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Home » Recipes » School Lunch Ideas for Teens

Healthy School Lunch Ideas for Teens

By Laura Fuentes Updated Sep 27, 2024

4.95 from 19 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Keep your teenager full for hours with these healthy school lunch ideas for teens that are easy to make and delicious to eat, like a turkey wrap!

Need some healthy school lunch ideas for teens that are both full of nutrition and easy to pack? You’ve come to the right place. These ideas a filling, quick and easy to eat and they’re packed with healthy nutrients that will keep your teens feeling their best all day long.

a collage of healthy school lunch ideas for teens
Jump to:
  • Healthy School Lunch Recipe Ideas for Teens:
  • Teenage Lunchbox Ideas
  • Healthy Teen Lunch: the Wrap

Healthy School Lunch Recipe Ideas for Teens:

These healthy lunches for school are always huge hits with the teens. Or, as “always” as anything can be with teens. This list will give you a good variety to start with from things my own teens and teenage exchange students have enjoyed.

Nobody wants to be seen with a PB&J anymore (or so I’m told), so give them an “adult lunch” upgrade with one of these ideas and some filling lunchbox sides.

I’ll give you a list and recipes below, but for those of you who prefer the visual, you can watch how I pack my teen’s lunches here and grab the recipes below.

Now, on to the recipes!

Philly Grilled Cheese
5 from 20 votes
Leftover steak strips or deli roast beef are perfect for making these hearty grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s like a grilled cheese “but cooler” & more filling!
Make this lunch
greek chicken pita wrap
Greek Chicken Pita Wrap
5 from 13 votes
Change up the usual sandwich with this fun and yummy wrap! Pack it with hummus and veggies for dipping.
Make this lunch
tomato avocado salad in a lunchbox
Tomato and Avocado Salad
5 from 10 votes
A simple tomato and avocado salad that’seasy to pack for school and makes a terrific side teenagers enjoy.
Make this lunch
greek chicken bento box with veggies, fruit, and tzatziki sauce.
Greek Chicken Bento Box
5 from 5 votes
This high protein bento box is perfect for teens who need a little something extra to fill them up on busy days.
Make this lunch
Chicken Salad with Greens
5 from 15 votes
Chicken salad is a great way to stretch out leftover roasted/cooked chicken in multiple ways. Make a large batch, use some for these wraps and serve the leftover with a salad or crackers for lunches, later in the week.
Make this lunch
cobb salad lunchbox
Chicken Cobb Salad
5 from 10 votes
Tasty, filling, and easy to meal prep: this Cobb salad makes a terrific high school lunch that teens will devour.
Make this lunch
Turkey Club Wrap
5 from 18 votes
This wrap is packed with protein from the chopped eggs and turkey. It’s so simple to make and of course, you could omit the turkey since these are hearty enough with the hard-boiled eggs. For the teenager who is still a child at heart, include some homemade Strawberry Fruit Leather on the side.
Make this lunch

More Healthy Lunch Wraps for Teens

Turkey and Swiss Bagel Sandwich
5 from 15 votes
Swap bread for bagels to make a classic turkey sandwich more filling for teens who need something heftier in their lunchbox.
Pack this lunch
two mediterranean lunch bowls
Mediterranean Lunch Bowls
5 from 9 votes
The ultimate meal-prep lunch that's full of trendy flavors teens love.
Pack this lunch!
two halves of a chipotle chicken wrap
Chipotle Chicken Wrap with Avocado
5 from 7 votes
Up the flavor and nutrition of your next lunch by making this simple chipotle chicken wrap with avocado asap!
Pack this lunch
Turkey Hummus Wrap
5 from 15 votes
These veggie hummus wrap is an awesome source of protein and healthy fats from the hummus. Add in a few handfuls of Banana Chips for your teen to snack on between meals.
Pack this lunch
A burrito bowl in a lunchbox made with rice, black beans, corn, cheese, and pico de gallo. Blue corn tortilla chips in the side compartment with salsa in a mini sauce container.
Lunch Box Burrito Bowls
5 from 10 votes
You could call it our all-star lunch! It’s everything you love about burritos, in a bowl! Use your choice of protein like taco meat from last night’s leftover, cooked chicken or black beans. Send this lunch cold or pack it inside a larger thermos container.
Pack this lunch

Need something a little smaller? Try these Middle School Lunch Ideas!

