Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas

Are you ready for the Olympic sport of lunch packing? It’s coming; school is about to start, and all of us parents and grandparents are about to start packing lunches 5 days a week! Plus, it’s even crazier when they come home untouched, but let’s not go there. Instead, let’s talk about some must-have school lunch ideas that will be a hit! There are even some great ideas here for those who hate sandwiches. (Gasp!)

I am finally starting to get into the stage of life where my kids can take charge of their lunches; however, I have done my time packing lunches over the years, and these are some of my favorite ideas that made lunchtime a little less boring and sometimes more balanced for my kids. This list of Easy Back to School Lunch Ideas will help you get set up for a delicious, nutritious lunch that isn’t boring!

Table of contents

• What are Easy Back to School Lunches?
• Why You’ll Love Packing Bento-Style Lunches
• How to Build a Bento Box
• Back-to-School Lunchbox Ideas – Salami Lunchbox Idea
• Step-by-Step Instructions for the Salami Lunchbox
• Back to School Lunchbox Ideas – Classic Sandwich with a Twist
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Classic Sandwich with a Twist
• Back to School Lunchbox Ideas – A Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Storage Prep Tips
• More Back to School Recipes

What are Easy Back to School Lunches?

When making an easy back-to-school lunch, think portable meal that can be prepped in 10 minutes or less and stored safely in a backpack until lunchtime. These recipes focus on simple, pantry-stable ingredients or ingredients that would utilize a small ice pack; then they are packed into kid-friendly bento boxes or insulated containers to keep foods fresh, colorful, and fun to eat.

Why You’ll Love Packing Bento-Style Lunches

Not only will you love packing these Bento-style lunches, but your kids are going to LOVE eating them and showing them off to friends.

• Built-in portion control, keeping the components separate so nothing gets soggy before the bell rings, plus the lunchbox ends up being full of variety.
• Visually appealing to kids, these bright colors and bite-sized foods get kids excited to eat those fruits and veggies, keeping them powered up throughout the day.
• Perfect for meal prep, you can easily prep 3 to 4 containers on Sunday night to grab and go throughout the week.
• Dish-free prep, no frying pans or heavy cleanup, simple, nutritious meals that are fun to serve and eat!
• Customizable for diets; use gluten-free or dairy-free items if needed, even sub out the peanut butter for Sunbutter with a nut allergy!

How to Build a Bento Box

Use a simple formula to build the perfect healthy, balanced lunchbox without overthinking it. Think of building a bento box with 4 simple steps.

• Main Component or Protein – Turkey and Cheese Rollups, Hummus and Crackers, Ham and Cheese Skewer, Salami and Cheese, Peanut Butter and Jelly.
• Fruit and Veggies – Apple Slices, Fresh Berries, Grapes, Oranges, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Celery, or Mini Fruit Skewers.
• Crunchy Snack – Gluten-Free Pretzels, Tortilla Chips, Popcorn, Cheese Crackers.
• Sweet Treat – Gummy Worms, Yogurt Pretzels, Trail Mix, Fruit Leather, Mini Muffins.

Back-to-School Lunchbox Ideas – Salami Lunchbox Idea

• Salami
• Cheese
• Clementines
• Grapes
• Trail Mix
• Crackers

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Salami Lunchbox

1. Roll Salami.
2. Cut out cheese with a cookie cutter.
3. Slice Fruit.
4. Add Trail Mix.

Simply using a cookie cutter to cut the meat and bread is life-changing. The kids will absolutely love it, plus it doesn’t take much extra time or effort, and it’s a lot less than Uncrustables!

If you are looking for some high-protein lunch ideas, be sure to check these out!

Back to School Lunchbox Ideas – Classic Sandwich with a Twist

• Sandwich with Lunch Meat
• Strawberries
• Orange Slices
• Cucumbers
• Baby Carrots
• Cheese
• Gummy Worms

Step-by-Step Instructions for Classic Sandwich with a Twist

1. Cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.
2. Cut bread and lunch meat with the cookie cutters and assemble the sandwich.
3. Cut fruit and vegetables.
4. Add a few gummy worms for a sweet treat.
5. Place in a bento box.

Back to School Lunchbox Ideas – A Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly

• Sandwich with peanut butter and jelly or Sunbutter and jelly
• Pretzels
• Apple Slices
• Dried Apricots
• Yogurt Pretzels

Step-by-Step Instructions for Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly

1. Cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.
2. Cut bread for sandwiches with cookie cutters.
3. Roll salami.
4. Thread fruit and cheese on straws for kabobs.
5. Cut fruit and vegetables.

Each of these lunch ideas can be mixed and matched to fit dietary needs or likes of the child, for instance, use Sunbutter instead of Peanut Butter if needed or use gluten-free options too!

Frequently Asked Questions

We almost always use these Easy Lunchboxes, which are Bento Boxes for the lunches, and then we use our favorite lunchboxes.

I have been using the same lunchboxes since my kids started school YEARS ago, really even when they were in preschool. We use PackIt Freezable Lunch Bags. These keep foods cold all day long!

Excellent sandwich-free options include cold pasta salads, cheese and meat skewers, turkey rollups, hummus dip with veggies, or warm leftovers in a food thermos.

Use a food thermos to keep foods warm all throughout the day, these are great for packing soup and macaroni and cheese.

These bento boxes can easily be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge, just grab and go in the morning.

Toss the apple slices in a little bit of apple juice, pineapple juice, or honey water before packing. The mild acidity and sugars prevent oxidation and keep the apples look fresh and white.

Storage Prep Tips

• Store the prepared bento boxes with an airtight lid in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
• On Sundays, wash all the fruits, portion out the crackers into small bags, and slice the vegetables to cut your lunchbox prep time in half throughout the week.
• Get the kids involved, the more they help with the lunch, the more excited they are to eat it!
• Check out this great list of Back to School Breakfast Ideas!

Packing a school lunch can be easy and fun, but keep it simple, use what you have on hand, and add a few extras like a sweet treat or maybe even a note to brighten their day. The kids love it, even some of the older kids do too!

More Back to School Recipes

• 

  Easy Back to School Breakfast Ideas

• 50 Make Ahead Freezer Meals with Budget-Friendly Options

• 

  Easy Smoothie Recipes for Busy Mornings and Printable!

• Ninja Creami Strawberry Smoothie Bowl