Tasty & Exciting Back-to-School Lunch Ideas for Kids

Tasty & Exciting

Key takeaways

  • How to prepare a back-to-school lunch box that is well-balanced, tasty, and exciting for kids. 
  • Understand the importance of fun and easy school lunch ideas for kids at home that they will relish.
  • Take a look at 5 healthy back-to-school lunch ideas for kids, along with some interesting recipes.

In this article

Key takeaways

Why do exciting school lunches matter for kids?

5 Yummy & kid-approved bento box lunch ideas for school

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

School break is coming to an end, and so is your peaceful sleep schedule. It’s time to get your armour ready and stock up your house with ingredients to serve tasty meals in your little food critics’ lunch boxes. Coming up with school lunch ideas that are simple to make, tasty, nutritious, and within budgetary concerns can be challenging for any parent. 

Packing healthy food for kids’ school lunches, which combines appeal and excitement, can be difficult to achieve. But with a little planning and effort, you would be rewarded with finished lunches and empty steel lunch boxes. Continue to read, as this blog offers healthy school lunch ideas that you can begin making right away.

Why do exciting school lunches matter for kids?

Our kids are driven by their taste buds and are naturally drawn to eat meals that are high in sugar, fats, and preservatives. If we do not pack meals in leakproof bento lunch boxes that are healthy, fun, and exciting, they may look for unhealthy bites at school, or the food will come home untouched. 

As parents, we know that what our children eat directly contributes to their overall growth. Thus, we need to come up with creative lunch ideas that are healthy, nutrient-rich portions of protein, whole grains, fruit, and veggies. 

With a little effort and planning, we can come up with colourful lunch ideas for school kids. These tempting foods for kids’ school lunches will be difficult for children to resist, and we will be able to build a positive and healthy eating ritual.

Using Basil’s Japanese bento box with different compartments will help execute easy lunch ideas for kids that are heavenly bites of nutrition and yummy goodness. 

5 Yummy & kid-approved bento box lunch ideas for school

A good place to start kid-friendly lunch ideas for school days is to look for interesting ingredient alternatives that fit into the same sensory category that satisfy kids’ taste buds and reduce their unhealthy meal cravings.

Now, let’s take a look at some exciting homemade school lunch ideas with recipes for kids you can pack in bento lunch boxes for kids. 

1. Vegetable pasta in red sauce

Vegetable pasta
  • In a pan, add olive oil and onions. Sauté the onions till translucent.
  • Add vegetables - carrots, capsicum, bell pepper, broccoli florets, corn cornets, and cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Add tomato puree, seasoning to taste, and other herbs that your child approves of.
  • After 2 minutes, add cooked pasta (penne, fusilli, macaroni) and toss until completely coated.
  • Sprinkle the grated cheese, and it is ready to be packed.

2. Avocado toast

Avocado toast
  • Mash ripe avocado. 
  • Add any vegetables - grated carrot + cheese/grated cottage cheese + cucumber/ finely chopped onions + tomatoes.
  • Spread this mixture on toasted multigrain bread slices or a whole-wheat tortilla wrap.

3. Veggie or chicken bread roll

Veggie or chicken bread roll
  • Select any nutritious cooked vegetables or high-protein meat, mix them with mashed potatoes and cheese.
  • Roll it tightly in a flattened bread and slice. 
  • Slice them in half and pack them in a compartment lunch box with some veggie sticks.
  • For a soft texture, do not cook it.
  • And for a crispy texture, stir fry /deep fry or air fry as per your convenience.

4. Veggie or chicken rice balls

Veggie or chicken rice balls
  • Take leftover rice/ vegetables /chicken.
  • Sprinkle water and heat in a microwave a small bowl of some rice for a minute or two.
  • Add furikake or sesame seeds and salt/pepper if required.
  • Add the leftover vegetables or chicken to the bowl along with feta cheese.
  • Mash all the ingredients together.
  • Give shape to the rice - make mini balls or triangles.
  • You can send them as is or stir fry, air fry these balls. 
  • This is one of the quick lunch ideas for kids to be packed in with some cucumber sticks.

5. Delectable pancake treat

Delectable pancake treat
  • Make plain or banana-flavoured pancakes. 
  • You can make it with ready-to-mix packs or make the batter at home.
  • In a bowl, mix wholewheat flour (1 cup), sugar (1 tablespoon), baking powder (1 teaspoon), and a pinch of salt.
  • Add milk (¾ cup) and melted butter (1 tablespoon). Whisk properly to make a smooth batter with no lumps.
  • Add some choco chips if you wish to make it extra special.
  • Pair it with pineapple and cheese skewers and some roasted fox nuts or popcorn.
  • In a sauce container, add some maple syrup/honey/Nutella spread for a wonderful sweet surprise. 

Conclusion

Back-to-school season is upon us. By working together as a family, offering options of nutritious bento box school lunch to your kids, and making gradual changes as a family can be the keys to success in working out lunch ideas for school. Use this blog’s strategies to make a healthy transition to kid-approved school lunch ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can parents make school lunches more interesting for kids?

Answer: There are many good lunch ideas for kids that they will enjoy. The trick is to use ingredients and flavours that they are familiar with and add a healthy twist to balance the nutritional value and their taste senses.

2. What should a balanced school lunch for kids include?

Answer: A back-to-school lunch box can be well-balanced when it includes a blend of protein, veggies, fruits, and whole grains with plenty of hydration.

3. How do I plan school lunches for the entire week?

Answer: To plan bento box lunch ideas for kids for the entire week, it is best to involve your child and give meal options rotating proteins and vegetables, ensuring each meal has well-balanced portions of grains, protein, fruits and veggies.

4. How do I reduce junk food in school lunches?

Answer: One can reduce the consumption of junk food by coming up with healthy back-to-school lunch ideas for kids. These meals should be a balance of protein-rich foods, a mix of veggies, and fruits. You can use their favourite ingredients and mix these nutritious elements to prepare interesting meals.

5. What foods do kids enjoy eating at school?

Answer: Generally, kids enjoy familiar ingredients that are tasty and easy-to-eat foods. They would eat sandwiches, pastas, wraps, and finger foods without any fuss at school.

6. How can compartments help with school lunch packing?

Answer: We can come up with some of the best kids’ lunch ideas for school with the help of compartmentalised lunch boxes. We can pack food separately, make it appealing, and make it easy for children to eat.

7. Can school lunches be prepared the night before?

Answer: Preparing a night in advance and storing the main ingredients properly in airtight containers will save crucial time on busy mornings.

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