BLT salad in a lunch container with blueberries and two halves of a boiled egg
BLT Salad Lunchbox
5 from 20 votes
What better way to eat bacon for lunch than a BLT Salad? This salad has all the classic BLT fixings plus avocado, cheese, and Ranch dressing.
Make This Recipe
Lasagna Thermos Lunch
5 from 18 votes
One of the best ways to pack a lunch big enough for hungry high schoolers, is to pack leftover dinner in a thermos. When there are specific dinners my teens love (like lasagna) I will often double the dinner recipe, so that I have lunches taken care of for the rest of the week.
Make This Recipe
Turkey Hard Boiled Egg Sandwich
5 from 18 votes
This epic turkey hard-boiled egg triple decker sandwich is one for the books! Filling, delicious, and super simple protein-rich lunch.
Make This Recipe

Try More Cold Lunches for High Schoolers

sliced chicken breast, vegetables bacon slices and a boiled egg in a lunch container
Leftover Chicken Lunchbox for Teens
5 from 24 votes
This high-protein leftover chicken lunchbox for teens offers a variety of fresh ingredients in a colorful bento!
Make This Recipe
grilled cheese and tomato
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich
5 from 4 votes
Take the classic grilled cheese to the next level by adding juicy sliced tomatoes!
Make This Recipe
homemade taco lunchable in a school lunch container
DIY Taco Lunchables
5 from 34 votes
Every teen loves a little bit of nostalgia, and this homemade taco lunchable is a healthy & filling option that will give them that "throwback" feeling they love.
Make This Recipe
Hard-Boiled Egg & Turkey Protein Bistro Box
5 from 24 votes
This protein box is inspired by the ones teens love to grab at Starbucks. It can serve as a smaller lunch that packs a big punch, or a snack between school & practice.
Make This Recipe

As you can see, lunchtime is a BIG DEAL at MOMables and I’m always looking to make lunchtime healthier for my kids and your kids. When you are done planning all your teen’s lunches, you’ll be ready to make one of these dinner ideas for tonight!

Teenage Lunchbox Ideas

Perhaps, you’re probably already thinking “what do I do if they think packing a lunchbox is dorky?”, “what if they want to pack it themselves?”, “how much should I pack?“, and of course, “what do I pack so they are not starving when they get home after school?“.

No worries, you aren’t the first to come across these questions or situations. So let’s start with these tips!

When it comes to packing lunches for teens, it’s not as easy as it used to be. They no longer want to pack their food in cutesy lunchboxes, instead, they want more mature teen lunchboxes or thermoses. These are durable containers, that will pack enough food and will easily fit into a gym bag or school lunch bag for teens.

Here are a few more “grown-up” options for teens and tweens:

  • Swap the character thermos for this simple food jar
  • Turn in the cutesy lunchboxes for the Packit Cooler Lunch Box
  • Say goodbye to boring tupperware and try these sophisticated containers

Packing Their Own Lunches

If your teen wants to pack their own lunch – LET THEM! You’ve been waiting for this moment for years, and now the time has come, embrace it.

Of course, you will want to make sure the fridge and pantry are stocked with healthy options like fresh fruit, veggies, hummus, whole grain crackers, sandwich/wrap ingredients. Otherwise, left to their own devices teens will pack chips, cookies, and 5 packs of string cheese.

My ebook 101 Packed Lunches is perfect for teens who are packing their own lunches!

101 Teen-Friendly Lunches

In this ebook, you’ll find over 100 photographed lunch ideas to inspire teens to pack their own nutritious lunches. Plus, packing tips to keep things fresh and videos so they can follow along as they’re packing.

lunch ebook on a phone screen
Grab the Book

When they’re using this book, you’ll know that the lunches the teens are packing themselves are filled with nutritious ingredients and something you’ll be glad they’re eating at school.

Filling Foods for Teenage Lunches

Finding foods that won’t leave your teen feeling like they’re “starving” by the end of the day is a major concern for parents.

However, it’s as simple as providing a balanced lunch and snacks for your teen, with healthy fats like cheese, hummus, nuts, and peanut butter (or no-nut butter). Including proteins like deli turkey/ham, hard-boiled eggs, tuna fish; and the right kind of carbohydrates; whole-grain bread, wraps, crackers, rice, and fruit.

I’ve even been known to pack an extra burrito for lunch for my teenaged son when he can’t seem to stay full.

