July 19, 2018
updated
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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.
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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!
More Mature Lunchboxes
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 bag.
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.
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, 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.
If your teen stays late at school, it’s best to pack an additional healthy snack or two, too. Read more about how to bulk up lunches for teenage athletes here.
Packing Healthy Treats
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.
More healthy Lunchbox desserts here.
What to Pack for Teens for Lunch
If you just don’t know what to pack because a single ham sandwich doesn’t cut it, check out the recipes below. There’s a reason that these are some of the most popular recipes on this site! You can also use my book, 101 Packed Lunches to find even more lunchbox inspiration.
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!
More Healthy Lunch Wraps for Teens
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!
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
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.
hannah barrie
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.
Jocelyn
My teen was able to print out several of these ideas for her lunch. Thanks!
Steph
I’m a teen and I printed out a few of these ideas for my lunches. I want to eat healthier. thank you
Jana
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.
Katie Hearn
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.
Tobi
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
Lou-Ellen
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
Jackie Kennedy
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.
MOMables-Laura
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/
M
I’m wondering if all of the lunches will stay fresh for at least 3 hours?
Thanks!
MOMables-Laura
When packed in a lunch bag with a freezer pack, yes.
Neyah
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.
MOMables - Laura
Hi Neyah, I recommend you check out this playlist on YouTube with lots of lunch ideas. Most don’t require any cooking.
ShaunaSea
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.
Lizzy
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 ?
MOMables-Laura
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.
Sophie Dufault
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
MOMables - Laura
Hi Sophie, you can find that bag in our Amazon store here. in the teenage section.