Here are some great lunch ideas for preschoolers. From a cheese board and carrot sticks to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, healthy ideas for little ones abound!
If you have a preschooler at home, then you will be happy to hear that I have a few good lunch ideas for preschoolers. My daughter just turned into a preschooler and I have been doing my best to come up with some good lunch ideas for her. Since she is not yet in kindergarten, she gets really excited about all the little things she can do on her own.
Good Lunch Ideas For Preschoolers
KINDERGARTEN LUNCH IDEAS
Are you struggling to come up with school lunch ideas for your toddler, preschooler or kindergartener?
Then you’ve come to the right place 👋!
I’ve spent the last 5 years making it my mission to create EASY and NUTRIENT-PACKED lunches. I even wrote an entire cookbook dedicated to school lunches!
Below you will find tips, tricks, printables, my favorite school lunch packing tools as well as 68 IRL examples of healthy school lunches.
Bonus – most of the lunches below only took me 5 minutes to pack 👍!
REASONS TO LOVE THESE SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS:
- great for ages 3-6
- can be used for inspiration for older kids – just pack more
- perfect packed lunches at home or school
- healthy
- colorful
- nutritious
- fun foods so they will eat
- hidden veggies
- can be used for any bento box you own
- 13 weeks of lunch ideas
- all real school lunches
- my kids devoured (most of) these lunches below
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TIPS ON HOW TO PACK BENTO BOXES
I live by two Bento Packing Principles – protein and color.
That’s really it! After I get those items packed, the rest of the lunch usually falls right into place.
TIP #1 – PACK A PROTEIN
Packing a good and healthy source of protein 🍗🥚🥜 into each lunch box is key for making kids feel full and energized all afternoon long. Some of our favorite protein sources are: hummus, Greek yogurt, hardboiled eggs, almond/seed/peanut butter, beans, edamame, cheese or chicken.
TIP #2 – MAKE IT COLORFUL
I live by the #eattherainbow method when it comes to lunches 🌈 (and I’m not talking about skittles here;). The goal is to try to pack the entire rainbow of colors into each and every lunch.
Why am I so into this philosophy of eating? It’s pretty simple.
By packing lunches full of color I know, without a degree in nutrition, that my girls are getting a variety of nutrients from each fruit and veggie I pack.
Colorful Food = Healthy Food
Although it might sound pretty labor-intensive to pack a ton of different colored produce in a lunch, I promise you that it’s actually as hard as you think! Once you open up your fridge and start poking around, you will be able to find a ton of colorful fruits and veggies that are perfect for your kiddos lunches.
TIP #3 – GET THE PRINTABLE
Make your life even easier and get these FREE printables – one for planning out kindergarten school lunches and the other with over 100 easy school ideas to keep you inspired! Head to the full post here – 100 Healthy School Lunch Box Ideas (FREE Printables!).
If you want even more, check out my best-selling cookbook Little Bento: 32 Irresistible Bento Box Lunch for Kids for more recipes and ideas!
MORE SCHOOL LUNCH BOX INSPIRATION
- 20 Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
- 10 Allergy-Friendly School Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
- 10 Easy + Healthy School Lunch Ideas
- 5 School Lunch Box Packing Tips (FREE Printables!)
- 36 Healthy Lunch Box Recipes for Kids (that they will love)
- Bus Bento
- PlanetBox Bento (3 or 5 compartments in steel)
- Bentgo (favorite for younger kids!)
- Mini Dip Containers
- Fruit and Veggie Cutters
- Sandwich Shape Cutters
- Silicone Muffin Liners
- 1. Spiced sweet potato mini muffins, peach chunks + blackberries, cherry tomatoes, Annie’s bunnies and chopped pears in the Innobaby Bus Bento.2. Beet + apple hummus with rainbow veggie dippers, multigrain crackers, strawberries, yogurt covered pretzels and dried pineapple in the Planetbox Bento.
3. Fajita chicken quesadilla, dried cranberry + pistachios mix, chopped peaches, cherry tomatoes and a couple of dark chocolate chips (in the yellow container) in the Planetbox Bento.
4. Pesto + spinach pita pizza (recipe in book), pineapple, chocolate covered sunflower seeds (in the pink container), ants-on-a-log, mandarin oranges+ blueberries and Annie’s chocolate bunnies in the Planetbox Bento.
5. BBQ chicken pita pizza with corn and bacon, melon balls, carrot slices and raisins in the Ecolunchbox Bento.
6. Healthy chocolate zucchini bread with cream cheese, grapes + blackberry finger salad, yellow peppers and dip, Annie’s organic yogurt and cashew pieces in the Planetbox Bento.
7. BBQ chicken pizza, snap peas and dip, pineapple + honeydew + blackberry finger salad, strawberries and pomegranate seeds and raisins in the Planetbox Bento.
8. Leftover tomato + corn + walnut couscous salad, watermelon, avocado chunks, baby carrots and dark chocolate chips in the Planetbox Bento.
9. Lemon hummus with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and crackers, strawberry applesauce, grain-free raspberry + chocolate muffin and dried fruit (Bento is no longer available, but the Yumbox is even better).
10. Rainbow fruit (strawberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, avocado and blackberries), homemade granola, Greek yogurt with honey and chia seeds and some snapeas in the Ecolunchbox Bento.
11. Turkey + pesto + yellow pepper wrap, trail mix, grapes, snap peas with dip and a dried apricot in the Planetbox Bento.
