Our Top Healthy Lunches for Kids to Take to School

Children will be delighted by our healthy take on Lunchables, which includes turkey, cheese and crackers for building mini sandwiches, plus fruit, veggies with dip and even a little chocolate for dessert.

Swap out the bread for slices of pickle to make these fun turkey and Cheddar sandwiches. Roma tomatoes are the perfect oblong shape for these mini sandwiches but feel free to use regular tomatoes--simply cut the slices in half so they fit nicely on the pickle sandwich. 

This easy pizza-inspired roll-up is a kid-pleaser. Make crunchy vegetables more appealing by selecting colorful varieties like orange and purple cauliflower--and don't forget the dip! Keep 'em smiling with watermelon cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

This sweet-and-salty pretzel rod is a satisfying snack that's perfect on-the-go or at home after school--and kids can even help make it themselves. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.

Bite-size pinwheels of turkey, cheese and lettuce make an appealing centerpiece of this bento box. Crisp celery sticks and juicy blueberries are tasty accompaniment, while popcorn, mixed with chocolate chips, makes a satisfying snack or dessert. Plus, this healthy lunch is so easy to pack and can even be made the night before.

There's definitely a sushi vibe to these kid-friendly wraps, which are stuffed with vegetables, cheese and hummus and then rolled and sliced. Serve them with store-bought green goddess, a creamy herb-filled dressing, to take it up a notch with ease. They look impressive but they're easy enough for kids to assemble themselves for an easy lunch or dinner.

These tailgate-inspired lunch bowls can be assembled in about 15 minutes using just a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, like pregrilled chicken and spicy Buffalo-flavored hummus. 

These two-bite, protein-packed snacks have all the flavors of a campfire favorite rolled right in. Mini chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces are blended into the base mixture, while a mini marshmallow is tucked into the center. Even better, they're no-bake and you can make a big batch in about 30 minutes.

No more half-eaten lunches--this taco-inspired bento box lunch is a healthy and portable meal your kid will love.

Kids love pizza and this bento box lunch gives them all the familiar pizza flavors they love, along with a serving of colorful, healthy vegetables and a fruit dessert. Plus, this healthy lunch is a breeze to pack up!

This bento box idea is full of your kid's breakfast favorites, even waffles. This lunch is packed with healthy foods you will feel good about serving and kids will actually be excited to eat--no more half-eaten lunches!

Sliced strawberries and reduced-fat cream cheese come together in a sandwich for this quick and healthy lunchbox treat.

Toss leftover cooked chicken with barbecue sauce and crunchy carrots for a quick and healthy lunch.

Kids and adults alike will appreciate this skewered snack.

This bento box idea makes lunch fun. With its colorful carrots and swirled yogurt, this packable lunch is a healthy meal kids will actually want to eat--no more half-eaten lunches.

Ready in just 5 minutes, this cute ham-and-cheese appetizer or snack is as much fun to make as it is to eat. Top with your favorite fresh herb, such as dill or basil, for a pretty presentation.

Try this easy egg salad on your favorite multigrain bread or on top of lightly dressed salad greens.

This kid-friendly twist on classic Cobb salad gives children the choice to eat all the healthy ingredients--veggies, turkey, eggs, bacon and avocado--together or separately. Packing it all in a bento box makes it easy to tote to school and keeps all the ingredients from touching, a plus for picky eaters.

Make a big batch of homemade ranch dressing to keep on hand for dipping crisp, raw vegetables anytime for a healthy snack both kids and adults will enjoy.

This classic hummus recipe couldn't be easier--just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) makes this healthy dip extra smooth and creamy. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.

If you have a nut allergy or need to pack nut-free lunches, try this easy recipe for homemade no-nut butter. For the best flavor, don't skip toasting the seeds.

This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl recipe is even better than takeout and just as fast. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthy dinner.

Potatoes, cheese and greens make this mini quiche recipe delicious and satisfying. Bake up a batch over the weekend and you'll have breakfast available in a hurry for the rest of the week.

Make perfectly crunchy veggie chips at home with this healthy recipe. Use a mandoline to slice the sweet potatoes extra-thin for the optimum crunch!

This vibrant orange hummus recipe couldn't be easier--just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Roasted red peppers make this healthy dip extra flavorful. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.

Stirring salsa into versatile canned refried beans makes a quick and healthy bean dip. It also works well as a sandwich spread with your favorite vegetables and a sprinkle of cheese.

