27 Kid-Approved Snacks for School Lunches

Protein snacks for school lunches

Keep your child's energy level up all afternoon by packing one of these protein-rich snacks in their lunchbox:

1. Meat and cheese kabobs

Alternate pieces of lunch meat and cubes of cheese on kabob sticks. Add cherry tomatoes or cumber slices for variety.

2. Bacon, egg, and cheese muffins

Make up a big batch of hearty bacon, egg, and cheese muffins on the weekend and use them for quick school lunch snacks and breakfasts. They are versatile; use other meats and veggies to suit your child's tastes.

3. Cheese and crackers

Slice up some cheese and add a few crackers for a simple lunch box snack.

4. Corn dog bites

Mix up a package of cornbread and cut hot dogs into small bite-sized pieces. Pour batter into mini muffin cups and add one hot dog piece to each cup. Reduce the baking time by about half; check for doneness before removing from the oven. These freeze well and will thaw by lunch, and are good eaten at room temperature.

5. Hard-boiled eggs

Don't wait until you have an abundance of eggs post-Easter. Eggs cook up easily and can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. Peel ahead of time or send in the lunchbox as-is.

6. Chicken nuggets

Cook up some chicken nuggets in the morning and store them in a thermos to keep them warm until lunchtime. Send an individual packet of barbeque sauce or your child's favorite dipping sauce.

7. Hot dogs

Wrapped well in foil, a hot dog will stay warm and still be edible at lunchtime. Alternatively, place the warm hot dog in a thermos and place the hot dog bun in a plastic bag.

8. Meatballs

Homemade or storebought, meatballs are easy to pack in a sack lunch and taste great hot or cold.

Vegetable snacks for school lunches

Ensure your kiddos are getting enough veggies by adding one of these snacks to their school lunch:

9. Sugar snap peas

Sugar snap peas are fun to eat and simple to prep for lunch. Just wash the peas, let the excess water drip off, and put in baggies.

10. Baby carrots

Eaten on their own or with dip, baby carrots are a favorite at lunchrooms around the country.

11. Veggie sticks and dip

Cut up celery, carrot, cucumber, and bell peppers into sticks. Add a container of your child's favorite dip to top it off.

12. Ants on a log

There are a few ways to dress up a plain celery stick. Use the common filling of peanut butter with raisins on top. For those with peanut allergies, another type of nut butter works just as well. Cream cheese or a thick dip also works well as a filling.

13. Cucumber sushi

Wash and trim the ends of a cucumber. Next, carefully scoop out the seeds and fill them with rolled-up ham, cheese slices, and matchstick carrots to fill the hollowed-out part. Finally, cut into thick slices and enjoy.

14. Stuffed mini bell peppers

Wash, remove the top from and deseed miniature red, yellow, and orange sweet mini peppers. Fill with tuna salad, flavored cream cheese, or dip.

15. Veggie chips with hummus

Chips made from vegetables are a fun way to sneak in an extra serving or two of veggies. Serve with hummus for a healthy and filling lunch box snack.

Fruit snacks for school lunches

Double up on the snacks from fruit and skip the dessert for a healthier lunch box:

16. Mandarin oranges

Kids love how cute and small these oranges are, plus they're easy to peel.

17. Berry cups

Fill reusable containers with a mix of washed strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Kids can eat these as they are or with a container of vanilla yogurt.

18. Banana in a blanket

Place a thin layer of nut butter on a tortilla. Wrap it around a peeled banana, and your child has a fun snack for their school lunch.

19. Fruit salad

Make a fruit salad of watermelon, strawberries, canteloupe, blueberries, and kiwi. Toss some lemon juice and sugar on top and stir to keep it from browning.

20. Applesauce

Choose packaged single-serving applesauce cups or make your own. Buy a large container of applesauce and portion it into reusable food containers.

21. Fruit kebobs

Place pieces of fruit on kebob sticks for an irresistible snack kids can't resist. Melon cubes, grapes, blueberries, and strawberries stay on the stick and keep well until lunchtime.

Grains for school lunch snacks

Keep little tummies full with some of these delicious grain-based snacks:

22. Rice cakes

Regular-sized rice cakes or mini rice cakes are great bases for spreads like almond butter, cream cheese, or hummus.

23. Mini waffles

Bite-sized mini waffles are good on their own or used to make a sandwich with bits of deli meat and cheese.

24. Quesadillas

Fill tortillas with cheese and shredded chicken and cook. Cut into pieces and serve with containers of salsa and sour cream.

25. PB&J on a hot dog bun

Switch up the lunch box standby and use a hot dog bun instead of sliced bread for your peanut butter and jelly.

26. Pasta salad

Deli pasta salad works great for lunches as long as you add an ice pack to keep it cool.

27. Energy bites

Made with quick oats, nut butter, honey, and mix-ins like chia seeds, chopped nuts, raisins, or mini chocolate chips, energy bites are easy to whip up. Make a double or triple batch because they don't last long!

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