12. Greek yogurt with strawberry jam stir-in, peach + blackberry finger salad, homemade quinoa + almond granola, grapes and almond butter + dates with cinnamon roll-ups in the Planetbox Bento.
13. Boring cheese quesadillas, easy-peasy guac (recipe in book), pepper sticks, peaches, nut-free trail mix and a sweet potato, mango & black current pouch in the Planetbox Bento.
14. Curry egg salad sandwich (recipe in book), watermelon, mandarin oranges + blueberries, celery + peanut butter and dark chocolate in the Planetbox Bento.
15. Pulled pork sandwich with slaw, cut melon and strawberries, mixed dried fruit, Smarties and carrot sticks in the Steeltainer Bento.
16. Dinosaur almond butter + jelly sandwich, carrot sticks with ranch dip, peaches + grapes and pressed green juice (apples + celery + spinach + lemon) in BeatrixNY Bento and Cup.
Perfect Preschool Lunch Ideas
Preschool is the very first step to formal education. And we, as parents, must do our part to aid their growing bodies and minds.
Preparing the perfect preschool lunch is super easy and worth the while. Want to send your children off to school with a smile on their face and good food in their lunch box? Take a look at our list of the most perfect preschool lunch ideas! You’ll free up sometime in the morning by knowing what to pack for lunch, and you’ll be happy knowing they’re more likely going to eat these preschooler-approved options.
From Minion-shaped sandwiches and healthy homemade spaghetti-os to cheesy tuna bites and more! Your preschooler will bring home an empty lunchbox and a full belly every time!
Try These Other Great Recipes:
- 30 Healthy and Delicious After-School Snacks
- Top Picks: School Lunch Supplies
- Back-to-School Special Breakfast Ideas
Sandwich Kabobs
Banana Dog Bites
Oven Baked Egg Bites
Ham And Cheese Apple Wraps
Simple Macaroni Salad
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Healthy Homemade Spaghetti Os
Shaped Croutons
Sandwich Kabobs
Chicken Avocado Burritos
Rainbow Fruit Skewers
Ham And Cheese Lunch Bites
Lunch Box Smoothies
Despicable Me Minion Kids School Lunch
A Sweet And Healthy Veggie Rainbow
Checkers
Our Favorite Back to School Lunch Ideas for Preschoolers
Fixing a healthy snack or lunch for your preschoolers can be challenging and requires patience. As a preschooler parent, you might be struggling with back-to-school lunch ideas. Healthy meals help in boosting their immunity as the body gets the necessary nutrients. That’s why we are sharing some helpful recipes that your little one will enjoy!
Here are healthy and colorful lunch ideas for preschoolers which make meals enjoyable.
Rainbow Fruit kabobs
Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Mango
- Melon balls
- Grapes
- Banana
TIPS: Slice the fruits into small cubes (easy for the kid to chew) and mix them.
Avocado Sandwich
Ingredients:
- Whole grain bread (if possible unsliced)
- Eggs
- Avocado
- Sesame seeds and salt
- A drink
Preparation:
- Peel eggs and mash them together with avocado
- Sprinkle salt and add sesame seeds
- Spread thinly sliced bread and layer the mixture
- Place atop thin bread.
TIPS: Serve the kid with a healthy drink like milk.
Cheese Sticks (14 Sticks)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Whole wheat flour
- 2 Pinches of Salt
- 4 tbsp grated cheese
- 1tbsp Water
- 5 tbsp butter
Preparation:
- Mix the dry ingredients and sieve.
- Add in butter, kneed into a bread crumb look, and add cheese.
- Add water to make a dough.
- Roll the dough using a little flour.
- Cut into 50 mm strips (sticks).
- Arrange the sticks in a non-greased tray.
- Preheat the oven and bake at 200° for 10 minutes.
- Serve with tomato soup.
Pizza Pasta Salad
It’s pretty simple to prepare and nutritious.
Ingredients
- Pre-cooked pasta- 2 cups, Salt & black pepper
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes, three tablespoons plain olive oil (Italian dressing)
- 2-ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced and ½ cup broccoli florets, chopped
- pepperoni slices, quartered and sliced black olives
Preparation:
- Combine cheese, pasta, broccoli, pepperoni, black olives, tomatoes, dressing, Salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and toss.
- Refrigerate. It’s well-served chilled.
Pizza Mini Quiches
- A great lunch for picky eaters.
- Add your pre-cooked pasta into a bowl
- Use your favorite pizza toppings
- Add a little marinara sauce.
- Toss the ingredients to have a tasty combination.
Avocado Mini Muffins
- Add dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix avocado, add syrup, oil, egg, and milk.
- Mix dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold together, then bake.
Harvest Chicken Salad
- Combine cubed chicken, pecans, dried cranberries, and apples.
- Toss with yogurt and mustard dressing.
Yogurt and Granola
- In a pack of yogurt, add grapes and top with granola.
- Box this snack with veggies and simple fruit.
Carrot Fries
Baked carrot French fries are ideal for your kids and are a super easy dish to make. You can serve this snack with chicken or a burger.
Cinnamon Chickpeas
- Prepare chickpeas in advance and set them aside.
- Add cinnamon, salt, canola oil, and bake.
- In a lunch box, pack fruit, cheese, fruits, and veggies.
We hope your little one will enjoy these quick and easy-to-make back-to-school lunch ideas!