This healthy yogurt parfait recipe combines fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and crunchy granola for an easy breakfast. Pack the parfait in a mason jar for a healthy breakfast on the go.

Skip tortilla chips and get a healthy dose of vitamin C when you use bell pepper as a dipper for guacamole in this quick snack recipe.

Make your own flavored yogurt with fresh fruit and a touch of honey to cut down on added sugars. This healthy snack recipe is flavored with raspberries, but you can use any berries you have on hand.

Make your own flavored cream cheese by stirring in fresh, in-season cherries. We like the flavor of black cherries, but any kind will work. Spread this on your morning bagel or sandwich it between graham crackers for a cherry cheesecake-inspired snack.

Toasted sesame seeds add taste and eye appeal to a cheery plate of crunchy carrots.

There's nothing wrong with having a little fun while you eat! Use a green spinach wrap to make this chicken and avocado wrap look like an alligator for a fun lunch to pack for your kids' school lunch. (Just remember to warn them about the toothpicks holding the alligator's eyes in place.)

Who says bento boxes are just for kids? This healthy bento-style lunch--loaded with clean, satisfying foods--is perfect to pack for work.

Eating clean doesn't have to be boring! This fruit-salad-on-a-stick is the natural way to get in on the rainbow trend for a fun healthy snack or no-added-sugar dessert.

Get cheesecake flavor without having to bake with this healthy dessert recipe. To make it gluten-free, look for gluten-free graham crackers.

This sweet twist on a classic tuna-salad sandwich is a healthy high-protein lunch that even your kids will love.

These healthy roll-ups with peanut butter and bananas make eating lunch fun! Kids will love the bite-sized version of this sandwich. Try sunflower seed butter as an allergy-friendly alternative.

With sliced vegetables, a whole-wheat tortilla and baby spinach, these roll-ups make the perfect healthy lunch for your kids to take to school.

It only takes 5 minutes to make this healthy sandwich with whole-wheat bread and the classic combination of Cheddar cheese and apples that your kids will love.

Kids will love eating their veggies when you turn mini cucumbers into fun caterpillar treats ready for dunking in their favorite dip!

A fun change from the traditional peanut butter and jelly, this strawberry and almond butter sandwich is sure to be a lunch box favorite.

You don't need any special tools to create this cute teddy bear sandwich that kids will love. Plus, this easy lunch has healthy ingredients you can feel good about feeding your kids, like whole grains, hummus and veggies.

Pita wedges and crudité with hummus make a satisfyingly simple lunch box. We round out this Mediterranean-inspired snack lunch with cheese and fruit. If your child likes olives, sprinkle some into the veggie dippers.

A sushi-like wrap of veggies and ranch dressing packaged in a tortilla makes an appealing lunch that kids will love. The choice of vegetables in the filling is flexible, depending on your child's preferences and what you have on hand.

This colorful picnic dinner idea features tasty munchies you don't need utensils for and mild flavors that kids prefer, like deli meat, cheese and crunchy raw veggies. It's easy to assemble this complete menu, and adults will enjoy it as much as the kids. The menu calls for store-bought hummus and cookies, but you can easily make them yourself (see Tips, below).

Thinly sliced cucumber is used as a low-carb "wrap" in this satisfying lunch recipe. Pile sandwich fillings like lunch meat, cheese and veggies on top of the cucumber slices, roll up and cut into bites like sushi. Round out this easy packable lunch with fresh fruit and veggies for a fun meal to take to work or school.

Who doesn't love breakfast for lunch? Make it to-go with this easy bento box idea that combines waffles, eggs and fruit for a satisfying and fun meal that kids and adults alike will love.

Quesadillas make a quick and easy sandwich alternative. Even though they are often served hot, quesadillas also taste good cold or at room temperature. That makes them an ideal addition to this flavor-packed bento box, a collection of foods that you can meal-prep on the weekend for easy lunches at work or school.

Greek yogurt provides the filling protein base for this colorful lunch box, but the remaining ingredients are very flexible to accommodate your child's tastes. You can replace the cereal or granola with dried fruit, and swap steamed vegetables for the cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

Cook extra pasta with dinner and set it aside to make an easy pasta salad you can pack for lunch the following day. Add beans, leftover chicken, deli turkey or tuna for extra protein.

Get your kids excited to eat their veggies with this fun veggie-face sandwich. Let them create the face themselves, and they may be even more inclined to eat it.