Most kids, at some point, opt for a brown bag lunch from home rather than taking a hot lunch at school. Maybe the school menu doesn’t appeal to them; maybe they don’t want to lose some of their lunchtime waiting in a long line; or, maybe, their bagged lunches from home are full of fun foods that they love. If you’d like to make a more appealing lunch for your child, here are 35 possibilities to consider.
Lunch #1
- Pita Pocket with Chicken Pieces, Lettuce, Shredded Cheddar and Salsa
- Fruit Salad with Miniature Marshmallows
- Cheese Shapes (use cookie cutters to make the shapes)
- Bottled Water
Lunch #2
- Bagel with Jam and Strawberry Fluff (marshmallow whip)
- Ants on a Log (celery sticks filled with cream cheese and topped with raisins)
- Cereal Party Mix (pre-packaged or homemade)
- Yogurt Drink
Lunch #3
- Ham and Cheese Roll-Up
- Fruited Jell-O Snack
- Trail Mix (with candy coated chocolate pieces)
- Milk
Lunch #4
- Turkey, Lettuce and Tomato on Rainbow Bread
- Fresh Pineapple Chunks
- Swirl Pudding
- Fruit Punch
Lunch #5
- Tuna, Alfalfa Sprouts and Tomato on a Soft Roll
- Graham Crackers w/Chocolate Flavored Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff Filling
- Fresh Green Grapes
- Bottled Water
Lunch #6
- Roast Beef, Swiss Cheese and Pickles on a Small Grinder Roll
- Fruit Flavored Yogurt with Gummi Bear Topping (packaged separately)
- Graham Cracker Shapes
- Milk
Lunch #7
- Tortilla Wrap with Chicken Strips, Lettuce and Provolone
- Grape Tomatoes
- Granola Bar
- Yogurt Drink
Lunch #8
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Triangles on Whole Wheat
- Fresh Apple Slices
- Mixed Peanuts and Raisins
- Cider
Lunch #9
- Tri-Color Pasta Salad
- Fresh Strawberries
- Pretzel Sticks
- Fruit Juice
Lunch #10
- Chicken Salad with Sprouts on White Bread
- Yogurt Covered Raisins
- Fresh Apple
- Bottled Water
Lunch #11
- Garden Pita Sandwich (sprouts, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, grated carrot)
- Cheese Cubes
- Fresh Pear
- Yogurt Drink
Lunch #12
- Bologna and Cheese Wraps
- Ants on a Raft (graham crackers with peanut butter, topped with raisins)
- Dried Fruit Mix
- Milk
Lunch #13
- Pizza Sandwich (sandwich-size pepperoni with sliced mozzarella on a Bagel)
- Jell-O Cubes
- Fresh Pear
- Fruit Juice
Lunch #14
- Egg Salad with Lettuce on a Portuguese Roll
- Carrot Sticks
- Chocolate Covered Raisins
- Lemonade
Lunch #15
- Meatloaf Triangles with Green Catsup on White Bread
- Colorful Macaroni Salad
- Fresh Peach
- Bottled Water
Lunch #16
- Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich on Multi-Grain Bread
- Chunky Applesauce
- String Cheese
- Milk
Lunch #17
- Turkey and Cheese Pinwheel Sandwich
- Deviled Eggs
- Fruit Leather
- Bottled Water
Lunch #18
- Chicken on Skewers (Wooden)
- Celery Sticks with Ranch Dip (packed separately)
- Baby Red Potato Salad
- Fruit Drink
Lunch #19
- Bagel Pizza (Sauce, Mozzarella and his/her favorite toppings on a bagel)
- Star Fruit
- Homemade Cookies (pick your child’s favorite)
- Milk
Lunch #20
- Turkey and Cranberry Sauce Sandwich on a hard roll
- Potato Sticks
- Chocolate Covered Banana on a Stick (will need to be kept cool with a thermal pack)
- Bottled Water
Lunch #21
- Miniature Hero on a Hot Dog Roll
- Watermelon Cubes
- Small Bag of Popcorn
- Milk
Lunch #22
- Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich on Whole Wheat
- Mandarin Orange Sections
- Cookie Dippers (cookies with yogurt or frosting included as dip)
- Fruit Juice
Lunch #23
- Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Corn Muffin
- Colorful Bean Salad
- Lemonade
Lunch #24
- Stuffed Apple (peanut butter filling, topped with raisins)
- Melon Balls
- Cheese and Crackers
- Milk
Lunch #25
- Banana Bread Sandwich (chunky peanut butter between two slices of banana bread)
- Garden Salad
- Sliced Bananas and Strawberries
- Yogurt Drink
Lunch #26
- Vegetarian Pita (Swiss cheese, red and yellow peppers, lettuce and vinaigrette)
- Chocolate Graham Crackers
- Fresh Peach
- Bottled Water
Lunch #27
- Tomato with Pasta Salad Stuffing
- Cheddar Triangles
- Fresh Strawberries with Chocolate Dip
- Milk
Lunch #28
- Sliced Chicken Breast, Tomato and Sprouts between Rice Cakes
- Olive Salad with Croutons
- Peanut Butter Cookie
- Bottled Water
Lunch #29
- Tropical Ham Sandwich on Whole-Grain Bread (ham, pineapple and bananas)
- Tangerine
- Gingerbread
- Tropical Fruit Juice
Lunch #30
- Cream Cheese, Honey and Walnut Mixture on Raisin Bread
- Fruit Kabob (wooden skewer)
- Soft Pretzel
- Lemonade
Lunch #31
- Cookie Cutter Ham and Cheese on Rye (cut into a fun shape with a cookie cutter)
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Milk
Lunch #32
- Chili Spiced Rice and Diced Peppers in a Pita
- Dill Pickle
- Caramel Popcorn
- Bottled Water
Lunch #33
- Roast Pork and Sprouts on Whole Wheat
- Banana Chips
- Yogurt with Granola and Chocolate Chip Topping
- Apple Juice
Lunch #34
- Peanut Butter, Honey and Raisin Mixture on Cinnamon Bread
- Apple Chips
- Chocolate Pudding
- Milk
Lunch #35
- Waldorf Chicken Salad Sandwich (chicken salad, apple slices and cheddar on soft roll)
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
- Fresh Celery and Carrot Sticks
- Cider
Any of your child’s favorite foods can be integrated into the daily lunch plan. You’ll need to remember to make things colorful, with a variety of tastes and textures, using different types of bread on a regular basis. Most kids would say that one of their chief complaints about bringing a lunch from home is that it gets boring, which causes them to spend critical lunch time trying to trade what’s in their bags. Of course, involving the kids in the lunch packing process will help to ensure that they’ll eat their noontime meal. This gives them the opportunity to have some regular input regarding their daily menu.
