A favorite of most toddlers, make a peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter and strawberry chia jam sandwich cut into triangles. Include a tube of Stonyfield yogurt and small bite-size items such as edamame, cereal, and blueberries. Turkey and cheese sandwich Plan Ahead: Take a few minutes each week to plan your child’s lunch box menu. You can make things easier by jotting down ideas that come to you on a whim for later reference. Consider the likes and dislikes of your children, and try to incorporate a balance of protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Make a grocery list based on your menu plan to ensure you have all the ingredients on hand. Pasta in a mug: You can literally make these two pastas while the kids are putting on their shoes. They take a couple of minutes in the microwave, use only one mug, and are perfect for one person. Now that I’ve covered how to choose the perfect lunch box, it’s time to fill those compartments with colorful, tasty, and nutritious meals. In the upcoming section, I’m ready to spill the beans (literally and figuratively!) on the most loved lunch box ideas and recipes for every stage of your child’s life – from toddlers to high schoolers. Creamy hummus pinwheels with cheese and red peppers pinwheels have texture and flavor and are such a fun idea. It may be a new food for your child to try. Include sliced oranges, crinkle-cut carrots and cucumbers, and healthy mini muffins. Breakfast Burrito

Below you’ll find some of my thoughts on what type of lunch box works best based on the age range your child is in. This is based on my experience with my own kids with the lunch boxes that made the most sense for them and the food types and quantities most suitable for them during that growth stage. If your kids love having sandwiches but you want to avoid deli meats and other processed meats, here are some yummy substitutes. Don’t worry that your kids need an abundance of protein at lunch. They just need a well-balanced meal that contains whole grains, fruits, and vegetables that will provide them ample nutrition and energy for their busy days.Balancing Act: Use lunch box preparation as an opportunity to teach your kids the art of building a balanced meal. By presenting them with multiple sections or compartments in their lunch boxes, encourage them to include a variety of foods. Guide them to understand that each section represents a different food group – be it fruits, veggies, proteins, or grains. Let them know it’s not just about having one favorite food in excess, but enjoying a little bit of everything. This way, they’ll understand that every food group brings its own unique nutritional value to the table, and that variety truly is the spice of life. With this approach, they’ll soon learn to appreciate diverse flavors and enjoy a well-rounded, nutritious meal every lunchtime. Greek Orzo Salad has some bolder flavors the older kids will love, with feta cheese, olives, and red onions. Veggie-filled cucumber sushi: An easy recipe that’s fun to put together and a yummy twist to sushi. Plus, you can easily adapt to any taste preferences. By now, you’ve gotten a handle on what your child likes and doesn’t like in their bento box. You can still add new foods for them to try to keep them exploring with food. The larger compartments of this bento box let you add a little more for growing tummies. Pinwheels are one of my favorite lunch box ideas for this age range. Pizza Bites

Caprese Pasta Salad: Green pasta is so fun for kids. Try to find little pearl mozzarella and cherry tomatoes to add to it, and it makes for a colorful, nutritious lunch! Food Art Fun: One of the most creative lunch box ideas is using art to transform lunchtime into a fun eating adventure! Encourage your children to create food art by arranging their fruits and veggies in fun shapes or patterns. They can use cookie cutters to shape sandwiches or create fruit skewers with colorful combinations. Not only will this ignite their imagination, but it will also make their lunch boxes more visually appealing. This cucumber sushi lunch box is a fun way to eat vegetables. You can vary which vegetables your child enjoys and pair the vegetable sushi bites with whole edamame in the shell, turkey roll-ups, and fresh fruit like strawberries. White Bean Avocado Sandwich

Fall Favorites

A great leftover and meal prep salad, this Mediterranean pasta salad has all the best flavors, with olives, red onions, and tomatoes. Fill the other lunch box with apple bread or another sweet bread, whole cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber planks, and mixed nuts. Veggie hummus sandwich Fresh salads and pasta salads are a great option to fill a lunch box with additional sections for dressings and toppings. Tuna Pasta Salad is a kid-friendly dish for any age, with a creamy dressing and a bunch of delicious veggies. If your kids don’t mind having something other than a sandwich, you can put leftovers from last night’s dinner (I sometimes make extras for this very reason), which is always practical for busy days, or you can try some of these ideas. Cold options for Lunch Boxes:

Kids Lunch Boxes (3-7): This age group is all about finger foods and variety. You’ll notice the lunch boxes I prefer for this age group have five mini compartments to encourage kids this young to try different foods, textures, and tastes. Mornings are essential for filling yourself up with fuel for the day. This breakfast box is perfect for older kids with a variety of foods like a bagel, grapefruit, cubed cheese, some protein from hard-boiled eggs, and a juicy Roma tomato. more Kids Lunch box Ideas by Types Adults and teens will love this wholesome, fully loaded lunch box with a hearty tuna pasta salad filling the large box, and pretzels, strawberries, sugar snap peas, and roasted cashews for grazing in the sectioned box. Macaroni Salad