Healthy Lunch Box Ideas (That Take 5 Minutes)

When you pack lunches and snacks for your kids day after day, week after week, it can get hard to think of ideas. The next time your kids are craving something new, try some of these creative lunch box ideas from our registered dietitian, Jessie. Bonus: Each one takes less than 5 minutes to put together!  

A Healthy Lunch Box Formula

To help ensure the midday meal is providing all the essential nutrients kids need to fuel their brains and movement, remember the acronym P-A-C-K-E-D.

P = protein
A = apple (or other fruit)
C = carb

K= kid veggie

E = extra
D = dairy

When you add a food that represents every letter in PACKED, you’re supplying all the macronutrients kids need to thrive in one quick lunch.

• Protein foods can be deli meats, rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken, tuna salad, chicken salad, cooked ground beef, eggs, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Some plant-based high protein options are edamame, nut butter, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, and kids protein bars. 
• A is for apple, a nutrient-dense fruit choice, but you can replace it with any fresh, pureed, or dried fruit.  
• Carb sources for kids can be bread, wraps, buns, crackers, whole grains like brown rice or quinoa salad, pasta salad, chickpea salad recipe, white beans or black beans, pizza, pita squares, cooked ramen, tomato soup, some veggies and fruits (like sweet potatoes and bananas), and some dips, like hummus with tahini.
• Kid veggies are any veggies that your kid likes! Some good packable veg are baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, sweet pepper strips, crispy snap peas, cherry tomatoes, diced zucchini, radishes, and green beans. 
• E stands for extra, and it can be any small treat or extra food component that you and your kid agree on, such as a small wrapped candy, pretzels, a homemade treat, or trail mix. 
• Dairy foods can be milk, cheese sticks, greek yogurt, cream cheese, feta cheese squares, or cottage cheese.   

4 Healthy Lunch Recipes To Pack

Here are a few easy lunch ideas that follow the P-A-C-K-E-D formula. You can even meal prep them the evening before so you have your lunch ready to go the next day.

Easy Lunch Freezer PB&J

What’s in the box: a Rudi’s Sandos portable PB&J; apple slices; sugar snap peas; Italian cheddar cheese snack; and mini graham cookies

P = Sandos freezer peanut butter or seed butter and jelly sandwiches
A = apple (or peach rings)
C = Sandos

K= sugar snap peas

E = mini graham cookies
D = cheese square

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Pizza Burrito Or Taco Wraps

What’s in the box: a pizza pinwheels made with a Rudi’s tortilla, marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese, and pepperoni slices; grapes; red bell pepper slices; and pretzels. For a more adult Mediterranean style version, use pesto instead of marinara and add greens, such as arugula or cilantro

P = pepperoni slices
A = grapes
C = tortilla wrap

K= sliced red pepper

E = pretzels
D = mozzarella cheese

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Egg Salad Protein Roll-Ups

What’s in the box: a bread roll-up made with a slice of Rudi’s bread, cream cheese, and fruit spread; hard-cooked egg halves; dried strawberries; goldfish crackers; sliced cucumbers

P = hard boiled egg
A = dried strawberries
C = bread

K= sliced cucumbers

E = cheddar goldfish crackers
D = cream cheese

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A Classic Packed Lunch

What’s in the box: a sandwich recipe made with cheese, deli meat, and 2 slices of Rudi’s bread of choice (organic whole wheat, sourdough, or gluten-free; mustard, mayo, or vinaigrette optional); strawberries and blueberries; baby carrots; and jelly beans

P = lunch meat
A = berries
C = bread

K= carrots

E = jelly beans
D = sliced cheese

THE BOTTOM LINE

In a single school year, parents need to pack nearly 200 lunches per kid. And that’s not even including the easy lunches you pack for yourself! Give your family some variety and the nourishment they need by remembering the P-A-C-K-E-D acronym and changing things up with these creative and healthy lunch ideas. 

Written by Jessie Shafer. 

Jessie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Colorado where she splits her time among nearby playgrounds, typing away at her trusty laptop, and heating up her home kitchen with delicious experiments. A former magazine editor-in-chief, Jessie has a long career in food publishing and health writing. She is currently the editor at The Real Food Dietitians and a nutrition consultant through her business crdible.