10 School Lunch Ideas That Even Your Picky Eater Will Love

Finding fun yet tasty school lunch recipes for picky for kids can be challenging. Read on to see a few of my favorites, including a recipe for a delicious pinwheel sandwich they’ll love!

Finding fun yet tasty school lunch recipes for picky kids can be challenging.  The easiest thing for me to make for them is a sandwich. The kids don’t want the same PB & J sandwich every day for their lunch, though. so I need to come up with other lunch recipes for kids that are easy. Read on to see a few of my favorites, including a recipe for a delicious pinwheel sandwich they’ll love!

10 Easy & Delicious Back to School Lunch Recipes

  1. Mini Pepperoni Pizza Crescents

These mini pepperoni pizza crescents are a favorite in my house! Make them the night before, then toss them in the lunchbox the next morning. We love them piping hot out of the oven, but they’re also delicious cold!

Looking recipes for dinner or back to school lunch ideas your kids will love? These pepperoni pizza crescents are fast and delicious! Check them out!

  1. Vegetable Muffins

If you’re trying to get your kids to eat more veggies, these vegetable muffins are definitely the way to go. My kids gobble them up! We add meat to ours, but you can absolutely skip that for a vegetarian back to school lunch option. Get creative with the veggies! Carrots, squash, and cauliflower make great options. You can even mix in a bit of pumpkin for a sweeter taste.

lunch-recipes-for-kids-back-to-school

  1. Monster Bento Box

Bento Boxes are a fun way to include a variety of ingredients without shoving them all into a sandwich. Since back to school season is so close to Halloween, we make this Monster Bento!

Looking for a fun Halloween lunch for kids to send with them on the last school day of October? This Monster Bento Lunch Box idea is super fun yet healthy.

  1. Salmon Baguette Sandwich

If your kids have a more refined palate, they’ll love this salmon Baguette Sandwich. Fish like Salmon is great for boosting their brain power during the school day. I suggest putting the salmon and cream cheese together first, then sending along the lettuce, tomatoes and other toppers in a zip bag so they can add them during lunch.

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  1. Shis Kebab Sandwiches

If your kids are bored with the normal bread, meat & cheese combo but you still want to use up those ingredients, try making these shish kebab sandwiches! Let’s be honest here, everything tastes better on a stick! Just check with your school to make sure that they’re okay, and cut the sharp tip off the end of the skewer. See how to make them here:

https://youtu.be/wNwibCEoQ3I
  1. Banana Bread with Almond Butter

I usually make this banana bread with poppy seeds recipe as an after school snack, but it can also make a healthy lunch idea. Pack it in a bento box with almond, sunflower, or some other type of healthy nut butter (as long as your school allows it). Add a side of cubed cheese and some crunchy carrots and voila, lunch is served!

 

  1. Moana-inspired bagel sandwich

Moana fans will love this fun bagel sandwich recipe that’s shaped like a turtle! I love using bagels in place of regular bread on those days when my kids need a little extra energy boost. They’re heartier than plain bread, making them the perfect back to school lunch for days when they need to stay after school for sports or activities.

With back to school season right around the corner, it’s time to plan some easy lunch recipes! Kids will go crazy for this adorable Moana-inspired turtle bagel sandwich recipe!

  1. Chicken and Veggie Skewers

These chicken and veggie skewers are one of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken from our dinner. Chicken is one of the few meats that really taste great hot or cold. For the veggies, make sure you choose something that tastes great raw and doesn’t lose its crunch after sitting in the lunchbox for hours. Grape tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers are all good choices.

CHICKEN SKEWERS EASY DINNER RECIPE 4

  1. Strawberry Peanut Butter Energy Balls

We usually make these strawberry peanut butter energy balls for breakfast, but my kids love them so much that I sometimes include them in their lunch. The ingredients (peanut butter, strawberries, and oats) cover pretty much the same food groups as a PB&J, except they’re a lot more fun to eat. Add a tube of yogurt to round out the meal.

Whether you're pressed for time in the morning or just don't like traditional breakfast foods, we have you covered! Start the day right with these delicious strawberry peanut butter breakfast balls!

