Out of Ideas for an Enjoyable School Lunch? Fun and Easy Lunch Ideas!

School is starting around the country and whether you go off to school or school from home all kids need lunch! The regular old ham and cheese can be great for some, but we have complied a list of fun and easy school lunch ideas (many non-sandwich) for kids. Let us help you up the lunch game and save you time.

Pinwheels

Cold cut sandwiches are a classic lunch option – I know my son asks for a “quick ham and cheese” pretty much every day! However, if you want a twist on the old classic, pin wheels are a great option. They are super easy to make and customizable to whatever your kid likes! You can use any kind of tortillas (regular, whole grain, and gluten-free), any type of meat, and cheese. You could even use a nut butter (if your school allows) and jelly!

Another option could be a meat and cheese roll up, or meat, cheese, and vegetable kabob. You can make any combination that works in your house. Pair with fruit, crackers, or apple sauce – the possibilities are endless!

Breakfast for Lunch

Mini pancakes are a super fun option that you can make ahead of time. You could even try out these super tasty mini pumpkin pancakes. Make a batch of these whenever you have time and then freeze them until you are ready to send them for lunch. Pair with some fruit and syrup on the side, and you have the perfect breakfast for lunch.

Non-sandwich

While my son loves a ham and cheese, my daughter does not like sandwiches at all! A go-to for her school lunch is a quick and easy pasta salad with just a few ingredients: cheese tortellini, Italian dressing, bell peppers, tomatoes, and finished off with a little salt and pepper. It can be customized to whatever you like and is great for school lunches. A similar recipe can be found here.

Another great non-sandwich idea is chicken nuggets. If your kids are like mine, they will not eat them cold. A great idea for keeping them warm is using a thermos, (also great for mac and cheese)! To learn a few additional tricks to keeping the chicken nuggets warm, check out this article.

Just like there are tons of options out there for school lunch, the same is true for school options. If you are still exploring which school choice works best for you, Stride K12 is still enrolling for school at home.