Trying to find fun, healthy & filling lunch ideas for kids can be a real head-scratcher at times, especially if you are dealing with the most stubborn of fussy eaters!
You want your kids to be energised the right way, without excessive amounts of sugar, salt, and midday snacking. So, if you are looking to find nourishing, delicious and easy lunch ideas for your kids you are in the right place!
10 healthy lunch ideas for kids
Grilled chicken club pittas
Keep the kids happy and healthy with this alternative to a club sandwich. The replacement of the pitta makes it that little bit healthier! Club sandwiches use delicious rotisserie chicken but if you wanted to make it less greasy, using an air fryer for your chicken is always good too. Add some fresh and juicy green lettuce, rocket, tomato and whatever other salads your kids love. You can grill the pitta or leave it cold, as long as the chicken is cooked.
Vegetarian option: If you like the look of this lunch but don’t eat meat, don’t worry, tofu is a great chicken alternative you can use. To recreate the rotisserie chicken make sure your tofu is marinated and is extra-firm sprouted or regular tofu for the best and most convincing results.
BLT Pasta Salad
Looking for a delicious lunch box idea that is sandwich-free? This easy pasta salad makes a tasty addition to any lunchbox and is ideal for kids aged 9 – 12.
Guess what? It also makes up 2 of their 5-a-day as well! Cold-lunch ideas just got that little bit more creative.
Green Bean and Penne Salad
This speedy pasta salad with a healthy tomato and basil dressing counts as three of your five-a-day and is sure to perk up any lunchbox. It’s a colourful recipe that blows beige sandwiches out of the water. Top up with rocket and basil for extra greens.
10-minute flatbread pizza
Naan bread works great for a pizza base as well as a flatbread. Get the kids involved and your own homemade tomato base or buy your fave store-bought sauce.
Add some grated parmesan and mozzarella (if you are vegan feel free to use vegan cheese) to the tomato base and then move on to the exciting part… FLAVOUR! Let’s get leafy with some freshly chopped basil or oregano – you can use dried oregano for a great herb flavour. If your kids can handle a little bit of spice add some red pepper flakes for a little kick! This flatbread pizza will take 10-12 mins to cook, then voila!
Got some leftovers? Keep it in the fridge and use it for your kid’s packed lunches at school!
Sunday Roast on Toast!
Have some leftover pork from the weekend’s roast? Heat it up in a frying pan and stir in some apple sauce and little gem leaves (if you have some going spare!).
Pop some bread in the toaster, spread with mustard, and spoon the mixture straight on top. Ready to enjoy in under 10 minutes.
Add this to your list of innovative lunch ideas for kids!
BBQ Soy Curls – A Vegan Treat
Rich in Omega-3, soy curls are chewy, flavour absorbent, and one of the BEST chicken replacements on the market.
In this recipe, you just need to make sure you soak the soy curls in water for 9 minutes and then squeeze out all the water before cooking them. Next, you just saute the curls using olive oil in a pan for 3 to 4 minutes. You then add a bit of BBQ sauce and cook another minute until starting to lightly blacken. Serve with a small pot of bbq sauce for dipping.
Easy peasy! BBQ is great but if you feel that is too sugary for your child there are healthier alternatives you can make yourself at home that are only 17 calories.
For this 17 calorie BBQ sauce, you will need…
- Onion – We used a white onion, but you can easily use shallots for a sweeter taste.
- Passata – Always try to use a good quality passata as cheaper ones can be a bit watery.
- Garlic – Feel free to alter the amount depending on your taste.
- Tomato puree (paste) – Used to thicken the sauce.
- Honey – This sweetens the sauce. If you wanted to keep it vegan, use maple syrup.
- Paprika – Gives the sauce its smoky flavour.
- Balsamic vinegar – Adds more thickness and also sweetness.
- Worcestershire sauce
Banana Tortilla Roll-Ups
If you’re kid fancies something sweet & healthy for lunch instead, why not try banana tortilla roll-ups?
All you need is 1 flour tortilla (burrito sized), 2 tablespoons almond butter (you can use peanut butter instead if you prefer), and 1 peeled banana. Evenly spread almond butter over one side of the tortilla. Then place the banana along one edge of the tortilla, and roll-up. Lastly, slice the roll into small pieces.
This is a great lunchtime meal as it is not only one of your kid’s five a day, it is easy to make and chew too! You can always convert this to an afterschool snack as well.
Spicy Beans On Naan-Toast
Got a busy day ahead with the kids? This quick-fix lunch is super tasty and uses a small number of ingredients which are store cupboard essentials!
All you need to do is take your naan bread out of the freezer or bread bin and pop it in the toaster (you can still use normal bread too, naan bread is just more fun!). Then take some baked beans, add a teaspoon of curry powder, a pinch of coriander (if you have it) and microwave for 2 minutes. As soon as it’s done, pour the beans over the toasted naan and enjoy!
