If coming up with school lunch ideas for your kid and figuring out how much to pack is daunting, you’re at the right place!
With hundreds of lunch ideas on this site and having packed thousands for my three kids in over a decade, I’m happy to share what I’ve tested and know works with you
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What to Pack for School Lunches for Kids
Ultimately, the best packed lunches for school are the ones our kids will eat with the best ingredients you can afford.
Using what you have at home, you can pack sandwiches, fill a tortilla and turn it into a lunch wrap, warm up leftovers and fill a thermos for a hot lunch, layer fresh veggies and build a fresh salad for lunch, or mix and match food groups and build a bento-style lunch box.
Balanced lunches include carbohydrates to provide kids with energy, protein to keep them full and help them grow, and fruits and vegetables for the vitamins and minerals they provide. As long as you include a little bit of everything here and there, you’re good!
How to Pack Enough Food for Kids Lunches
Making sure our kids have enough food in their lunch can be challenging as their appetites grow, their schedules change, and their lunch periods are later or shorter. Something else to think about is the type of food packed inside their lunch box.
One of the reasons I’ve used compartmentalized lunchboxes over the years (different ones depending on age) and snack boxes to pack sides is to provide my kids with a variety of foods they can eat at lunch and sometimes in between classes or after school.
Below, you’ll learn in detail how to adjust the amount of food in your kids’ lunch boxes by age. But if you stop reading here, know that a good rule of thumb is a main lunch item + one or two healthy sides for school.
Preschool Lunches
Packing a healthy lunch for your preschooler can be simple. In fact, just think of the main lunch idea as a healthy alternative to a lunchable.
In addition to a main, a simple side of veggies and fruit packed in a separate compartment is often enough to build a preschool or lunch for kindergarteners. If your child has a snack period, these can often be the snack you pack for school.
Cutting food into smaller, bite-sized pieces often helps younger kids finish their lunch.
Lunch Options and Ideas for Preschool
Mix and match a couple of ingredients and turn them into unlimited lunch options. Here are a few ideas for preschool lunches:
Elementary School Lunches
Once my kids hit elementary school, more than half a sandwich with a side was needed, and depending on what I packed, sometimes I sent too much! It’s a phase every parent experiences.
At this age, I began to create sandwich ideas for my kids that included ingredients they already enjoyed instead of packing the same turkey and cheese sandwich on repeat. For example, a sandwich made of frozen waffles instead of sandwich bread.
Once again, build your child’s lunch around one main item and add sides to help balance the meal. If you pack a peanut butter and apple sandwich, consider adding a protein-rich yogurt to the lunch bag.
Lunches to Pack for Elementary-Aged Kids
At this age, kids start to ask for packaged lunches they see in their friends’ lunches; for this reason, here are some delicious ideas for your elementary kid:
Middle School Lunches
Many parents experience their kids outgrowing everything “kid” -yes, characters are out! At this age, kids often express what they like (and don’t), including the foods they want to pack for school.
Nutritionally speaking, middle schoolers need more than when they were younger, especially if they are involved in after-school sports. For this reason, many parents will pack a lunch for their middle schooler and a snack for after school.
The volume of food is not a science at this age either, but lunches like easy rotisserie chicken wraps are very popular with kids this age.
Middle School Lunch Ideas
Packed in neutral lunchboxes, these ideas are tasty and nutritious lunch options for your middle schooler:
High School Lunches
When our kids reach high school, we hope they can pack lunch themselves. Some high schoolers like to pack their lunches, others do it because their parents refuse, and many of us have a kid who wakes up late and barely has time to eat breakfast!
No matter which group you’re in, know that high schoolers need filling lunches that will support their larger appetites and nutritional needs. Sandwich wraps make terrific lunches at this age because they can be filled with fresh ingredients and even leftovers!
How much food goes in the lunch bag depends on whether your child eats breakfast, how physically active they are, and their gender and size. These factors differ in their caloric and nutritional needs, and they’ll change a few times in this four-year span!
Lunch Ideas for High Schoolers
In high school, many parents notice their daughters wanting healthier lunch ideas while their sons become bottomless pits who need lunches with higher protein. Some ideas to get you started:
Packing the Same Lunch for Different Ages
Packing lunches for three kids in different schools has taught me that it’s possible to pack the same lunch for kids of different ages. I’ll select the same main meal item and adjust the volume of food (the portions) I pack for each child.
My preschooler would enjoy half a sandwich with a side of fruit for lunch and some veggies and hummus as a snack later. For my middle schooler, I’d make a whole sandwich, twice the amount of fruit, veggies with hummus, and maybe some energy bites as a snack between classes or after school.
My high schooler, who plays sports, would take two sandwiches, fruit, veggies, maybe some banana chips, and the same snack bites or a protein bar to eat after school before practice.
Ultimately, I would make the same main item, prep fruit and veggies for everyone at the beginning of the week, and pack the same foods in different containers to adjust the portion sizes.
Kim says
Back to school is that time of the year when I remember how difficult can be finding ideas for school lunches. Now, this time I decided to search easy lunch school ideas ahead and I found your blog. Amazing! I already packed many of these lunches and my kids love them! And I love these recipes too because they are sooo simple! No school lunch stress anymore! Thanks Laura!
Reilly says
My Pre-K daughter is obsessed with the bentos!!!
Angie says
I’m so grateful for this post! I have a 7 and a 14 year old and always struggle to pack them different lunches. I’ll try to pack them the same lunch but for different ages using your tips. Thank you!
Holly says
These are such great back to school lunchbox ideas! Thank you for sharing information on how to make a healthy lunch for my kiddos!
Elena says
I have 3 kids and these school lunch ideas were not only helpful but also informative on how much food and how I can up size or downsize their lunches. Thanks!