20 Creative Ideas for Healthy School Lunches

HybridHer

Already wondering what to pack in the lunch box? Try some of our favorite healthy homemade school lunch ideas.

1. Turkey, ham or salami, Swiss cheese and lettuce on whole wheat bread
2. Turkey or ham, red bell pepper strips, and Cheddar cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, with mayonnaise, spicy mustard or salsa
3. Tuna, chicken or egg salad with whole grain crackers or on a bagel with cucumbers or lettuce
4. Cheddar or Muenster cheese and sliced tomato sandwich (put the tomato between the slices of cheese so the bread doesn't get soggy) with a little mayonnaise or mustard
5. Peanut or other nut butter with jelly, sliced bananas, honey, raisins or apples

READ: Tips for Getting Your Kids Out of Bed and Back in the Early Morning Routine

6. Leftovers like pasta, tortellini with tomato sauce, pizza, chicken, turkey sausage or steak (kids don't seem to mind eating them cold). Save little condiment packages from takeout food to use as dips
7. Black beans and rice or other rice salad (try searching for one of the rice or orzo salads on The Scramble website)
8. Healthy soup or chili in a thermos (try The Scramble's Tomato and Wild Rice Soup, Simple Chicken Noodle Soup, or Black Bean and Tomato Soup)
9. Whole grain bagel or rice cakes with natural peanut butter or cream cheese
10. Trail mix made with raisins, peanuts, and chocolate chips (or your kids' favorite items)
11. Healthy dried cereals (milk is optional)

READ: Why You Should Take Your Kids To the Farmer's Market With You


12. Baby carrots, celery, sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers and pita chips with hummus or other dip
13. All varieties of fresh fruit (cut apples, mango, oranges and other hard to eat fruit, if needed)
14. Popcorn (a kid-friendly whole grain), alone or mixed with raisins and nuts
15. Whole grain tortilla chips and salsa (look for a brand without added sugar) or black bean dip
16. Low fat yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit and granola or other cereal (keep them separate and let your child combine them at lunch)
17. Drinkable, spoon-able, or squeezable yogurt or kefir
18. Cheese and whole grain crackers

READ: Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting

19. Proteins like cheese sticks or cubes, hard-boiled eggs, nuts and chickpeas, edamame, or other legumes
20. Diced tofu drizzled with teriyaki sauce
P.S. In an effort to create less environmental waste, I'm packing everything I can in reusable containers, using cloth napkins, and washing all the used plastic utensils in the dishwasher.

Written by Aviva Goldfarb for Hybrid Mom.