If your teen stays late at school, it’s best to pack one of these popular snacks for teens, too. Read more about how to bulk up lunches for teenage athletes here.

Packing Healthy Treats for High School Lunches

Remember when your teen was little and you packed cute lunches for them? After school, you’d open the lunchbox and see that some things were left, but the treat was always devoured.

When they’re teenagers, they’ll still want to eat a treat; and while it’s convenient to pack a packaged item, it’s best to keep dessert full of nutrition with fruit, nuts, energy bites, or maybe a homemade parfait. Check out more healthy Lunchbox desserts here.

Being a teenager is a big deal, packing lunches, not so much when you have lots of ideas! Here’s one last recipe that your teens are sure to love seeing in their lunchbox tomorrow!

Healthy Teen Lunch: the Wrap

Servings: 1 wrap
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Keep your teenager full for hours with these healthy school lunch ideas for teens that are easy to make and delicious to eat, like a turkey wrap!
4.95 from 19 votes
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 flour or gluten-free tortilla
  • Chopped lettuce
  • ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 2 ounces sliced deli turkey
  • 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Ranch dressing

Instructions

  • Place the tortilla onto a flat surface. 
  • Top the center of the tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, deli turkey, chopped hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and a drizzle of Ranch dressing. 
  • Fold and roll burrito style. Slice the wrap in half and pack into lunch containers. 

Equipment

101 Packed Lunches
Glass Lunch Containers
1 ice pack
six small dip containers with lids
1 Dips or Dressings

Nutrition

Serving: 1 wrap | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 1188mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 659IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 3mg

More School Lunch Ideas for Teens

  • Roast Beef Sandwich on French Bread
  • bacon apple grilled cheese
    Bacon Apple Grilled Cheese
  • top view of a lunchbox with avocado toast, a sliced apple, nad veggies
    Avocado Toast for Lunch
  • top view of three lunchboxes with korean chicken, rice, and veggies
    Korean Chicken Lunch Bowls for Teens

Comments

    4.95 from 19 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Julia says

    May 26, 2024 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    I loved these quick and healthy lunch idea for my teen!

    Reply
  2. DK says

    March 30, 2024 at 12:41 am

    5 stars
    What a great list! I think my kid will love the grilled cheese and BLT – thanks!

    Reply
  3. MacKenzie says

    March 29, 2024 at 11:29 pm

    5 stars
    As a mom of two teens I am always looking for new lunch ideas. They have gotten very tired of uncrustables. I made these wraps and now they keep asking for more.

    Reply
  4. Gianne says

    March 29, 2024 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    The recipes were easy to make and delicious and are perfect for keeping teens fueled and focused throughout the school day.

    Reply
  5. Kimberly says

    March 29, 2024 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    These are all great ideas and ones that my kids said they’ll actually make themselves which is a big win in my book!!

    Reply
  6. Erik says

    March 29, 2024 at 5:29 pm

    5 stars
    Seriously loving all these ideas. And no shame, I don’t have any teens, but I’m gonna be using these for myself!

    Reply
  7. hannah barrie says

    September 05, 2023 at 11:33 pm

    5 stars
    i am teen and i have had no idea what to pack for lunch. this had made me feel so good and i am so greatfull. thankyou.

    Reply
  8. Jocelyn says

    August 14, 2023 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    My teen was able to print out several of these ideas for her lunch. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Steph says

    July 13, 2023 at 1:39 am

    5 stars
    I’m a teen and I printed out a few of these ideas for my lunches. I want to eat healthier. thank you

    Reply
  10. Jana says

    March 05, 2023 at 2:10 pm

    5 stars
    I’d been STRUGGLING to find good lunches for my teens that they would actually eat AND that would keep them full all day. (They were always starving when they came home). This is my new goto! Thank you for all the ides, these WORK.

    Reply
  11. Katie Hearn says

    March 31, 2022 at 7:32 am

    Hello, I have a teen who doesn’t like bread, tortillas, Mac and cheese, pizza, and a lot of things kids usually like. She has gotten made fun of for bringing boiled eggs or tuna because they smell bad. I am at a total loss on what to buy for her. Your recipes look great, I just don’t think she would eat them.

