• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MOMables® Healthy Lunches for Kids
  • MEAL PLANS
    • Weekly Family Meal Plan
    • Teaching Your Kids to Cook
    • 7-Day Family Reset
    • Meatless Meal Plan
    • Pantry Staples Meal Plan
    • Free Picky Eaters eCourse
  • Cookbooks
    • 101 Packed Lunches
    • Chicken. It’s What’s for Dinner
    • Intermittent Fasting eBook
    • Meal Prep’d
    • More Cookbooks
  • Recipe Index
  • Healthy Lunches
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Lunch Ideas
  • 101 Lunches
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Lunch Boxes
  • Cookbooks
  • Dinner Meal Plan
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Lunch Ideas
  • 101 Lunches
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Lunch Boxes
  • Cookbooks
  • Dinner Meal Plan
  • Contact
×

Protein Snack Box for Kids

by Laura Fuentes

July 25, 2022
updated Aug 30, 2023
5 from 11 votes
Create this healthy protein snack box for kids with simple ingredients like beef jerky, cheese, and fruit! 
Jump to Recipe

All the articles & recipes on this website have been created through real-life testing and experience (no ai) since 2010. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Let me show you how to pack a kid’s protein snack bento box that will make them forget all about the store-bought options.

Thanks to a compartmentalized snack container and simple ingredients, you can assemble one of these boxes in a cinch. Let’s get started!

Sliced cheese, beef jerky links, grapes, and blueberries in a snack container.

Healthy Protein Bento Box

Who doesn’t love a little variety at snack time? Good thing this healthy protein box offers just that plus, 17.5 grams of protein from ingredients like beef (or turkey) jerky, sliced cheese, and fresh fruit!

It couldn’t be any easier to make, and you can store these boxes in the fridge for a couple of days, so you have a quick option to pack in the lunch bag.

While it is a snack, you could easily turn this into a satiating lunch by adding whole grain crackers, veggies, and hard-boiled eggs. It’s that simple, and all of the protein and fiber will keep your child energized and satiated through the afternoon.

What is in a Protein Snack Box

The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating a protein snack bento box, so I’ll go over all the elements you need to make this one happen:

  • protein: this box features beef jerky links, but you could opt for turkey jerky or rolled deli cuts.
  • fruit: make this with grapes and berries or any fruit you have available.
  • healthy bites: sliced or cubed cheese is a great option, as well as hard-boiled eggs or nuts.

Want more simple and fresh ideas to pack in the lunch bag? I’ve got you covered:

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!

Grab the Book!

How to Pack a Protein Snack Bento Box?

Whether you want to make this protein box as a snack or lunch, here’s how to assemble the ingredients, so everything stays fresh:

  1. Prep
    Wash the fruit and slice the cheese into squares.
  2. Tip
    If you can’t find beef or turkey jerky in small links, carefully cut a larger link into 1-inch pieces with kitchen scissors or a pairing knife.
  3. Wet ingredients together
    The fruit and protein can be packed into the same compartment.
  4. Keep dry ingredients separate
    Place the cheese and ingredients like crackers and chips in separate compartments, so they don’t absorb moisture.
  5. Prepare for take-off
    Close the container, and pack it in a lunch bag with an ice pack.

How to turn this snack box into a lunch

With just a few additions, this snack box can be a filling lunch everyone will enjoy! Add hard-boiled eggs, your favorite veggies, and whole-grain crackers. Want to add a dip? Go ahead! Dips like hummus or sauces must be packed in their own leak-proof container, so everything stays in its place until lunchtime.

You can also pack a healthy treat, like this Blueberry Yogurt Parfait or this Chocolate Avocado Pudding.

Want a sturdy snack container like the one in this post? You’ll find my favorite option here.

Tips for packing the perfect snack box for kids

Meal prep
You can assemble this snack box completely ahead of time and store it in the fridge to enjoy during the week. But why prepare one when you can make more at once? Save time and prep enough for a few days!

Swap ingredients
What makes homemade snack boxes so easy and convenient is that you don’t need to stick to the list of ingredients. No grapes or blueberries? Add sliced banana, apple, pear, carrots, or other berries. No beef jerky? Grab deli cuts or turkey jerky, and that’s all!

Make it dairy-free
If your child can’t eat cheese, add a hard-boiled egg or nuts instead. Both are healthy fats they will enjoy eating!

Protein Snack Box for Kids

Laura Fuentes
5 from 11 votes
Create this healthy protein snack box for kids with simple ingredients like beef jerky, cheese, and fruit! 
Servings: 1
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 1 cup grapes
  • 1 slice of cheese, cut into squares
  • 1- ounce beef jerky

Instructions
 

  • Wash the fruit. Slice the cheese into small squares and cut the jerky links into 1-inch pieces. 
  • Add the jerky and fruit into a snack box. Pack the cheese into a separate compartment, so it stays fresh. 
  • Close the container and place it in a lunch bag with an ice pack. 

Equipment

Snack Box
101 Packed Lunches
The Best Homemade Kid’s Snacks on the Planet

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 18gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 533mgFiber: 4gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 198IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 2mg
Like this recipe?Rate and leave a comment below

More Bento Boxes

  • two bento boxes with ham & cheese roll ups, corn, crackers and berries
    Ham and Cheese Roll Ups Bento
  • breakfast bento with mini pancakes
    Breakfast Bento with Mini Pancakes
  • bento box lunch idea with egg salad, pita wedges and turkey
    Egg Salad Bento with Pita
  • Picnic Bento Box Idea

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Laura Fuentes, founder of MOMables wearing a yellow shirt and looking at the camera smiling

Hi, I'm Laura! I help you make healthy lunches and meals your kids will love, with simple and tasty recipes.

I need lunch ideas! →

Fresh Favorites

  • collage o f four bento boxes
    Bento Boxes for Kids’ Lunches 101
  • Protein & Fruit Bento Box For Kids
  • Guacamole and Protein Bento
  • a collage of healthy school lunch ideas for teens
    Healthy School Lunch Ideas for Teens

Popular Now

  • a collage of sandwiches in lunchboxes
    How to Pack a Sandwich for Lunch
  • Peanut Butter Sandwich Ideas
  • Healthy Alternatives to Lunchables
  • 8 Healthy Wraps for School Lunch

Footer

Lunchbox Builder

Download here!

Healthy Lunches

  • School Lunches
  • 101 Lunch Ideas eBook
  • Thermos Lunches
  • What's a Bento?

Resources

  • Contact
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • YouTube Channel

Privacy | Permissions | Membership Terms

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES