Over 50 Back to School Lunch Ideas {perfect lunchbox recipes}

These back to school lunch ideas are fast, easy, and delicious! As your kids are getting ready to head back into the school routine, it’s also time to change the way you grocery shop. Menu planning has made my life a lot easier. I love these lunchbox ideas.

As a result, I’ve rounded up some of the best back-to-school lunches I’ve either shared or found on some of my fellow blogger’s sites that are worth mentioning again. These are simple and fairly cheap alternatives for you to prepare for those back-to-school lunches to make your morning or day run smoother.

Anything you can do to get the kids out the door fast for school with good food options is a win! Make certain to check out my other snacks for kids as well!

This list is great to use and get ahead in the planning of your school lunches! You can easily plan out the week or month from this list of simple recipes for kids. Great for field trip lunch ideas and school days lunch ideas, too.

You can also add these cute Scary Cute Printable Monster Lunch Box Notes! Be sure to check out these Kindergarten Lunch Note Ideas!

Table of Contents

What foods are best for school lunches?

You’re going to want to stick with foods that don’t need to be kept hot or cold. That way, the food can be stored in a lunchbox and your child won’t have to worry about anything besides opening it up and eating.

I love using bento boxes as a way to hold fresh fruit, chicken salad, or even fun desserts like chocolate chips. Paper sacks can be a great option for disposable lunches and is an effective way to have school meals fast.

Keep in mind that you’re going to want to fill a water bottle or have juice boxes as other great ideas for your child’s lunch.

How do you meal plan for school lunches?

I like to actually meal plan based upon what I know my kids are going to eat. Why waste money stocking their lunch boxes with food items that are just going to sit there?

I also like to look at the sale ads for the week and plan out my menu based on that. Items that are lower in sugar and higher in protein or nutrients add a great amount of value to the day. Since they’ll be running around at school, they need something hearty for their tummies!

If I can cook up some mac and cheese the night before, that is something great to send, too. Pasta salad is good, as is cream cheese and celery, or anything with peanut butter.

What foods are you going to add to your menu planning to get your child to eat lunch at school?

Resources for Back to School Lunches: