August 25, 2023
updated
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Grab one of these high-protein school lunch ideas to keep kids full and provide lots of nutrition in a meal.
Below you’ll find lunches containing 15g, 20g, 25g, and 30g of protein, with the amounts noted plus tips for keeping your packed meals fresh for hours!

How Much Protein Do Kids Need Each Day?
The traditional minimum recommended protein requirements for children are 0.85g per kg on average; but research shows that how much quality protein kids need daily can vary by physical activity, age, height, and weight and that a better minimum calculation is closer to 1.55g per kg. Calculate lbs to kg here.
Once you know how much your child needs, you simply spread out their needs throughout the day.
High Protein School Lunches 30g+ Per Serving
Below you’ll find healthy lunch ideas high in protein, each containing 30 grams per meal. Make sure to click through to learn how to pack each lunch and keep it fresh for hours!
School Lunch Ideas with 25g+ of Protein
Below you’ll find healthy lunch ideas high in protein, each containing 25 grams per meal. Make sure to click through to learn how to pack each lunch and keep it fresh for hours!
School Lunches with 20g+ of Protein Per Serving
Below you’ll find healthy lunch ideas high in protein, each containing 20 grams per meal. Make sure to click through to learn how to pack each lunch and keep it fresh for hours!
Lunch Ideas with 15g+ of Protein Per Serving
Below you’ll find healthy lunch ideas high in protein, each containing 15 grams per meal. Make sure to click through to learn how to pack each lunch and keep it fresh for hours!
High-Protein Ingredients for School Lunches
If your child prefers bento-style lunches that come together by filling the lunchbox with fresh fruit, veggies, dips, and protein-rich food, this list of ingredients will help you add more protein to school lunches.
Add one or more of these to the lunch:
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: 6g
- Almonds: 15g per half cup
- String Cheese: 6g
- Greek Yogurt cup: 13g
- Hummus: 2g per 2 tablespoons
- Cheddar cheese cubes: 6g per ounce
- Sunflower seeds: 19g per half cup
- Peanut butter: 8g per 2 tablespoons
- Quinoa: 4g per half cup
- Edamame: 9g per cup
- Cottage cheese: 12g per half cup
- Pepperoni slices: 6g per 14 slices
- Avocado: 2g
- Clif Kid Zbars with Protein: 5g per bar
- Go Macro Kids Bars: 4g per bar
Have all the lunch ideas on hand with this resource!
101 Packed Lunches eBook
All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!
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