Best Lunch Box Ideas For Kids

How To Get Kids To Eat Lunch

Start by having a discussion with them at home and shortlist the foods they would like in their lunch boxes. Shortlist meals that they can enjoy at room temperature as many schools do not have the facility to warm up lunches. For my kids, it was mostly foods that they can pick by hand and eat without much mess. So I often pack quesadillas, rolled-up parathas, and sandwiches. My kids also enjoyed a variety of pasta and fried rice that stays relatively warm in an insulated thermos. The biggest advice I would give is to NEVER punish them for not finishing the lunches. Simply keep encouraging them to eat their lunch using kind words. Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry ✔️ “easy to make and nutritious and easy to eat” ✔️ “made ahead of time” ✔️ “quick, easy, nutritious, and vegetarian that kids will love” ✔️ “mess-free for kids to eat” When they were in daycare and elementary school, I realized that some days they simply didn’t touch the lunch boxes no matter what I packed. And if you can relate to this, as much as it is frustrating, I would tell you to not stress much over it. Instead, make sure you spend your time and energy on getting them a hearty breakfast and dinner when they are home with you. I was a lunchroom volunteer for years when my kids were younger. My observation was that the kids enjoyed this “free time” with friends having lots of fun and letting loose. This also meant that some may not have enough time to finish their lunches in the relatively short lunch breaks. So please don’t blame yourself for not packing the best lunches or the food not being hot, etc. It’s just the kids (especially younger) being kids and having fun and making those lifelong friendships!

Snacks in LunchBox?

With my children, I noticed that if I gave them several options (Bento Box Style) they often picked the “treat” or “snack” rather than the main food. So I started to pack their snacks separately which they enjoyed during their afterschool program. And now that they come home after school, they get to choose their snacks. This allowed me to focus only on one main thing to pack and also fewer decisions for the kids when they ate :-).

Favorite School Lunch Containers

Lunchbox with Removable Divider - Perfect for sandwiches, quesadillas, parathas, and wraps. Also perfect for PBJ sandwiches, cold sandwiches, etc which sadly my children never ate. Insulated Food Jar with Spoon - Great for hot foods like pasta, fried rice, noodles, and soups. In each of the lunch box ideas I explain how to use this jar so the food stays relatively “hot” Lunch Bag - We have gone through many lunch bags over the years. I would suggest having your child pick the lunch bag that they like! We have been using this insulated lunch bag lately and love that it can be wiped clean easily inside and out.

Lunchbox Ideas

Lunch Box Snack Ideas

Apple slices Frozen grapes Carrot and Celery Sticks Quinoa Protein Balls Almond flour Brownies Almond Flour Banana Bread Roasted Puffed Kidney Beans Oats Pistachio Laddu Date and Nut Truffles Candied Cashews

Xo Archana In the morning: Warm up about ¾ cup of filling per lunch box and make the quesadillas. Packing Tips: Cut the quesadillas into quarters and allow them to cool down before placing them inside the lunch box. This will prevent the quesadillas from getting soggy. Although they won’t be hot they are flavorful and the kids will enjoy them at room temperature. What else to pack - Pack Raisins or baby carrots Total time in the morning - 10 to 15 minutes. In the morning: Warm up about ¾ cup of filling per lunch box and make the quesadillas. Packing Tips: Cut the quesadillas into quarters and allow them to cool down before placing them inside the lunch box. This will prevent the quesadillas from getting soggy. Although they won’t be hot they are flavorful and the kids will enjoy them at room temperature. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 to 15 minutes.
In the morning: Assemble the sandwich. Layer tomatoes and cucumbers in between sliced boiled potatoes which will prevent the bread from getting soggy.
Packing Tips: Skip the onions for kids. What else to pack - Quinoa Almond Protein Balls Total time in the morning - 5 minutes In the morning: Warm up individual portion in a microwave-safe dish and pack in the lunch box. What else to pack - favorite tortilla chips. They can be used to scoop up the enchilada Total time in the morning - 5 minutes In the morning: Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Then warm up individual portions of the pasta on the stovetop. Add more broth or a few spoonfuls of water to help the pasta get steamy hot. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add pasta to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Quinoa Almond Protein Balls Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Then warm up individual portions of the pasta on the stovetop. Add more broth or a few spoonfuls of water to help the pasta get steamy hot. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add pasta to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Then warm up individual portions of the pasta on the stovetop. Add more broth or a few spoonfuls of water to help the pasta get steamy hot. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add pasta to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Then warm up individual portions of the pasta on the stovetop. Add more broth or a few spoonfuls of water to help the pasta get steamy hot. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add pasta to it, top with cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Then warm up individual portions of the pasta on the stovetop. Add more broth or a few spoonfuls of water to help the pasta get steamy hot. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add pasta to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Make the parathas. Allow them to cool a bit and then roll them up and pack them in the lunch box. What else to pack - favorite flavored yogurt or go-gurt! Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Make the Thalipeeth and cut it into quarters using a pizza cutter. Allow them to cool a bit and then pack them in the lunch box. What else to pack - favorite flavored yogurt or go-gurt! Total time in the morning - 15 minutes In the morning: Make the parathas. Allow them to cool a bit and then roll them up and pack them in the lunch box. What else to pack - favorite flavored yogurt or go-gurt! Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Reheat parathas on a stovetop pan or in the microwave. Allow them to cool a bit and then roll them up and pack them in the lunch box. What else to pack - favorite flavored yogurt or go-gurt! Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Reheat parathas on a stovetop pan or in the microwave. Allow them to cool a bit and then roll them up and pack them in the lunch box. What else to pack - favorite flavored yogurt or go-gurt! Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Make the bread Upma and pack it in the lunch box What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 15 minutes In the morning: Make the Upma and pack it in the lunch box What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 15 minutes In the morning: Make the Poha and pack it in the lunch box What else to pack - favorite flavored yogurt or go-gurt! Total time in the morning - 15 minutes In the morning: Make the Noodles. Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add noodles to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Make the fried rice. Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add rice to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes In the morning: Make the fried rice. Bring one cup of water to a gentle boil and add it to the thermos. Close the lid. Discard the hot water from the thermos and promptly add rice to it and close the lid. What else to pack - Fav fruit such as small easy peel oranges or grapes Total time in the morning - 10 minutes As always I will love your feedback. Let me know which recipes worked for you and which did not. Let me know if you would like me to add a specific recipe to this list. Lastly, enjoy every moment with your child, they grow up too fast!