• Pediatric Care
• Kid's Health

Think Outside the Box: Healthy, Creative School Lunch Hacks

By: Vanessa Slots, MD

July 01, 2024

Today's school lunch is an opportunity to create a healthy, colorful midday meal, far from the days of soggy PB&Js. Here are simple tips, a week of lunch ideas, and a shopping list to help you pack a lunch your child won't want to trade. Packing lunches ensures your child gets a well-balanced meal, and making it a team effort by having kids help can save time by packing the night before.

Nutritious Ideas

Main dishes

• Lunch meat and low-fat cheese roll ups
• English muffin pizzas
• Sandwich wraps – meat, cheese and veggies in a whole grain tortilla
• Pita pockets stuffed with grilled chicken and vegetables
• Soup
• Chef salad with spinach, veggies, cheese, lunch meat and dressing
• Tuna or chicken salad on a mini bagel

Snacks and sides

• Fresh or dried fruit
• Natural apple sauce
• Baked tortilla chips and salsa
• Veggie sticks and hummus
• Cheese slices or string cheese with whole grain crackers
• Homemade trail mix with nuts, seeds and raisins
• Pudding
• Homemade fruit roll ups
• Popcorn (add different toppings such as salt, garlic, cinnamon, sugar or cayenne pepper)

Drinks

• Water
• If you child doesn’t like plain water, try adding a few slices of fresh fruit (strawberries, lime, lemon) for more flavor.

School Lunch Menu: Day-By-Day

We’ve put together a week’s worth of colorful, fun and healthy school lunch ideas your kids will love. And we’ve also created a shopping list to help you easily locate all the ingredients on your weekend shopping trip.

Monday: Turkey BLTA Roll-ups

Roll-up Ingredients

• Turkey, cold cuts
• Bacon
• Avocado
• Tomatoes

Side Dish Choices

• Blueberries
• Cucumbers
• Carrot sticks

Tuesday: Bacon & Cucumber Sandwich

Sandwich Ingredients

• Whole wheat English muffin
• Cucumber
• Bacon

Side Dish Choices

• Apples slices
• Strawberries
• Vanilla yogurt mixed with sprinkled cinnamon

Wednesday: DIY Lunchables 

Lunchables Ingredients

• Crackers
• Turkey, cold cuts
• Cheese

Side Dish Choices

• Blueberries
• Carrots
• Cucumber

Thursday: Veggie Grilled Cheese

Veggie Grilled Cheese Ingredients

• English muffin
• Cheese
• Tomato
• Spinach leaves
• Avocado

Side Dish Choices

• Apples slices
• Strawberries
• Vanilla yogurt mixed with sprinkled cinnamon
• Tomatoes

Friday: DIY Pizzas

DIY Pizza Ingredients

• 2 toasted English muffins
• Pizza sauce
• Cheese
• Turkey pepperoni

Side Dish Choices

• Celery
• Black olives

Shopping List (under 20 items)

Cold section: Dairy

1 large container of vanilla yogurt 1 package of your favorite cheese 

Cold section: Deli meats

1 package of turkey pepperoni
1 package bacon
1 package turkey cold cuts

Inside aisles

Whole wheat English muffins 1 can of whole black olives
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 box of whole wheat or multigrain crackers 

Produce department

1 cucumber
1 stalk of celery
2 apples
1 container of strawberries
1 avocado
2 tomatoes
1 bunch of spinach leaves
1 container of blueberries
2 carrots