Easy Healthy Lunchbox Ideas for Kids and Teens

You wouldn’t intentionally send your kids to school with a bag of sugar in their lunch box, but many of the pre-made, ready-to-eat lunch box foods are just that—mostly sugar. In the morning rush of getting littles ready and out the door, coming up with new and healthy lunch box ideas for teens and kids is can easily fall to the bottom of the priority list. The way we see it, the perfect school lunch has to meet three basic criteria: healthy, easy, and something kids will actually eat. We know that’s a tall order, so we’re offering you some of our favorite healthy lunchbox ideas.

Your kids will love these lunchbox ideas for school. They will fill them up, keep them focused and healthy, and don’t involve you cutting sandwiches and fruit with tiny cookie cutters. Unless, of course, that’s your thing. In which case, we say, carry on. But if you want healthy, simple, and easy lunchbox ideas, we’ve got you covered.

Quick And Easy Lunchbox Ideas For School

The morning madness is real. Whether you have one kid, or six, it always feels like chaos. Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and do hair. Did you pack your homework? What do you mean you need to bring a dozen muffins today? Why are you only wearing one shoe? Didn’t I already do your hair? And now we’re late.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Trying to alleviate some of the madness by opting for easy lunchbox ideas often means opting for less healthy alternatives. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite simple lunchbox ideas for kids that are easy on you and tasty and healthy for them. Put these in rotation at your house; it will be one less thing to think about in the morning.

• Leftovers: This is the ninja of quick lunchbox ideas. Why reinvent the wheel for lunch? Grab some leftovers from last night or the night before, and repurpose them for lunch. (We’ll talk more later about how to pack them.)


• Homemade Lunchable: Kids love assembling things. Crackers, cheese slices, and some lunch meat are all it takes for this winner of a healthy lunchbox idea.


• Hummus, Veggies, and Pita Chips: Want to get your kids to eat their veggies? Give them something to dip them in and they will gobble them up. Hummus is a healthy dipping option with veggies and pita chips. You can even throw in some rotisserie chicken pieces to add some protein to the mix.


• Pasta: It’s no secret that kids love pasta. Tortellini, pesto pasta, and spaghetti with meat sauce (with some veggies hidden) are all fairly healthy ways to enjoy pasta for lunch. The best part is you can make it ahead of time and throw it in for a few days for quick lunchbox ideas.


• DIY Nachos: Remember how we said kids love assembling things? That rule applies here too. Add some whole grain tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cooked and seasoned ground turkey, Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), and some guacamole, and you’ve got a build-your-own nacho lunchbox.


• DIY Tacos: Again, with the building things. This is the same as the DIY nachos, except with tortillas or taco shells. You can add some shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, too, if your kids will go for those, and you’ve got one more healthy lunchbox idea.


• Chicken Salad and Crackers: Chicken salad isn’t always healthy, but if you make this chicken salad ahead of time, you can put together a healthy version that goes well on crackers and will be gobbled up in no time.


• Peanut Butter and Banana Roll-Ups: These are always a real crowd-pleaser. Spread peanut butter on the inside of a whole wheat tortilla. Drop a banana in the middle, roll it up, slice it, and enjoy. If you’re worried about the banana turning brown, hold off on slicing it, or add a little lemon juice.

Creative And Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Ideas

If your child or someone in their class or school has dietary restrictions or allergies, you may need to get creative with your kids' lunch ideas for school. If your child has restrictions, you know the importance of keeping them safe. It’s equally important to follow any snack and lunchbox ideas the school provides to help keep other children safe. But even though you’re limited in your choices, your lunchbox ideas for kids still need to be exciting. Here are a few healthy lunchbox ideas for school that are also allergy-friendly lunchbox ideas:

Tips For Packing And Maintaining Fresh Lunch Boxes

Healthy lunchbox ideas include more fresh foods, which can pose a packing challenge. Foods must be kept in the proper containers and stored at the right temperatures to keep them fresh and maintain food safety. Then there is the task of keeping the actual lunchbox clean and sanitized. That’s a whole other issue. Here are some of our favorite tips for packing, storing, and cleaning lunch boxes and storage containers.

• Empty Backpacks Right Away: After-school chaos can be as real as before-school chaos. The kids come bursting through the door and leave a trail of papers, shoes, and bags behind them. Get into the habit of having them clean their backpacks out right away. This will save you from discovering a gross situation that will inevitably add to the morning scramble and thwart any lunchbox ideas for school you had in mind.


• Don’t Heat Food Up: Don’t bother heating food up. If you’re sending leftovers, leave it in the fridge until the last minute, and then pack them as is. It will come to room temperature by lunchtime, which is usually perfect.


• Freeze Foods: Freeze the foods you can to help keep other food cold. Foods like sandwiches, muffins, yogurts, and apple sauce are healthy lunchbox ideas and freeze nicely. Throw them in the lunchbox, and they will be thawed by lunchtime but will have helped keep other food cold in the meantime.


• Use Ice Packs: If you’re sending fruit or make-ahead lunch box ideas that need to be kept cold, placing one ice pack on the bottom of the food and one on the top will help keep the whole lunch cool. Just make sure the ice packs get returned to the freezer after school each day.


• Freeze Water Bottles: You can also use a water bottle as an ice pack. Fill it halfway and freeze it, then fill it the rest of the way with water in the morning. It will act as an ice pack and offer refreshing cold water.

Healthy Lunchbox Ideas Lead To Healthy Habits

As it turns out, healthy lunchbox ideas can be easy too. Keep some of these ideas handy to make your morning routine easy. Test them out on your kids and find their favorites. Not only will you be keeping them healthy, but you’ll be teaching them a valuable lesson about prioritizing their health. And when you can, work doTERRA’s oils and other products into their diet to give them an extra health boost. We are committed to providing high-quality, pure essential oils to your family to truly enrich their lives.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.