For more waste-friendly recipes check out Lovefoodhatewaste.com!
Healthy school lunchbox staples
Here are some healthy staples you can add to your child’s lunchbox…
Banana chips
Banana chips are sweet, crunchy and healthy! Typically dried and soaked in honey, this is a classic dry food staple.
Granola bites
If you want to make these little energy bombs, you’ll be happy to know they only take 5 minutes to make! You just mix your oats, nuts dried fruits – and some chocolate chips of course! Pour a yummy peanut butter-honey mixture over everything. Roll into balls and voila! It’s a healthy alternative to biscuits and chocolate.
Bite sized fruit
Who knew fruit could be so adorable? Bit size fruit like grapes, clementine segments, pomegranate seeds, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries and cherries are a vibrant way to spruce up your kid’s lunchbox. Think of it as a fruit salad pick ‘n’ mix!
Carrot sticks/Baby carrots
Snap and crunch your way through some baby carrots or carrot sticks. You can buy them already sliced in portions or get the kids involved to help peel them. You can always add some hummus or salad dips too if baby carrots are a bit too plain for your little one.
Cheese roll ups
Why not pop some scrumptious pastry in your kid’s lunchbox? If your kid is getting bored of sandwiches it’s a great way to jazz up their usual lunchtime routine. Cheese roll-ups will take 55 mins to make but once you have made them you can eat them warm or cold, and save them through the week. All you need to make them is…
- 200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 50g butter, softened
- 1 tsp paprika
- 100-125ml/3½-4fl oz milk
- 50g ready-grated mature cheddar
Baby spinach salad (WARNING: nuts in recipe)
A no-fuss 5-minute salad you can throw together in the school mornings! All you need is…
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 4 cup spinach
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 ounce feta cheese crumbles
- 1/4 cup caesar salad dressing
All you have to do is cut some baby tomatoes in half and toss them together with the sauce. Bellissimo!
Corkscrew pasta dishes
Corkscrew pasta, otherwise known as Rotini, is a fun and delicious type of pasta that you can use in salads as well as your standard pasta dish. It’s great hot and cold – that’s the beauty of pasta! Some great kid-friendly pasta dishes are…
Vegetable Baby Pasta
Don’t be fooled by the name, big kids are eating this too! All you need for this 15 minute recipe is
- Pumpkin / squash
- Carrot
- Corkscrew pasta
- Spinach,
- Herbs
- Olive oil
- Cream (you can always take the cream out if you have a dairy intolerance or if your child is vegan).
- Tomatoes!
Follow this scrumptious recipe here.
Tuna & broccoli pasta bake
This serves a family of 4 and is perfect for a hearty weekend lunch and only takes 25 minutes to make! Fish is very healthy for humans – did you know the natural oils of fish like tuna is full of Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA, which are essential for brain health? Fatty fish has been shown to stimulate brain cell growth too!
And we all know why we need broccoli in our lives, its green goodness gives us fibre and energy which help our digestive systems. Broccoli also supports our immune system, boosts our heart health, our eye health and more!
Find this scrumptious recipe here.
Mediterranean pasta salad
Offering you all the juicy ripeness and tantalising flavours of the Summer! All you need is…
- Corkscrew pasta (Rotini)
- Veggies – cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion for a garden of flavour
- Pitted olives
- Feta cheese – making a pasta salad with feta cheese is a great way to add a hint of creaminess to the pasta salad without using mayo or a creamy salad dressing.
- Fresh parsley & fresh arugula—for extra texture & a hint of spiciness
- Salami – perfect to add some saltiness to this dish. Cubed salami is best but if you want to make this salad vegetarian-friendly feel free to leave it out!
Find out how to make this summery dish here. As the dish is sharper in taste, it might be better suited to your older children.
Here are some great pages and people to follow for food inspiration, advice & money saving advice on food…
The Batch Lady shows you how to make 10 meals for a family of 4 to eat in a week with a budget of £30. There is an ingredients list and a video demo of how to make different meals with the same ingredients. She’s a great person to follow for family meal inspiration.
My Darling Vegan is a great website that breaks down the best vegan chicken alternatives. If you are looking to cut down on meat or go full vegan, this website answers most of your Vegan-ingredient-queries, with some fun recipes to follow too!
Love Food Hate Waste is a brilliant eco-friendly and ethical website designed to encourage families to stop the waste and embrace your cupboard essentials! With lots of exciting and delicious recipes too, it’s the ideal website to check for simple, fun and nutritious meals.
Have you found some mouth-watering lunch ideas for the kids? We hope you’ve found this helpful and try something new with the little ones. Feel free to check out our other food-related blogs:
Toddler Lunch Box Ideas | Dinner Ideas for Kids | Healthy Snacks for Kids |