The first day of school is around the corner, and with it comes lots of lunchboxes that need to be filled. A sandwich is always an easy go-to option, but often, kids can get bored after having the same thing over and over. Here’s a list of 20 sandwich-free school lunch ideas that will get you thinking outside of the lunchbox.
Making School Lunch Fun for Kids
Before we get into the school lunch ideas, let’s talk about more ways that we can make school lunches really fun! Start with a fun and colorful lunch box. The one in the picture above is really nice because it has built in sections and even comes with silverware (not pictured).
When I started thinking about school lunch ideas for Atlas, I knew that I wanted to put a note in his lunchbox each day. Instead of normal sticky notes, I got cute animal shaped ones so that he will have a surprise each day!
For the school lunches on this list that involve skewers, try these kid-friendly Skercles! They are enclosed, circular skewers perfect for kids! The website states that they are safe for kids age 1 and up.
To add even more fun to these school lunch ideas, animal food picks are the way to go! These are super cute and can be used as forks, or just as decorations in your bento boxes. They even come in dinosaur shapes!
On the days when you do want to make a sandwich, try sandwich cutters to make them fun and festive. A square sandwich is good, but a star shaped sandwich is better!
20 Best School Lunch Ideas Without Sandwiches!
- Pizza Dippers: Strips of pita bread with pizza sauce and toppings.
- Pasta Salad: Cold pasta mixed with veggies, cheese, and dressing.
- Chicken and Vegetable Skewers: Grilled chicken and colorful veggies on kid-friendly skewers.
- Veggie Sushi Rolls: Rolls made with nori seaweed, rice, and various vegetables.
- Taco Salad: A salad with seasoned ground meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and tortilla chips.
- Hummus and Veggie Sticks: Assorted cut-up veggies with a side of hummus for dipping.
- Pizza Rolls: Easy croissant pizza rolls with yummy fillings.
- Chicken and Rice Bowl: Cooked chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables with a flavorful sauce.
- Mini Meatballs: Bite-sized meatballs with a dipping sauce.
- Greek Salad Skewers: Skewers with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese.
- Bento Box: A well-balanced meal with fruits, veggies, and protein.
- Quesadillas: Tortillas filled with cheese, vegetables, and chicken or beef (optional).
- Pizza Muffins: Mini muffins made with pizza toppings like cheese, veggies, and pepperoni.
- Veggie Fried Rice: Fried rice with a mix of colorful vegetables.
- Fruit Salad: A mix of seasonal fruits, such as berries, apples, oranges, and kiwi.
- Turkey and Cheese Roll-Ups: Thinly sliced turkey wrapped around cheese sticks.
- Chicken Noodle Soup: Homemade or store-bought chicken noodle soup in a thermos.
- Veggie Pita Pockets: Whole wheat pita bread filled with hummus and assorted veggies.
- Cheese and Crackers: An assortment of cheese cubes or slices with whole-grain crackers.
- Mini Bagel Pizzas: Mini bagels topped with sauce, cheese, and various toppings, then baked.
These ideas will keep your school lunches interesting and delicious. Your little one will be excited to open their lunchbox each day to see what’s inside!
