15 healthy lunch box ideas for kids - Try these today!

15 lunchbox ideas to help kids eat healthy in school

Most parents will agree that getting kids to eat healthy can be really challenging. It’s tough enough when you eat together with them, and it gets even more difficult when you have to pack their school snacks and lunches.

To help make things easier for you, we’ve come up with 15 lunchbox ideas and tips to help your kids eat healthy in school (and elsewhere!).

Just click 'Next' to start reading them.

1. Pack finger food that is easy to eat.

Fish sticks, chicken poppers and vegetable tempura are just a few finger food options for your child’s lunchbox.

Since this kind of food is easy to eat (just use your fingers!), there's a better chance that there will be no leftovers.

2. Cut meat into bite-sized bits.

Worried that your child won’t be done eating before his or her break ends? Help him or her out by cutting the meat you pack for baon into bite-sized pieces.

You can also use skewers to hold the pieces of meat together, alternating them with cubed vegetables to make healthy kebab-style snacks.

3. Go for fried rice.

If you don't have the time to cook a separate viand to go with rice for your child's baon, prepare fried rice instead.

This makes mealtime more convenient for your child, too, because he or she can get meat, carbs and vegetables in one bite.

You can choose different types of fried rice for every day of the week — adobo and scrambled egg, shredded chicken, carrots and peas, Chinese sausage and cabbage, vegetable fried rice, etc.

4. Make homemade versions of fast food favorites.

Kids often get excited over fast food, so why not pack lunches that are homemade versions of these takeout meals?

Homemade chicken nuggets and fries, and hamburger sliders are just a few options that you can choose from.

5. Cut sandwiches into fun shapes.

Your kids are sure to get excited over their school lunches when you make them fun and interesting.

One easy way to do so is by cutting up sandwiches into cute shapes using sandwich or cookie cutters.

6. Say yes to spaghetti.

Does your kid love spaghetti? Then go ahead and pack some in his or her lunchbox.

You can go with the usual kiddie meat sauce or experiment with ingredients like shrimp and pesto.

7. Prepare a healthy pizza.

Make healthier versions of pizza for your kid's lunchbox by using whole wheat bread or pandesal as the crust, and adding vegetable toppings.

This is a school lunch that your kids will enjoy eating and sharing with friends.

8. Hide veggies in mac and cheese.

Pack mac and cheese for your kid and add broccoli or cauliflower in with the pasta.

If your child isn't too fond of vegetables, try to add pureed squash into the cheese sauce.

9. Be different with quesadillas, wraps and rolls.

Instead of the usual sandwich, you can make quesadillas, wraps and rolls using flour tortillas.

You can fill the tortillas with chicken and cheese, and add a salsa on the side.

You can also opt to go for sweet fillings like peanut butter and banana, or butter and brown sugar. (Try to limit the sweets though!)

10. Create a bento lunch.

With a few tools, you can create bento lunchboxes like a pro.

Rice molds, nori cutters and food picks are just a few of the things you can buy to make these cute lunchboxes for kids.

11. Fresh fruit salad makes a healthy snack or dessert.

Instead of packing just one type of fruit, you can cut up several kinds and put them together in a cup to make "fresh fruit salad."

12. Pack yogurt or pudding cups alongside fresh fruit.

Worried that fruits may not be filling enough as a snack for your little one? Include a yogurt cup or some pudding in his or her lunchbox.

13. You can't go wrong with dry cereal and milk.

Great as a morning snack, cereal can be packed dry in a container, along with a small tetra pack of milk.

Just make sure to use an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack to keep the milk cold, just in case your child won't be able to consume it right away.

14. Try veggie sticks with dip.

Carrot sticks or baby carrots are great eaten raw, or dipped in ranch dressing, hummus, cheese sauce or even peanut butter.

You can also try packing other vegetables, too, like cucumber, celery and sweet bell peppers.

15. Every once in a while, pack a yummy treat.

Whether it's corn dogs for lunch or chocolate chip cookies for dessert, give in to your child's less-than-healthy lunchbox requests every once in a while. It will give him or her something to look forward to at mealtime.

What are your go-to school snack and lunch meals?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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Written by

Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

English