One of the toughest challenges moms have today is deciding what goes into the lunch box! Balancing “easy” with “delicious” with “will be eaten” seems a daunting task.  We’ve compiled a list of healthy lunch ideas we believe you will love to prepare and your kids will love to eat. We’ve also included some healthy snacks ideas to spice up those lunch boxes and ensure your kids have enough energy throughout the day to learn and play.

Our favourite lunch ideas:

1. Turkey and cheese pinwheels
2. Pasta tossed with salad dressing or olive oil and chicken
3. Graham crackers with cookie butter
4. Quesadillas with shredded cheese mix, served with marinara and sour cream for dipping
5. DIY lunchables: deli sliced meats or pepperoni with cheese and crackers
6. Sweet potato and black bean burritos
7. Cream cheese and strawberry sandwich or bagel
8. Sunbutter and natural fruit jelly sandwich
9. Fruit and oatmeal muffins
10. Egg muffins
11. DIY tacos: ground beef or chicken, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and tomato

Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Their Lunch

Before the start of the week, sit down with the kids and let them be a part of the meal planning process. The best way to ensure they eat everything you send them to school with is by having them tell you what they like and don’t like. Once you’ve agreed to a plan enlist them to  help you assemble some of the ingredients and snacks.

To make sure your kids have the energy they need throughout the day, we suggest you include a few  healthy snack options too. Here are some of our favourites:  

• Pretzels
• Apple or pear slices
• Wheat crackers
• Nilla wafers
• Air popped popcorn with custom toppings
• Pea pods
• Edamame
• Grapes
• Cheese sticks
• Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
• Orange slices
• Banana
• Apple sauce
• Yogurt
• Hummus and veggie soldiers
• Trail mix
• Energy Bites
• Homemade granola bars
• Fruit salad
• Healthy oatmeal cookies

For even more healthy lunch ideas check out our Pinterest page. Don’t forget to share with us what your kids like the most!