Looking for easy school lunch ideas? These suggestions from our community are a great jumping off point!

Did you see my cry for help on Instagram? This is the first time I’ve ever needed school lunch ideas.  At Lydia’s preschool, they provided meals and snacks.  And I’m not going to lie, two weeks into the school year….I was struggling.  Could I just send peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day for the whole year? That’s not THAT bad, right?

I realized that I have an amazing resource at my fingertips (and not just for easy school lunch ideas)…..you guys.  I asked in an Instagram Story poll for your favorite school lunch ideas, and they flooded in.  I was floored at the creative, easy ideas that all of you shared.  I realized I could do more than a pb and j, and that it didn’t have to be as difficult as I was making it.  So these? 30 easy school lunch ideas (plus a few bonuses).  Enough to make 30 lunches with no repeats.  They’re simple.  Perfect for you know, picky kid eaters.  And require a minimal amount of prep time (because realistically school mornings are already nutty……no one has time to spend an hour packing a lunch).  Every one of these items can be housed in the same storage pieces ( a thermos for warm leftovers or a bento lunch box).

I plan to add to this list as more ideas come in, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back for new ideas.

School Lunch Ideas

School Lunch Ideas Suggested Products:

/ thermos to keep leftovers warm / a bento lunch box/

1. homemade lunchables
2. pinwheel sandwiches
3. tuna packs
4. greek salad
5. cheese and crackers
6. mini bagel and cream cheese
7. pizza on naan bread
8. banana and peanut butter wrapped in lavash bread
9. pancakes or waffles
10. sausage
11. oatmeal in a thermos
12. yogurt parfait
13. walking tacos: taco meat in a thermos and have add ins separate in a bento box
14. avocado mixed with hard-boiled eggs and crackers
15. sunbutter and jam sandwiches
16. soup
17. curry and rice
18. quesadillas
19. grilled cheese sandwich
20. ham and cheese roll ups
21. chicken salad with crackers
22. pizza wraps
23. pita pocket sandwiches
24. pasta salad
25. trail mix
26. mini muffins with nuts and veggies on the side
27. hors d’oervres with a toothpick
28. Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken in a thermos
29. grilled chicken, sliced apples
30. Fun Friday where they get food they don’t normally eat
31. hummus and pretzels
32. cheeseburger sliders
33. pasta with meat on the side
34. meatballs and veggies
35. salami, cheese and crackers

What do you think? Do you have any easy school lunch ideas to add to our list? Leave them in the comments and I’ll extend the list as much as possible!