21 Creative Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

With kids back in school, moms are scrambling to find lunch ideas that won’t end up coming home uneaten. These 21 creative back-to-school lunch ideas are perfect to get you out of a sandwich rut and kids will love these school lunch ideas!

If you are anything like me, you pack amazing school lunches for about the first week of school . . . and then you start to fizzle out. It’s hard to come up with fresh school lunch ideas day after day. My kids don’t always want to eat the lunches that I think are amazing, but they also get sick of the same old peanut butter sandwich that is my go-to when I’m out of lunch ideas.

I typically have my kids pack their own school lunches. It’s good for them to have the responsibility and it takes something off my plate, but I have to be the one to give them some options when they aren’t sure what to pack in their lunches.

We always have a few healthy snack options that they can grab when they are packing school lunch. The main course is a bit tricker for them and they often resort to sandwiches (that more often than not, end up coming home uneaten).

In an effort to not have my kids’ school lunches consist only of snacks (which is what they’d eat if given the choice), I gathered these creative school lunch ideas that I’m sure they will love.

This year, to simplify things, I plan to make a list of lunch ideas and stick it on the inside of my pantry door so my kids know what their options are when they aren’t sure what to pack in their lunch.

21 Creative School Lunch Ideas

1. Cheesy Turkey Bacon Pinwheels
2. 5-Ingredient Bento Box Lunches for kids
3. Turkey Veggie Snack Wraps
4. Granola Crunch Apple Peanut Butter Sandwich Wraps
5. Sushi Sandwich Turkey
6. Clean Eating Banana Wrap
7. Bagel Pizzas
8. Ranch Veggie Wraps
9. Best Fruit Salad Recipe
10. Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels with Sesame Lime Quinoa Salad
11. PBJ Pinwheel Sandwich Kabobs
12. Make Ahead Pizza Rolls
13. Easy Walking Tacos
14. Easy Baked Corn Dog Bites
15. 4-Cheese Pepperoni Pizza Bites
16. Pigs in a Blanket
17. Pizza Sticks
18. Hot Ham and Cheese Rolls
19. Cheeseburger Pockets
20. Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Hot Pocket
21. Kid-Approved Pasta Salad

We hope these creative school lunch ideas will make the school year go just a bit smoother this year. Get into a meal rotation and simplify things even more. Each week you could have ingredients on hand to make 4-5 of these recipes and let your kids choose which they want to make each day, or if they want to go for their standard sandwich.

Recommended School Lunch Supplies

To simplify school lunches, we recommend having some products on hand that make it easy for kids to prep their own lunches and get them to school in a way that keeps them looking appetizing. These are some of our favorite school lunch products:

Lunch Bag 2 Pack Reusable Insulated Lunch Box Tote Bags-Lunch Container Organizer Cooler Bento Bag for Work,Travel,PicnicBuilt NY LB10-BLK Gourmet Getaway Mini Lightweight Insulated Neoprene Lunch Tote Bag, BlackBUILT NY Gourmet Getaway Neoprene Lunch Tote (Colors of Love Aqua)BUILT NY Spicy Relish Neoprene Lunch Bag with Adjustable Crossbody Strap, BlackBuilt NY BAB1-DOG Big Apple Buddies Reusable Insulated Kid’s Lunch Box Sack, Delancey DoggieFreshware Meal Prep Containers [21 Pack] 3 Compartment with Lids, Food Storage Bento Box | BPA Free | Stackable | Lunch Boxes, Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer Safe, Portion Control, 21 day fix (24 oz)Meal Prep Containers 3-Compartment Lunch Boxes Food Storage Containers with Lids, BPA Free Plastic Bento Box Set of 7,Portion Control Divided Cover,ReusableRubbermaid LunchBlox Entrée Kit, Green 1806233Rubbermaid LunchBlox Kids Lunch Box Container, Tall, Assorted Colors 1866739BlueAvocado Re-Zip Seal Reusable Storage Bag Kit (Pack of 5)Stasher Reusable Silicone Food Bag, Sandwich Bag, Sous vide Bag, Storage Bag, AquaLunchskins Reusable 3-Pack Sandwich Bags – Tree, Bird, and SharkThermos Stainless King 16 Ounce Food Jar with Folding Spoon, Midnight BlueTHERMOS FOOGO Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel 10-Ounce Food Jar, Watermelon/GreenTHERMOS FOOGO Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel 10-Ounce Straw Bottle, Pink/PurpleCamelBak Eddy Kids Back To School Water Bottle, Glitter Hearts, 0.4 LWide Mouth 12 oz Kids Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Water Bottle with BPA Free Straw Lid and Protective Silicone Flex Boot, FlamingoFit & Fresh Cool Coolers Slim Reusable Ice Packs for Lunch Boxes, Lunch Bags and Coolers, Set of 4, BlueOmieBox Bento Lunch Box With Insulated Thermos For Kids, Blue SkyFun Sandwich and Bread Cutter Shapes for kids – 10 Crust & Cookie Cutters – PLUS 6 FREE Mini Heart & Flower Stainless Steel Vegetable & Fruit Stamp Set and 10 Food Picks Loved by both Boys & Girls!Ipow Thicken Silicone Cupcake Baking Muffin Cups Liners Molds Sets,24packAmazonBasics Bento Lunch Box Containers – Set of 4The School Year Survival Cookbook: Healthy Recipes and Sanity-Saving Strategies for Every Family and Every Meal (Even Snacks)24 Piece Kids Plastic Cutlery Set – Safe BPA Free Utensils – Bright Colored Flatware for Kids and Toddlers with Easy Comfortable Grip