Healthy Lunchable with Banana Chips

Switching up the sides is one easy way I add nutrition to my kids’ homemade lunchables; whether it’s including veggies or swapping the crackers for banana chips, it keeps them interesting!

In this post, I share tips for packing a healthy lunchable inside a lunch box, my baked banana chips, and how to keep things fresh until lunch.

What Makes a Lunchable Healthy

When my kids were little, they’d see their friends unpack one of those bright-colored lunchables, and it wasn’t long before they’d beg me to buy them too. That was back in 2010, and I soon began sharing how I made better and healthier lunchables myself on this website.

Regardless of the brand, packaged lunchables are not the healthiest option for kids since most contain high levels of sodium, fat, and ultra-processed ingredients.

If you want a healthy lunchable, I recommend taking 5 minutes and making them yourself. Below I’ll share my tips for packing them ahead and making them a more nutritious option that’s also convenient.

Healthy Lunchable Ingredients

A lunchable is as healthy as the quality of its ingredients. The main components are cheese, deli meat, and crackers, which you can keep or switch for my baked banana chips. Here are some ways I’ve selected healthier options for my kids:

• Cheese: slice up a block or buy cheese slices and cut them into squares. Using real cheese is already an upgrade from the processed in the package.
• Deli Ham or Turkey: select nitrate-free and lower sodium options whenever possible. You only need a couple of slices, about 2 ounces, which you can roll and slice or use a circle cutter (see in the recipe card below).
• Veggies: I added ½ cup of baby carrots to this lunchable, which immediately adds a serving of veggies to my kid’s day. Here are ways to add veggies for lunch.
• Something crunchy: while most lunchables include buttery crackers, my kids love finding baked banana chips or plantain chips inside theirs. They’re easy to make and they’re lightly sweet.

How to Make a Healthy Lunchable

Assembling a healthy lunchable takes less than 5 minutes. Here are some of my tips for assembling them quickly and making them just as convenient as the ones from the store:

1. Prep the deli meat & cheese
   Building a cracker stacker is one of the most appealing things about a lunchable, so either rolling the deli meat or cutting it into rounded shapes with a circle cutter is helpful. Cheese is easy to cut into squares by folding the slices.
2. Pack inside a snack box
   A single base with different compartments that keep ingredients separate under a single lid is another reason kids love them. See my faves below.
3. Refrigerate or pack in a lunch bag
   Make a few healthy lunchables at once and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend adding the baked banana chips last minute so they stay crisp until lunch.

Containers for Homemade Lunchables

When I first began making my kids’ lunchables, there were no containers with multiple compartments! Now, I use these affordable snack boxes with compartments or these stainless steel snack boxes to keep my lunchable ingredients separate and keep my crackers or banana chips fresh.

Tips for Packing Lunchables for School

Similar to packing bento lunches for school, there are some key things I’ve learned over the years that have kept my kids’ lunchables fresh until lunch:

Separate wet and dry ingredients from each other
Compartments are key for making sure that crackers and banana chips stay crisp.

Add variety
The best part about making your kids’ lunchables is that you can customize them with their favorite type of cheese and lunch box-friendly fruit. You can also pack snacks, lunch sides, or one of these healthy desserts.

Keep it cool
Use an ice pack to keep the temperature inside the lunch bag constant and the foods you pack safe to eat until lunch.