  1. Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

Now, for my personal favorite, the ham & cheese pinwheels! Read on for how to make them. Your kids are going to adore them!

Lunch recipes for kids: Back to school ham & cheese pinwheel sandwich

lunch-recipes-for-kids-back-to-school

I love making pinwheel sandwiches for back to school.  They are fun to eat and very versatile.  You can make a pinwheel sandwich with a variety of different types of fillings that even your pickiest eater will ask for over and over again. Here’s how I make mine!

Ingredients 

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lunch-recipes-for-kids-back-to-school

  • Tortillas or sandwich wraps
  • Mayonnaise or cream cheese
  • Sandwich meat of your choice
  • Cheese of your choice
  • Fresh spinach or leaf lettuce

Directions

lunch-recipes-for-kids-back-to-school

    1. I used a sandwich wrap in my pinwheel sandwich recipe.  Sandwich wraps are thinner and also easier to roll up than a tortilla. You can use a tortilla if that is what you have.
    2. Place the sandwich wrap or tortilla on a cutting board.
    3. Spread mayonnaise or softened cream cheese on the sandwich wrap or tortilla almost to the very end. This will help hold the pinwheel together when you roll it.
    4. Place cold cuts on top of the mayonnaise or softened cream cheese. Leave about half an inch space from the outside of the sandwich wrap or tortilla.
    5. Place the cheese on top of the cold cuts.  Thinly sliced cheese and cold cuts are easiest to use in a pinwheel sandwich. You do not want it to be too bulky or it won’t roll well.
    6. Place leaf lettuce or fresh spinach in the center of the sandwich wrap or tortilla, on top of the sliced cheese.
    7. Very slowly, starting from the end nearest to you, roll the sandwich wrap or tortilla to the other side.
    8. Press down lightly as you are rolling.  The mayonnaise or cream cheese will help seal the edges of the pinwheel sandwich when it is rolled.
    9. Carefully cut off each end of the pinwheel sandwich roll so that you don’t have any part of it that is not completely full.

Watch how I wrapped and cut it

  1. Then, slice off slices of the pinwheel sandwich roll that are one inch thick and arrange on a plate.

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Print this recipe for later:

Ham & cheese pinwheel sandwich

  • Tortillas or sandwich wraps
  • Mayonnaise or cream cheese
  • Sandwich meat of your choice
  • Cheese of your choice
  • Fresh spinach or leaf lettuce
  1. I used a spinach sandwich wrap in my pinwheel sandwich recipe. Sandwich wraps are thinner and also easier to roll up than a tortilla. You can use a tortilla if that is what you have.
  2. Place the sandwich wrap or tortilla on a cutting board.
  3. Spread mayonnaise or softened cream cheese on the sandwich wrap or tortilla almost to the very end. This will help hold the pinwheel together when you roll it.
  4. Place the the cold cuts on top of the mayonnaise or softened cream cheese. Leave about half an inch space from the outside of the sandwich wrap or tortilla.
  5. Place the cheese on top of the cold cuts. Thinly sliced cheese and cold cuts are easiest to use in a pinwheel sandwich. You do not want it to be too bulky or it won’t roll well.
  6. Place leaf lettuce or fresh spinach in the center of the sandwich wrap or tortilla, on top of the sliced cheese.
  7. Very slowly, starting from the end nearest to you, roll the sandwich wrap or tortilla to the other side.
  8. Press down lightly as you are rolling. The mayonnaise or cream cheese will help seal the edges of the pinwheel sandwich when it is rolled.
  9. Carefully cut off each end of the pinwheel sandwich roll so that you don’t have any part of it that is not completely full.
  10. Then, slice off slices of the pinwheel sandwich roll that are one inch thick and arrange on a plate.

 

If the pinwheel sandwich slices do not stay together well, you can hold them together with toothpicks. Easy and cute, right? Try them in your kids’ lunchboxes this fall!

What are your favorite lunch recipes for kids for back to school time? Have you ever made pinwheel sandwiches for your child?

 

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