Packing a nutritious lunch every day for school that your kid will actually eat is no easy task. But using our balanced plate method with foods you’re confident your child will dig into can make meal planning a little bit easier and give you peace of mind.
If you’re not familiar with the balanced plate, here’s a quick rundown of how to use it for kids: half the meal is packed with fruits and veggies, a quarter is protein, and a quarter is starch. This ensures an array of nutrients to keep your kid full and focused all day. But if you’re unsure how your child will be excited about a half plate of veggies, give these easy lunch ideas for kids a try the next time you’re staring at an empty lunchbox. As a bonus, each of these is oh-so good and don’t need to be warmed up at school.
Snack Box
Swap a boring sandwich for a colorful and fun snack box! Choose bright and bite-sized foods that fall into our three balanced plate categories to build a meal your child will love—made up of all their favorite snacks. Try ingredients like deli meat rollups, hummus, or cheese cubes for protein, crackers or pretzels for starch, sliced cucumbers and carrot sticks for veggies, and strawberries and apples for extra fruit. The mix-and-match combinations are endless, and you can tailor the ingredients to your kid’s tastes!
Mini Tacos Cups
Hit all the major categories for your kid’s lunch in one tasty bite with these mini taco cups. Wonton wrappers function as the starchy base, while ground beef, cheese, and beans provide protein. Then, pile all the veggie toppings like chopped lettuce or tomato. Depending on your child’s preferences, add some sauces or dips like guacamole, mild taco sauce, or salsa verde for extra flavor. Finally, round it out with a side of fruit for dessert.
Get the recipe: Mini Taco Cups
Ham and Corn Fritters
Corn muffin mix helps these fast fritters come together in less than 20 minutes. The muffin mix brings starch to the meal while canned corn adds veggies and eggs, cheese, and ham pack in protein. This balanced lunch is cheesy and crispy—your kids will request them in their lunchboxes time and time again. End with some fruit for extra nutrients and to round out the meal.
Get the recipe: Ham and Corn Fritters
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Tortilla Wraps
If your child loves breakfast but you can’t get them excited about lunch—we have a solution. These fun breakfast-for-lunch wraps only require five ingredients and less than 10 minutes. Flour tortillas provide starch, while eggs and bacon pump up protein, and the sneaky veggie cream cheese brings bonus protein and some veggies. Pack it with bite-sized fruits and veggies like blueberries and baby carrots or a side of guacamole and salsa for an extra veggie boost.
Get the recipe: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Tortilla Wrap
Chicken Meatballs with Rice and Peas
Keep frozen store-bought meatballs on hand that you can bake, air fry, or microwave for a quick protein to add to kids’ lunchboxes. Pair them with a simple side of rice for starch, peas for some veggies, and sliced oranges or easy-to-peel clementine for a simple kid-friendly lunch.
Get the recipe: Chicken Meatballs with Rice and Peas
Turkey, Egg, and Cheese Waffle Sandwich
Sweet meets savory and breakfast meets lunch in this fun waffle sandwich creation. Frozen waffles replace bread as the starch in this sandwich, while deli turkey, cheese, and scrambled eggs add protein. Round out the meal with sauteed veggies in the eggs or a side of crunchy vegetables and a fruit cup.
Get the recipe: Turkey, Egg, and Cheese Waffle Sandwich
Pizza Sandwich
Two kid favorites come together in this pizza-grilled cheese hybrid. Five ingredients and eight minutes are all you need! Whole wheat bread provides starch, while pepperoni and cheese add protein. While pizza sauce brings produce, for a more veggie-heavy version of the recipe, try adding sliced bell peppers or your kid’s favorite veggies to the sandwich. Bonus: Try cooking some frozen veggies in the sauce and blending it. They’ll never know!
Get the recipe: Pizza Sandwich
Air-Fried Chicken Taquitos
These crispy, cheesy taquitos cook up quickly with the help of your air fryer. Mini tortillas provide starch while shredded rotisserie chicken and cheese add protein. Serve alongside veggies and fruit or add sliced bell peppers inside the taquitos with a side of salsa. Pro tip: make a large batch of taquitos and keep them in your freezer for up to two months for a pre-prepped option.
Get the recipe: Air Fried Chicken Taquitos
Sandwich Kabobs
These sandwich kabobs stacked on popsicle sticks give your kid’s lunch a fun twist and offer smaller bites for tiny fingers. The bread serves as this meal’s starch, ham and cheese add protein, and lettuce brings some veggies. Pack it with a container of your child’s favorite sliced fruit for an easy side.
Get the recipe: Sandwich Kabobs
Cheeseburger Pockets
This cheesy five-ingredient recipe is reminiscent of your favorite frozen delight. Crescent roll dough provides starch while ground beef and creamy cheese bring protein. While chopped onions and pickles act as the veg, balance this dish out with additional chopped veggies in the meat mixture or serve with veggie sticks to dip in ranch.
Get the recipe: Cheeseburger Pockets
Rainbow Roll-Ups
For a kid who eats with their eyes, these colorful roll-ups look as good as they taste. Tortillas provide starch, hummus adds protein, and the rainbow of veggies brings it all together. Finish it with a simple olive oil and apple cider vinegar that adds a touch of acidic tang.
Get the recipe: Rainbow Roll-Ups
