean on 8/7/17. It has since been updated and republished.

We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).

Posted in: Food Preparation Health & Nutrition Healthy Living Kitchen Tips & Organization Recipes Round-Ups

About Anya Jang

Anya is the founder and author behind Prepare & Nourish, a place where she shares her passion for traditional, healthy and delicious foods. She enjoys re-creating her deeply rooted Slavic recipes with nourishing ingredients all the while keeping her home and homeschooling their children. She and her husband love to share good food with good friends around their hand-crafted farmhouse table in Northern California. You can connect with Anya on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Raia Todd says

    August 17, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    What a great list! Thank you so much for including a few of my recipes! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Yany says

    August 17, 2019 at 11:30 pm

    Thank you so much for this list! I’ll definitely be looking into this. I always make my
    daughters sandwiches with my homemade bread, salad and seasonal fruits (not much available fruit in Winter). But my daughters are growing and sandwiches five days a week is starting to get old for them. I really need some help and this post is just perfect! Thanks again!

    Reply
  3. Hope says

    September 1, 2019 at 11:29 pm

    What a great selection, I can’t wait to try some of these! Thanks for including my Paleo savoury muffins!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hi and Welcome!

I’m Wardee Harmon and I help Christian families who know they should eat healthy but are tired of complicated, time-consuming, weird-tasting, and unsustainable “healthy” diets…

…who want to look and feel better, save time and money, and have more energy for enjoying family life and serving Him fully!… like I was. Click here for more…

Recently on the Blog

  • Fizzy Apple Cider Switchel (VAD)
  • VitaClay Review & Buyer’s Guide
  • How to Make Healthy Cookies #AskWardee 006
  • Bean and Barley Soup (Instant Pot, Stove Top)
  • Soaked Spelt Banana Bread (VAD)
  • Ancient Grains 101
  • How to Heal Digestive Issues Naturally (Leaky Gut, SIBO, IBS, Celiac & more)
  • How To Meal Plan In 4 Easy Steps (KYF103)
  • Debunking 4 Sourdough Myths (& How To Overcome Them)
  • How To Use A Pressure Cooker 101

Recently Commented

  • Anonymous on Middle Eastern Kefir Cheese Balls {with free video!}
  • Genelle Johnson on Sourdough Einkorn Rosemary Focaccia
  • SUE mom divorced on 5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself During Your Period
  • YTmp3 on How To Make Healthy Mild-Tasting Mayonnaise #AskWardee 128
  • Debbie on 45 Real Food Copycat Recipes (Olive Garden, Chipotle & more!)
  • YTmp3 on Homemade Sauerkraut In A Stoneware Crock
  • AJ on Homemade Dog Food In The Instant Pot

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Before Footer

g-NOWF-glinz

…are what we eat! God’s Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season.

We love working with other Christian families who love good food and want to eat according to God’s design…

Not only because we believe it’s the healthiest way, but because we want to give Him glory for creating good food as the best medicine!

Learn more about GNOWFGLINS here…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOcH27DM1dI

Eat God’s Way Cooking Program

Our Eat God’s Way cooking program is for Christian families who know they should eat healthy but are tired of complicated, time-consuming, weird-tasting, and unsustainable “healthy” diets…

…who want to look and feel better, save time and money, and have more energy for enjoying family life and serving Him fully!

Join 12,000+ families served since 2010! Learn more here…

Copyright © 2025 Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS • About • Help • Privacy • Partners

photo collage of school lunches, including lemon pudding cups and mac n' cheese, with text overlay: "45 Healthy School Lunch Ideas (make ahead, quick & easy!)"