    Reply
    • Tobi says

      April 25, 2022 at 2:32 am

      you could try making a salad with protein in it! that’s one of my favourite lunches, and so long as it has enough chicken, or tuna they’re really filling! And if the tuna’s in a salad she’s less likely to be made fun of xx

      Reply
    • Lou-Ellen says

      September 24, 2022 at 6:12 pm

      Hi Katie – my daughter is the same. Here’s some success lunches:
      – Chicken nuggets & Carrot sticks {with BBQ sauce of course}
      – Puff pastry anything – ham & cheese, spinach & feta, zuchini & bacon, strawberries, left over steak with mushroom topping (like a mini beef wellington), sausage rolls, etc. Trick is to make them small and don’t pack while hot, so the pastry stays somewhat crispy, vegemite & cheese scrolls (or PB&J scrolls)
      – Cook the tuna in a bit of soy & sugar and make tuna sushi
      – sushi anything – roll up her favourite meat/rice combo in a sushi
      – chopped salad (you can include the eggs here and they won’t smell)
      Basically make her lunch so tasty the kids will be jealous and stop making fun of her no matter how bad it smells. I’ve got some kids “stealing” my daughter’s lunch now so I’ve been sneaking in a little extra haha

      Good luck, lovely. School lunches have always been my biggest headache xo

      Reply
  12. Jackie Kennedy says

    March 21, 2022 at 8:51 am

    How do you keep the food from getting all messy before they eat it? My teenagers school does not have lockers so they have to lug all their belongings from class to class. Those pretty sandwiches and deviled eggs would look like they were in a battle zone by the time lunch arrives.

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura says

      March 21, 2022 at 11:24 am

      Using compartmentalized lunch containers can really help. The smaller compartments help keep food and ingredients intact. This post has a few of my favorite lunch containers: https://www.momables.com/top-5-lunch-containers-for-school-office/

      Reply
  13. M says

    August 10, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    4 stars
    I’m wondering if all of the lunches will stay fresh for at least 3 hours?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura says

      August 23, 2021 at 5:09 pm

      When packed in a lunch bag with a freezer pack, yes.

      Reply
  14. Neyah says

    October 04, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    Hi I am wondering if you have any thing that dosent require cooking or like hummus because my I am really picky but other than that all of these recipes look really delicious to where I would eat them all the time at lunch.

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura says

      October 05, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      Hi Neyah, I recommend you check out this playlist on YouTube with lots of lunch ideas. Most don’t require any cooking.

      Reply
    • ShaunaSea says

      October 26, 2021 at 3:24 am

      Instead of writing off a particular food, consider trying different preparation methods.

      Finding a variation that you or your family like will also develop your and their taste buds to enjoy variations that weren’t previously liked.

      Stay optimistic! If you don’t find something you like right away, remember to stay open minded that you will find a variation that you like in the future.

      I now enjoy a world of great food that I wouldn’t have touched before embarking on this change in perspective.

      I started with using ingredients I didn’t like in a way that they didn’t stand out in taste or texture by using amounts less than what was called for and either chopping them up finely or in chunks large enough to avoid. Eventually I learned to use herbs and spices, to make marinades and sauces, to cook dishes I liked that I would previously only have had if I ate out, and, most importantly, to be brave and take big enough bites to experience the full combination of flavors in a dish as they were intended to be enjoyed.

      Reply
      • Lizzy says

        October 10, 2022 at 11:50 am

        Hey, as a teen myself, I mostly don’t have time to make these and am also a vegetarian, I was wondering if you had any ideas of how I can get enough protein etc, in a way that’s quick to make and able to be carried around in a bag for nearly 4 hours ?

        Reply
        • MOMables-Laura says

          October 12, 2022 at 5:33 pm

          Hi Lizzy, you can try some of the recipes in this post: https://www.momables.com/8-vegetarian-school-lunch-ideas/ and for extra protein, you can always pack your lunches with a cup of Greek yogurt, cheese, or steamed edamame.

          Reply
  15. Sophie Dufault says

    August 29, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    Hi
    Great ideas on your website. I was looking at one of your videos a few weeks ago and can’t recall which one but you had advertise a super plastic lunch bag idea for teens! Can you please direct me to where I can find these ? THanks!
    Sophie

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura says

      August 31, 2018 at 8:26 am

      Hi Sophie, you can find that bag in our Amazon store here. in the teenage section.

      Reply
laura fuentes momables holding a lunch bag and lunch boxes

My name is Laura Fuentes
I’m here to help you simplify school lunches with fresh ideas your kids will actually eat.

Mom of 3. Certified in Integrative Nutrition. 5x Cookbook Author.

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