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  5. 19 Cold Lunch Ideas for Kids That They'll Want to Eat Forever

19 Cold Lunch Ideas for Kids That They'll Want to Eat Forever

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins Updated May 18, 2022
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Rainbow Veggie Wraps

These cold lunch ideas for kids are sure to please both kiddos and the adults making them. Kids can get their fill of fruits, veggies, protein and more necessary nutrients with these healthy meals that aim to satisfy even the pickiest of palates. Recipes like our Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich and Rainbow Veggie Wraps are fresh and delicious.

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Pasta Salad with Black Beans & Avocado Dressing

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Everyone will love this pasta salad recipe that's packed with tomatoes, corn and black beans. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.

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Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich

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When you're craving a sub but you don't want all the carbs, these turkey-and-cheese deli sandwiches on cucumber rolls are a healthy alternative. Hollow out a cucumber and fill it up with your favorite sandwich fillings for a crisp sub with less carbs and calories. Plus, you can easily pack these up for work, school or a picnic--no soggy bread!

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Rainbow Veggie Wraps

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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.

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Clean-Eating Bento Box Lunch

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

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Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up

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Credit: Jacob Fox
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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.

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Peanut Butter-Banana English Muffin

Peanut Butter-Banana English Muffin
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Peanut butter and banana are the original power couple. Top a simple toasted English muffin with the duo, then sprinkle everything with a hit of ground cinnamon for a healthy breakfast of champions.

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Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad

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Avocado makes an exceptionally creamy and healthful dressing for this chicken salad. A bit of ranch dressing with pickled jalapeño adds a tangy spin to the lunchtime classic. Serve it on a slice of whole-wheat toast for an open-face sandwich or in a lettuce cup for a low-carb lunch.

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Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap

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Who doesn't love a BLT? In this Mexican-inspired version, we've added chicken and avocado and wrapped it in a tortilla, making it easy to eat.

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Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls

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Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare--that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes.

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Pickle Sub Sandwiches with Turkey & Cheddar

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Cut down on carbs by swapping 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. These sandwiches are an easy lunch, but they're also great on a party tray for a casual get-together.

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Pizza Roll-Up Bento Lunch

Pizza Roll-Up Bento Lunch
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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.

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Vegan Bistro Lunch Box

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Perfect to pack for lunch to take to work or for a picnic in the park, this vegan bistro box is filled with Mediterranean diet-inspired crunchy vegetables, pita bread, creamy hummus and olives.

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Chicken Club Wraps

Chicken Club Wraps
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Whole-wheat tortillas provide a tasty twist in this quick grilled chicken breast recipe that combines all the elements of a classic club sandwich into a wrap. Serve with extra napkins.

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Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps

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This vegetarian riff on a Buffalo chicken wrap adds the spicy Buffalo tang you love to crunchy roasted chickpeas all tucked into an easy-to-make wrap with carrot, celery and blue cheese. Make and take a wrap for a healthy packable lunch or serve them up on game day for a protein-packed snack everyone will devour.

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BLATs (Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado-Tomato Sandwiches)

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In this healthy BLT recipe, we use a creamy avocado spread flavored with garlic and basil and add sprouts. Look for sprouted-wheat bread in the frozen section or with other specialty bread at your grocery store.

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DIY Lunch Kits for Kids

metal bento box filled with turkey, crackers, grapes, peas and chocolate
Credit: Jennifer Causey
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In search of new lunch ideas for kids? 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. It's a cute way to encourage your kids to eat a healthy lunch, plus you save money by making the kits instead of buying them. You might even want to make yourself one of these bento lunches to take to work for the nostalgia factor--they're sure to make back-to-school time more fun for kids and adults alike.

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Pizza Lettuce Wraps

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Go light and fresh when you're craving pizza: these easy lettuce wraps have all the taste with fewer carbs and calories.

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Picnic Bento Lunch

Picnic Bento Lunch
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Get all the flavors of al fresco dining wherever you are. This easy and healthy packable lunch idea includes all your picnic favorites for a satisfying meal to take to work.

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Soy-Lime Tofu & Rice Bento Lunch

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Tofu, rice and vegetables are classic bento ingredients. Make extra rice for dinner and roll leftovers into balls for lunch. To keep green veggies vibrant and crisp, cook them briefly and immediately dunk them into a bowl of ice water. You can also use cubed store-bought baked tofu in place of the roasted tofu.

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    1 of 19 Pasta Salad with Black Beans & Avocado Dressing
    2 of 19 Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich
    3 of 19 Rainbow Veggie Wraps
    4 of 19 Clean-Eating Bento Box Lunch
    5 of 19 Cream Cheese & Veggie Roll-Up
    6 of 19 Peanut Butter-Banana English Muffin
    7 of 19 Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
    8 of 19 Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap
    9 of 19 Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls
    10 of 19 Pickle Sub Sandwiches with Turkey & Cheddar
    11 of 19 Pizza Roll-Up Bento Lunch
    12 of 19 Vegan Bistro Lunch Box
    13 of 19 Chicken Club Wraps
    14 of 19 Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
    15 of 19 BLATs (Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado-Tomato Sandwiches)
    16 of 19 DIY Lunch Kits for Kids
    17 of 19 Pizza Lettuce Wraps
    18 of 19 Picnic Bento Lunch
    19 of 19 Soy-Lime Tofu & Rice Bento Lunch

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    19 Cold Lunch Ideas for Kids That They'll Want to Eat Forever
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