Finding quick, healthy, cold, non-sandwich school lunch ideas for picky kids can be a challenge, but this list of 26 options has you covered. From fruity chicken meatballs to grilled cheese roll-ups, these recipes are designed to please even the most selective eaters. Each meal is nutritious and easy to prepare, making lunchtime stress-free for both parents and kids.
Say goodbye to boring sandwiches and hello to a variety of delicious, kid-friendly options that are sure to make lunchtime exciting again.
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Table Of Contents
- Fruity Chicken Meatballs
- Bacon Cheeseburger Bites
- Taco Pockets
- Chicken Ranch Wraps
- Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sticks
- Ham and Mac and Cheese Lunchbox Muffins
- Ham and Cheese Appetizer Skewers
- Mini Corn Dog Muffins
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Grilled Cheese Roll Ups
- Garlic Chicken & Veggies Pasta Meal Prep
- DIY Uncrustable Sandwiches
- Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
- Pizza Grilled Cheese
- Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Vegetables
- Cheese Quesadilla
- Easy Cucumber Sushi for Kids
- Air Fryer Hot Ham and Cheese Wraps
- Hungry Hippos
- Crispy Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly
- Mild Chicken Fajitas for Kids
- Tuna Pinwheels
- Caterpillar
Fruity Chicken Meatballs
These chicken meatballs, ideal for babies, toddlers, and kids, are soft, delicious, and nutritious. Packed with protein, they also include added veggies and fruit for an extra boost.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Servings: 28 balls
INGREDIENTS
- olive oil
- onion
- carrot
- breadcrumbs
- milk
- pear
- apple
- parsley
- smoked paprika
- chicken mince
Bacon Cheeseburger Bites
These delicious Bacon Cheeseburger Bites are perfect for a kid-friendly keto meal. Gluten-free, nut free, easy to meal prep, and under 1 net carb each!
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 18 mins
- Servings: 32 bites
Taco Pockets
These savory Taco Pockets are a kid-friendly favorite and a smart way to turn Taco Night leftovers into a great lunch the next day! Use ground beef, turkey, or rotisserie chicken to create these tasty handheld pockets that are perfect for lunches on the go!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Servings: 12
Ingredients
- lean ground beef
- onion
- green chiles
- salsa
- taco seasoning
- salt and pepper
- colby jack cheese sticks
- uncooked pie crusts
Chicken Ranch Wraps
Healthy grilled chicken and ranch wraps are loaded with chicken, cheese and ranch. These tasty wraps come together in under 15 minutes and make a great lunch or snack!
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- grilled chicken breasts
- Hidden Valley® Simply Ranch dressing
- mozzarella cheese
- cilantro
- tortillas
Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sticks
These Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sticks are made with refrigerated pizza dough, mozzarella cheese sticks and plenty of pepperoni. They are a perfectly portable school lunch idea!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Servings: 10 sticks
Ingredients
- Pillsbury pizza crust
- pepperoni slices
- mozzarella cheese sticks
- butter
- garlic powder
- dried parsley
- marinara sauce
Ham and Mac and Cheese Lunchbox Muffins
These Ham and Mac and Cheese Lunchbox Muffins will be the envy of the cafeteria. They’re a delicious way to use up leftover mac and cheese and pack perfectly into a lunchbox.
Ingredients:
- Mac
- egg
- diced ham
- bread crumbs
Ham and Cheese Appetizer Skewers
If your little ones are bored with traditional sandwiches, try putting the sandwich ingredients on a stick like these ones. Skewer cherry tomatoes, sliced deli meats, and cheese cubes for a fun twist on traditional sandwiches!
- Prep: 5 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- cheddar cheese
- deli ham
- cherry tomatoes
Mini Corn Dog Muffins
These Mini Corn Dog Muffins are the perfect lunch box addition! These bite-sized corndogs combine mini cornbread muffins with hot dogs for a pop-able lunch option that kids will love!
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 8 mins
- Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS
- melted butter
- sugar
- egg
- buttermilk
- baking soda
- cornmeal
- all purpose flour
- salt
- all-beef hot dogs
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
These Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars may be the most delicious non-sandwich lunch idea ever! These bars are great for breakfast, lunch, snacks, AND dessert!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
- Yield: 16 bars
Grilled Cheese Roll Ups
These Grilled Cheese Roll Ups are SO easy to make, and let’s be honest, my kids are ten times more likely to eat them when they’re rolled up like this vs in a traditional sandwich format! Use a whole wheat tortilla in place of the bread for a boost of whole grain nutrition.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 8 roll ups
Ingredients
- Soft White Bread
- Cheddar
- Butter
Garlic Chicken & Veggies Pasta Meal Prep
This Garlic Chicken & Veggies Pasta Meal Prep will satisfy even the pickiest eater, while helping you save time in the kitchen and stay on budget.
Ingredients
- Rotini Pasta
- Butter or olive oil
- Chicken Breast
- Salt
- Pepper
- Carrot
- Broccoli
- Frozen Corn
- Garlic
- Romano Cheese
DIY Uncrustable Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a lunchbox staple, so when you’re pressed for time while packing lunches, these easy freezer sandwiches are a huge time saver! You can even make your freezer sandwiches in other varieties such as tuna or chicken salad, deli meats, and cheeses, too!
