Easy Healthy Lunch Recipes For School

Cut an English muffin in half and slather with pizza sauce, followed by cheese and toppings. Pop it in the toaster oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Pack it with bell pepper slices, ranch for dipping, and a sweet treat.

A popular and cheap recipe from The Recipe Critic makes a lot of chicken fried rice, which means there are plenty of leftovers for lunches the next day. Put some soy sauce in a leak-proof container, and lunch is all set.

Pack pancakes, bacon, fresh cut fruit, and syrup for dipping to make a tasty breakfast for lunch. Use the weekend’s leftovers to save prep time.

Spread mayo on the inside of a pita pocket and layer in some bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Chips, string cheese, or cheese cubes and a small sweet complete the lunch.

Capitalize one last time on the bounty of summer veggies. Toss carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, broccoli, and any other vegetable with cooked pasta (try a fun shape) and Italian dressing. Sprinkle cheese on top for a healthy, cheap lunchbox meal.

Slice a bagel and fill it with cream cheese, lunchmeat slices, and veggies. Cut the sandwich in half or quarters to make it easier for little hands to manage, and secure it with toothpicks.

Let the kids build their own tacos for lunch. Provide the shell, taco meat, and shredded cheese. Add in some sliced veggies and cut lettuce, too.

Take inspiration from the popular Lunchables prepackaged meals. Fill a divided container with crackers, sliced lunch meat, and cheese cut to fit on the crackers, a side of fruit, and a cookie or sweet treat.

Let the kids build their own stir-fry for a lunch they’ll love. Place cooked rice, grilled chicken, sautéed veggies, and green onions in separate compartments of a divided container. Include a sweet and sour or orange sauce for a healthy, easy lunch.

Use a small skewer and spear it full of sandwich goodies. Try small squares of bread, rolled lunch meat, and cheese cubes. Add a side of grapes and a single-serving yogurt to round out the lunch.

Fill a pita pocket with any available lunch meat, then add lettuce and any other trimmings your child likes, along with a condiment. Throw together some in-season fruit for a fruit salad. Local, seasonal produce is always cheaper than out-of-season choices.

This cheap lunch takes a little effort, but kids love it. Make mini-corn muffins and stick slices of hot dog in the middle of the batter before baking. Add mustard and ketchup for dipping.

Start with thinly sliced apples and add toppings such as raspberries, blueberries, slivered almonds, and marshmallows. Fill a small container with caramel and peanut butter for kids to drizzle on the “nachos.”

Grilling out over the weekend? Save a hamburger for lunch the next day. Cut it into quarters for little hands to manage, and add a side of chips and pickles for a nice lunch.

As summer comes to an end, there’s usually a plethora of summer veggies to use up. Cold corn on the cob is great for lunch, along with tomatoes, cucumber, and zucchini. Add hummus and pita wedges for dipping.

If using a divided container, split up the parts of a salad into individual compartments. Carrots can go into one, cucumbers in another, and cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, sugar snap peas, cheese slices, croutons, and dressing for dipping can also be added. Always use up whatever’s in the fridge instead of buying specifically for lunches.

Meat can be expensive, so save money by going meat-free a few days a week. A DIY lunch kit can include crackers, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, and grapes. Reusable, compartmentalized containers such as EasyLunchboxes ($14 for four) make this easier. Use whatever veggies and fruit are on hand, and throw in some nuts if your kid likes them (though skip peanuts if your school doesn’t allow them).

Let the kids mix up a salad themselves at lunchtime to prevent it from getting soggy. Lettuce, veggies, croutons, and shredded cheese can be put into one container, lunch meat in another, and a side of dressing sealed in a leak-resistant container ($8 for eight).

This classic sandwich is so simple and cheap, it sometimes gets forgotten. Two slices of bread, peanut butter, and jelly is usually a hit with kids no matter how often they eat it. Fruit, chips, and a sweet treat such as marshmallows make for a classic lunch.

17 simple and healthy school lunch ideas to make mornings easier

Feel prepared with easy-to-assemble lunches for kids to eat at school or at home.

So many kids love PB&Js, but sometimes the sugar content of the jam and the need for an alternative to peanut butter call for a different kind of sandwich.Frances Largeman-Roth

There may be a lot of balls to juggle when it’s time for the kids to return to school, but don’t make lunch one of them.

Having a few go-to ideas for lunch recipes will make school days easier, whether they’re at spent at home or in the classroom.

Make healthy school lunches with these 3 superfoods

Healthy lunchbox recipes may feel challenging, but there are so many unique tricks and swaps to ensure kids have fun with their food and, more importantly, eat all of it. From classic lunch time staples like PB&J or deli sandwiches to nutritious sides and make-ahead mains, here are some TODAY Food’s favorite kid-friendly lunches.

Fun spins on sandwiches

PB&J Sushi Sandwiches

PB&J Sushi Sandwiches

Serve the kids a lunchtime staple with an inventive twist. By rolling the bread flat, this PB&J sandwich transforms into sushi rolls that are fun to eat with a fork and knife or chopsticks.

Mini Monster Sandwiches

Mini Monster Sandwiches

Halloween will be here before you know it so why not give a ham and cheese sandwich a spooky makeover with olive eyes? It only takes a few minutes to cut out shapes in the cheese and bread for a totally silly creation kids will enjoy gobbling up.

I Heart Panini

I Heart Panini

The contents of this grilled panini can be swapped with whatever kind of cheese or deli meat you have on hand. The sweetest part? This dish is shaped like a heart.

Message in a Bottle Sandwich

Message in a Bottle Sandwich

Grab some cookie cutter letters and carve out love notes to little (or big) kids. Whether you write, “Good luck on the exam,” or “I love you to the moon and back,” it’s easy to feel appreciated when mom or dad sends a personal note. When looking for ways to avoid allergens like peanuts, swap the nut butter for cafeteria-friendly sunflower seed butter.

Sunflower Butter & Grape Sandwich

Sunflower Butter & Grape Sandwich

So many kids love PB&Js, but sometimes the sugar content of the jam and the need for an alternative to peanut butter (many districts don’t allow peanut products these days) call for a different kind of sandwich. Nutritionist Frances Largeman-Roth swaps high-fructose jelly for freshly sliced grapes and uses sunflower butter.

Minion Bento Sandwich

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Minion Bento Sandwich

These Minion characters look like a pastry chef’s work of art, but all parents really need to master this sandwich design are orange and yellow cheese, some nori wrappers and kitchen shears. Decorating the Minions with different facial expressions is also a fun activity for kids to do if they’re at home and can help make lunch themselves.

Easy entrées for kids

Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders

Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders

Rather than heating up frozen nuggets or deep frying fingers, simulate the crunch of classic chicken fingers with this oven-baked recipe. Make it ahead of time and serve cold or give them a quick reheat in the oven or microwave.

Healthy English Muffin Pizza

Healthy English Muffin Pizza

We gave this kid classic a makeover that still hits all the flavor marks and is super easy for parents (or older kids) to make. Instead of using pepperoni made with beef and pork, use turkey pepperoni, which has fewer calories and less fat. Feel free to top the mini pizzas with whatever colorful veggies your kids will enjoy.

Kid-Friendly Rainbow Pasta Salad

Kid-Friendly Rainbow Pasta Salad

Boost the nutrition value of pasta salad by using one made with chickpeas and then speckle it with colorful veggies. For an extra boost of protein, try adding canned tuna or diced leftover chicken.

Mini-Corn and Ham Frittatas

Mini-Corn and Ham Frittatas

Frittatas are an all-in-one, fuss-free meal to enjoy anytime of day. This recipe is packed with veggies and gets plenty of protein from the eggs and ham. You can make it ahead of time and freeze a big batch to defrost later in the week.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Empanadas

Peanut Butter and Jelly Empanadas

Empanadas typically contain a mixture of meats and potatoes, but this version has a sweeter side. Bake the PB&J empanadas in advance to pack in lunch bags throughout the week, or serve them warm out of the oven as an after school snack. You may want to double the recipe because this one is a hit with both kids and grown-ups.