Our easy school lunch ideas are perfect for packing into lunchboxes for your picky eaters for back-to-school season!
Whether you have older kids who are returning to school or little kids about to start their first day at school, thoughts will be turning to packing school lunches.
If you’ve got picky eaters then making sure that they get a balanced meal to see them through the school day after a busy morning can be a challenge.
Some kids will happily try things from the school cafeteria or canteen, so a combination of packed lunches and school lunches can be a great way to encourage them to try different foods.
But some children will be much happier having something familiar brought from home each day so just do whatever works best for you and your little ones.
There really is no right or wrong here! Fed is best!
Whether your kids are going to have a combination of both or you are just going to be doing packed lunches, you are going to want some ideas of what you can pack in those lunch boxes to ensure that they will actually eat it!
So here are some of our favourite lunch box ideas.
Easy Lunchbox Ideas
Cheese & Tomato Pasta
Sending something into school for your child’s lunch that you know they already like and that is familiar to them is really important and will help them settle into the school routine in those first few weeks.
This simple cheese and tomato pasta is perfect for the winter months making sure they are having a nice warm and comforting meal at lunch time!
Chicken Nuggets
Got a fussy eater that loves chicken nuggets but never thought about sending them into school?
We’ll show you how to pack their favourite meal ready to take to school so that it’s still warm and not soggy at lunch time!
Serve with a healthy side of the fruits and veg you know they’ll eat and you’ve got a balanced but simple lunch idea that even the fussiest of easters will enjoy.
Mini Cheese & Pea Lunchbox Muffins
What is it about anything in miniature form that the kids just seem to love?
Maybe its because small bite sized pieces of food are a bit less overwhelming. But whatever the reason, we love them!
If your kids are not fans of peas you can leave them out or substitute them for another veg like sweetcorn.
Puff Pastry Cheese Twists
These delicious puff pastry cheese twists made with just four simple ingredients. A brilliant alternative to sandwiches.
I kept this recipe simple with just cheese but you could also add some nut free pesto or chopped salami to change the flavours up a bit.
Creamy Chicken Noodles
This simple but delicious creamy noodle dish with chicken and vegetables is perfect for kids who enjoy curry flavours but still mild enough for little taste buds.
Perfect to send in for a hot lunch on a cold winter’s day.
Pizza Lunchbox Savoury Muffins
If you’ve got a fussy eater that loves pizza, then you need to try these lunchbox muffins.
All their favourite flavours, cooked up in an easy to make muffin ready to take to school.
Chicken Sausage Rolls
Finding school lunch ideas that they will actually eat can be exhausting, but these chicken sausage rolls are great for popping into kids’ lunchboxes.
Unfortunately sausage rolls don’t have the healthiest of reputations but by making them at home you can control, at least to some extent, what goes into them.
You can make them ahead of time and have them ready to pop into a bento style lunchbox with fresh fruit or veggies cut into fun shapes using a bento accessory kit!
Ham & Cheese Roll Ups
These ham and cheese pastry roll ups are a great alternative to a ham and cheese sandwich.
Kids love finger food and these roll ups are super easy for little hands to get hold of.
These are so easy to make so you can even get the kids involved in helping you make them ready for their lunch the next day.
Crustless Sandwiches
If nothing else but a sandwich will do for your picky eater, then why not try these crustless sandwiches?
Double points for these if your fussy eater also hates crusts! Super easy to make and totally customisable with regards to fillings.
Airfryer Chicken & Cheese Pinwheels
Pinwheels are great options for lunch boxes as you can really play around with different combinations of filling to suit your child’s individual tastes.
But these delicious cheesy chicken bites have proved really popular for kids to take to school.
And don’t worry, if you haven’t jumped on the air fryer band wagon, I have also provided instructions on how to cook these in the oven.
Spaghetti Bolognese
The key to getting my kids to eat their packed lunches is by consistently serving all the different foods that I know they enjoy at home.
Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the kids favourites so I know that they will happily tuck into it at school.
Let me show you how easy it is to send this home cooked favourite into school for a really filling and comforting lunch time meal.
Lunchables
This lunch is super simple but it’s bright and colourful and really fun for kids.
Especially if they don’t like sandwiches or are just bored of the same foods every day.
Team them with small granola bars, apple slices, carrot sticks or their favourite fruit.
If you liked any of these fun lunch ideas, then please do leave me a comment! You can also share your pictures with me on our socials.
I always love to see your creations!
If you enjoyed this collection of recipes and have a new school starter this year, then you might also like to read:
Tips For Feeding Kids Who Are Just About To Start School
