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School Lunch Ideas for Kids (Hot and Cold!)

By: Author Jessica Ashcroft

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Check out this ultimate list of quick and easy school lunch ideas for kids. Find kid-friendly lunch recipes that are perfect for lunch boxes!

Pinterest graphic with text that reads "School Lunch Ideas for Kids" and a collage of kid-friendly school lunches.

Make back-to-school a breeze with these quick and easy school lunch ideas for kids!

We’re sharing healthy, fun, cheap, and kid-friendly lunch ideas for preschool and kindergarten kids, teens, and everything in between.

Find hot and cold recipes for pasta salads, sandwiches, soups, nuggets, and beyond!

Table Of Contents
  1. The Best School Lunch Recipes
  2. How to Keep Hot Lunches Hot
  3. More Like This

The Best School Lunch Recipes

Meat, Nuggets and Meatballs

Sweet and sour meatballs in white bowl with pineapple chunks and chopped green onion garnish.
Ground chicken and spinach meatballs on a white plate with green garnish.
Cheetos-crusted chicken nuggets on a plate with a bowl of dipping sauce.
Homemade fish sticks piled high on a white plate with a lemon wedge.
Tuna nuggets in a red and white striped cardboard pouch.
Hawaiian chicken salad with pineapple and ham lifted from a bowl on a cracker.
Toddler hands pick up a cracker with tuna salad on it.
A person dunks a sweet potato chicken nugget into a bowl of ketchup.

Pasta Dishes

Two salad spoons in bowl of pizza pasta salad with pepperoni, tomatoes, and olives.
Tuna pasta salad with peas and corn in a large white serving bowl.
Pasta salad with bowtie pasta, broccoli, olives, and bell pepper.
Macaroni noodles with stir-fried veggies and meat in a school lunch box container.
Homemade Spaghettios with meatballs in a wooden bowl.
high-protein pasta salad on two plates next to the pasta box.
Broccoli ranch pasta salad with bell peppers in a white bowl.

Savory Muffins and Pastries

Several English muffin mini pizzas on parchment paper lined baking sheet next to kitchen towel.
Three pepperoni pizza muffins on a kitchen towel.
Corndog muffins in a muffin tin on a wood table.
Pizza pocket in a lunch box with fruit and tomatoes.
Onion and tomato muffins in green silicone cupcake liners.
Phyllo dough quiches on a white plate over a gray and white striped kitchen towel.
Taco crescent rolls on a plate with tortilla chips and a fork.
Air fryer pizza rolls with green garnish on a pink plate.
A stack of crescent roll pockets with ham, egg, and cheese.

Sandwiches, Roll-Ups and Wraps

Sandwich lollipops on a bed of lettuce in a lunchbox.
Star-shaped mini ham and cheese sandwiches in a lunchbox with fruit.
Pressed sub sandwiches with meat and cheese indifr.
Turkey bacon sandwich wraps in parchment paper on a wooden platter.
Peanut butter grilled cheese sandwiches with strawberries and bananas.
Turkey pinwheels with lettuce and veggies on a large white serving platter.
Creamy ranch rollups with red peppers and green garnish on a wooden cutting board.
A pile of pizza sliders on a stack of white plates with green garnish.
Two vegan Uncrustables stacked on a white plate.
A woman dips a grilled cheese stick in a bowl of tomato soup.
Mexican burrito roll-ups on a serving platter with salsa dip.
A large white platter filled with Italian tortilla pinwheels.
Two chopped grinder sandwiches on a bed of potato chips.
Veggie pinwheels with carrots and cucumbers on a table and wooden cutting board.
Ground beef taco tortilla pinwheels in a plastic container with compartments.
Two Monte Cristo sliders on white plate with fresh raspberries and raspberry jam.
Two turkey sandwiches with avocado stacked on each other sitting on wood cutting board.
Two cheeseburger wrap halves on parchment paper with french fries; all surrounded by striped towel and utensils.
Three sandwiches full of grape and apple chicken salad in parchment paper lined pan with bunch of grapes nearby.

Quesadilla Recipes

Pepperoni pizza quesadillas in a lunch box with dipping sauce and fruit.
A stack of broccoli and cheese quesadillas on a plate with salsa.
A woman holds up a chicken quesadilla from a plate with pico de gallo on it.

Soup Recipes

White bowl with noodle soup and three meatballs on gray table top.
Bowl of creamy taco soup with spoon and cilantro, avocado, and lime garnish.
Two bowls of creamy chicken noodle soup on green plates with crackers and spoon nearby.
cropped-white-chicken-chili-with-cream-cheese-1.jpg
Bread bowl full of cheesy vegetable chowder on white plate with gray towel nearby.
cropped-hamburger-stew.jpg

Side Dishes and Snacks

Air fryer carrot fries in a parchment paper-lined basket next to a bowl of dip.
A woman holds a partially eaten mashed potato nugget in front of a box of nuggets.
Cauliflower nuggets on a round white tray surrounding a bowl of dipping sauce.
Watermelon fries on a wooden cutting board with strawberry dipping sauce.
Yellow squash tots on a round plate surrounding a bowl of dipping sauce.

Other

Cucumber sushi rolls on a stack of black trays.
Watermelon skewers in a lunch container with fruit salad, and watermelon sticks.
A gluten-free and vegan homemade pizza lunchable on a white plate.
A protein snack pack filled with boil eggs, deli meat, cheese, and veggies.

How to Keep Hot Lunches Hot

It’s pretty simple to keep a cold lunch cold, but you might not know the best ways to keep a school lunch hot.

Here are some smart methods and tips to try. See what works best for your child’s lunchbox:

  1. Use an Insulated Lunch Box: An insulated lunch box or bag can help maintain the temperature of the food. Look for ones with a good thermal lining.
  2. Preheat the Container: Before placing the food in a thermos or insulated container, fill it with boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes. This will preheat the container, helping it to retain the heat of the food longer. After a few minutes, pour out the water and quickly add the hot food.
  3. Thermos Containers: Invest in a good quality thermos that can keep food hot for several hours. There are thermos containers specifically designed for soups, stews, and other hot foods.
  4. Wrap with Aluminum Foil: Wrap the hot food in aluminum foil before placing it in the container. This can help to retain heat better.
  5. Use Hot Packs: Place hot packs in the lunch box alongside the food. These can be microwaved or heated up to maintain a warm environment inside the lunch box.
  6. Hot Water Bottle: A small hot water bottle can be used inside the lunch bag to keep the food warm.
  7. Prepare the Food Right Before Leaving: Cook or heat the food just before leaving for school to ensure it’s as hot as possible when placed in the container.
  8. Layering: If the lunch includes multiple items, place the hot item at the bottom and layer other items on top. The insulation provided by the other food can help retain heat.
  9. Tightly Seal Containers: Make sure the lids of the containers are tightly sealed to prevent heat from escaping.

More Like This

If you liked these school lunch ideas for kids, be sure to check out these other kid-friendly recipes:

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Pinterest graphic with text and collage of different Valentine's Day party foods for kids.