- Prep: 5 mins
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- peanut butter
- strawberry jelly or any flavor
- bread
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Easy pepperoni pizza rolls are extra crispy on the bottom, tender and chewy on the inside, packed with pepperoni and cheese, and baked until bubbly. Serve with a side of marinara sauce or your favourite pizza sauce for dipping. These pizza rolls are a family favourite and a total crowd-pleaser, so you may want to make a double batch because these will disappear quick!
- Prep: 1 hr 40 mins
- Yield: 12 pizza rolls
For the pizza dough:
- all purpose flour
- salt
- instant yeast
- sugar
- olive oil
For the filling:
- pizza sauce
- mozzarella cheese
- pepperoni slices
- …
Ham and Cheese Sliders
These Ham and Cheese Sliders are covered in a buttery mustard and poppy seed mixture and baked to golden-brown perfection. They’re perfect for dinner or as an appetizer for parties.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 24 mins
- Yield: 12
For Sliders
- Hawaiian sweet rolls
- deli ham
- swiss cheese
For butter topping:
- butter
- dijon mustard
- poppy seeds
- Worcestershire sauce
- onion powder
Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
This Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme recipe is easy, delicious, and so much better than the original! Each is filled with taco meat, nacho cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and a tostada to give its signature crunch!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 6 servings
MEAT MIXTURE:
- lean ground beef
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- taco seasoning
FOR THE WRAP:
- flour tortillas
- tostada shells
- Nacho cheese sauce
- sour cream
- shredded lettuce
- tomatoes
- Mexican cheese
Pizza Grilled Cheese
If you want a recipe so easy your kids can make it for lunch or dinner, this Pizza Grilled Cheese is it. Your kids will love eating these sandwiches, and you will love that they can make it on their own!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 6 servings
GARLIC BUTTER:
- unsalted butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
GRILLED CHEESE:
- white bread
- pizza sauce
- pepperoni slices
- shredded mozzarella cheese
Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Vegetables
These healthy Cream Cheese Pinwheels packed with fresh chopped vegetables, savory cream cheese, and ranch seasoning are a great quick and easy lunch for kids.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1
Ingredients
- tortilla
- fresh vegetables
- green onion, chopped
- cheddar cheese
- cream cheese
- Greek yogurt
- ranch seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Cheese Quesadilla
This easy Cheese Quesadilla recipe is the perfect base for making any type of quesadilla. The filling options are endless, so use this simple recipe as the starting point for making the quesadillas that you and your kids will love!
- Prep Time: 4 mins
- Cook Time: 4 mins
- Yield: 4
INGREDIENTS
- tortillas
- shredded cheese
- optional fillings
Easy Cucumber Sushi for Kids
Perfect lunch/after-school snack idea for little hands, this delicious combo will have your children gobbling “sushi” in no time!
- Total: 10 mins
- Yield: 8 rolls
INGREDIENTS
- Cucumber
- Cheese
- ham turkey, or chicken
- Fresh Matchstick Carrots
Air Fryer Hot Ham and Cheese Wraps
Make these delicious hot ham and cheese wraps in the air fryer for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. With just a few ingredients, you can make these tasty deli-style wraps at home!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
- tortillas
- Black Forest ham
- mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- butter
- Swiss cheese
Hungry Hippos
This sandwich recipe has it all goin’ on! Use it as a fun edible art project … or as a special little lunch box surprise! Choose basic peanut butter and jelly … or venture into our other creative filling ideas (even lots of nut-free options). Best part of all? These hippos are just so stinkin’ cute! A total win all around! Trust us – your kiddos will love ’em!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1
Ingredients
- Flatout Foldit
- spreads
- sprinkled toppings
- blueberry
- grape
- almonds
Crispy Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
These healthy air fryer mozzarella sticks taste every bit as good as a restaurant’s, but they’re much healthier!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 8 low-fat mozzarella sticks
- avocado oil cooking spray
Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly
Who needs a grilled cheese when you can enjoy a warm and toasty Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich? It tastes just like dessert and is easily customizable!
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 3 mins
- Yield: 1
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- fresh bakery bread
- peanut butter
- jelly
Mild Chicken Fajitas for Kids
We love mild chicken fajitas for kids. We set all the prepped ingredients out and let the kids do the rest themselves.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 8 fajitas
INGREDIENTS
- chicken diced
- vegetable oil
- red bell pepper
- yellow pepper
- garlic granules
- smoked paprika
- reduced salt soy sauce
- tortilla
- cheddar cheese
- lettuce
- fresh cherry tomatoes
Tuna Pinwheels
These veg-packed tuna pinwheels are perfect for school lunchboxes!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 14 pinwheels
INGREDIENTS
- full fat cream cheese
- fresh tomatoes
- red bell pepper
- yellow pepper
- canned chickpeas
- cucumber
- fresh spinach
- tuna
- ground black pepper
- flour tortillas
Caterpillar
Ready for a super cute and fun snack that the kids will love to help make? They will get a kick out of The Very Healthy Caterpillar! These fruit and veggie snacks are the perfect hands-on after school snack or a fun lunchbox idea.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 1
Fruit Caterpillar
- green grapes
- strawberry leaves
- chocolate chips
- pretzel sticks
- blueberries
- matchstick carrots
Veggie Caterpillar
- lowfat mayonnaise
- spinach wrap
- salami
- Swiss cheese
- spinach
- cucumber
- cherry tomato
- olive
