Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas For Kids

Let us help you come up with healthy packed lunch ideas for your kids!

Last week, I wrote about tips to pack nutritious and delicious school lunches. Below are some ideas for a healthy packed lunch for kids!

Vary up the sandwiches:

Start by having your kids come up with healthy packed lunch ideas!

Get your children involved in making sandwiches and see what they can come up with for some added fun. Maybe try some bento box lunches designed to help you pack nutritious lunches. Typically a bento box lunch, has a main meal and 2-3 sides. Don’t forget your fun food.

Remember nutrition is as much art as science. See how you can make lunches artistic. Take a look at this blog for artistic inspiration!

Have you included these healthy packed lunch items lately?

• Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread with carrot sticks on the side
• Turkey sandwich with avocado or hummus and fruit on the side
• Whole wheat pasta salad with veggies and beans mixed in
• Fruit and yogurt parfait with granola and a hard-boiled egg on the side
• Dips like peanut butter, hummus, or light dressing with assorted whole grain crackers, vegetables, and fruit
• Hardboiled eggs, whole wheat deli thin sandwich, peanut butter, and a string cheese
• Greek yogurt, blueberries, almonds, granola
• Black beans and rice or quinoa, sliced fruit, brownie
• Leftover steamed shrimp, corn, salad, dressing, piece dark chocolate
• Homemade black bean veggie burger on bun or bean chili, fresh fruit
• Grilled chicken, brown rice medley, snap beans, pineapple
• Put your favorite sandwich in a pita or brand new kind of bread
• Chicken, baked sweet potato, green beans, chocolate chip cookie
• Make your own burrito (using leftover chicken, beef, or beans)
• Use leftover meatloaf for a meatloaf sandwich
• Use leftover rotisserie chicken for chicken salad or a chicken roll-up
• Leftover Moroccan Tagine (Root Vegetable Stew) for when the weather starts to get cold

Most importantly, “eat close to the earth”, paying attention and buying foods that are in season, they will be the most economical and they will taste the best! Apples are best in fall and maybe a trip to an orchard might make choosing your own apples even more fun. These tips also work for the working adult

Best of all, packing lunches for work is much more affordable for your health and wallet.

Routines can help.

Maybe this school year, you can practice some strong, valuable routines to help you and your family. There is something to be said for having set times for meals and snacks to help you stay on top of fueling throughout the day. This can be a challenge as schedules become full it is easy to lose focus on nutrition and having meals at home. It is easy to just stop off somewhere when you are starving or tired if there is no plan in place. Try to work together as a family to help each other and motivate one another to practice self care, healthy eating and have fun. Pack your own healthy lunch with your kids to make it a family bonding time while creating new habits!

Need more healthy packed lunch ideas for kids?

• Avocado Tuna Sandwich
• Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites

If you need help getting organized and keeping your nutrition a priority, we can help you get into a healthy routine with face-to-face appointments and if you live far away (or cannot easily make it to one of our offices), we can also provide Skype appointments, contact us, we are here to help. Please call at 301-474-2499 or email us at [email protected].