Lunchbox Ideas for Kids

Making lunches every day can sometimes be cathartic for me, and other times it is a right pain in the arse. Especially on a Friday when stock in the cupboards is at an all time low.

I will literally look up and down, right into the cracks of the pantry, searching for food ideas for my kids. Eventually I find something to fill out the lunchbox, but I tell you it’s not easy!

I get asked a lot about lunchbox ideas for kids, so I’ve done a bit of research and put together this post for you. Firstly, however, a disclaimer: I am not a health professional. I am also not a nutritionalist. I am a Mum who believes in feeding my kids a balanced diet. If you see something you don’t agree with in this list, it’s all good – my food choices aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. These are just meant to be for inspiration.

When it comes to putting things together, you can simply make the lunches each morning, or the night before. Or you can do a weeks worth of prep at once and split everything into snap-lock bags. Not necessary, but saves you time in the long run as you just grab what you need as you go.

I’ve put together this infographic to help visualise what you can put in a lunchbox … right click on the image to save it to your desktop. You can pin this to your Pinterest, or save it to your computer; or even take a screenshot and save it to your phone!

Be sure to check out my own lunch box creations to see what I put in my kids lunch.

Here are some baking ideas from my website:

You can pre-bake loads of biscuits / muffins / cupcakes and then freeze them. Taking them out in the morning, means it’ll be ready by morning tea / lunch time for your child to eat.

If you’re after a new lunchbox, check out this comprehensive list of New Zealand / Australia Bento-style lunchbox stockists.

Please remember to adhere to your school’s / education facility’s guidelines when it comes to food – most schools don’t allow any type of nut, and sometimes there are children with specific allergies such as dairy, kiwifruit, sesame, etc. So please check first before filling your lunchbox.

Also, if you are concerned about what your child is eating, please consult your qualified health professional.

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