50 Favorite Lunch Snacks (Easy Ideas for Kids and Parents)
Round out any lunch—whether yours or the kids—with one of our top picks for lunch snacks. These ideas require minimal effort, can be added to a lunch at home or packed for on the go, and are a perfect way to add an extra dose of nutrition (and yumminess) to lunch.
Lunch Snacks
The easiest way to ensure the kids have enough to eat at lunch is to add on a snack or two to the main meal. This can be as simple as tucking in a piece of fruit or a veggie pouch, or adding a snack bar on the side. This helps to hit more food groups and can be a nice safety net if you aren’t sure if the kids will eat the main part of the lunch.
Below you’ll find 50 ideas for what you include with a lunch and each works at home or packed for daycare, preschool, or school.
Use this to help you come up with ideas for filling that lunch box and to limit the amount of minutes you spend staring into the fridge wondering what on earth to pack!
Fruits
These are some of my go-to ideas for fruits for lunch.
- Canned fruit in 100% juice
- Freeze-dried fruit
- Applesauce
- Avocado, diced (or as guacamole)
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Clementines (dice up as needed)
- Melon, diced
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
TIP: Check out my Master List of Fruits for Kids for all of my ideas.
Vegetables
- Bell peppers, thinly sliced
- Carrots, shredded (1+ yr) or very, very thinly sliced (2+ yr)
- Cucumbers, thinly sliced
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved lengthwise
- Peas (frozen and warmed up)
- Snap peas, sliced thinly if needed
And try these easy recipes:
Easy Roasted Carrot “Fries”
These baked carrot fries are a simple side to go with burgers or chicken and pair perfectly with ketchup.
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Healthy Sweet Potato Pudding (2 Ingredients!)
You can also use plain Greek yogurt and sweeten to taste with maple syrup.
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Pizza Muffins (with Veggies!)
These work well to make ahead and warm up for an easy lunch or dinner. These taste best served warm.
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Easy Veggie Muffins
I like to grate the carrot on a box grater and cut the top of each broccoli floret off and finely dice with a knife. Avoid the stems since they won’t blend into the batter as well.
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TIP: Find all of my best vegetables recipes here.
Proteins
If the main part of the lunch isn’t high in protein, one of these ideas can be a nice add-on.
- Drinkable yogurt
- Beans (such as chickpeas or edamame)
- Cheese stick or slice
- Chicken, shredded
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Nut or seed butter (as a dip)
- Snack bar (such as Larabar)
- Turkey (low-sodium deli meat)
And try these simple recipes:
How to Cook Eggs: 10 Simple, Kid-Friendly Ways
This is meant to be a cheatsheet for the best basic ways to cook eggs. Refer back to the body of the post for links to making egg muffins.
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No-Bake Energy Bites
When you start the mixture in the food processor, it will seem like it’s not going to work. Let the machine keep running as it can take about a minute and the mixture will start to naturally hold together like cookie dough.
Originally published 6/6/2016
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Easy Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt
Scale this up or down according to how many servings you’re planning to make. The directions here are for one small toddler-size serving. (It’s okay if your kiddo wants more or doesn’t eat a whole serving though!)
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Favorite Healthy Toddler Smoothie (with Veggies!)
Learn to customize yummy smoothies for your toddler by starting with one simple recipe, then adjusting based on which fruit and veggies you’d like to use.
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TIP: Learn more about kids and protein.
Carbohydrates
Whole grains and carbs are a helpful way to ensure we’re full enough after a meal. Here are some easy options to include in a lunch.
- Animal crackers
- Cereal bars
- Cereal (dry)
- Cheese crackers
- Granola bars
- Muffins
- Puffs
- Snap Pea Crisps
- Toast
- Whole grain crackers
And try these simple recipes:
Easiest Animal Crackers Recipe
If you use larger cookie cutters, you may need to bake on the longer end of the baking time—and mini cookie cutters on the shorter end. This makes a relatively small batch, so double it if you want extras to last all week!
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3-Ingredient Cereal Bars
Made with just 3 pantry staples, these bars make an excellent kids snack. They hold their shape best when stored in the fridge and served cold.
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Easy Homemade Granola Bars (6 Ways)
We like to have these granola bars as a snack or toddler breakfast with milk or a smoothie—and they’re an excellent lunch box component too. You can make them plain or choose a flavor to add!
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Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Loaded with whole grains and protein, these healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins are a really great standard recipe to turn to whenever you’re in the mood!
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Desserts
Add a dessert to the lunch with one of these yummy ideas.
- Chocolate chips
- Cookie
- Gummies (for kids over 3 who can easily chew them)
- Yogurt pretzels
- Fruit leather
And try these yummy recipes:
Favorite Applesauce Cookies (with Oats and Cinnamon)
These cookies are a little crispy around the edges right out of the oven, but soften as they are stored.
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Mini Banana Coconut Scones
These small scones are inspired by the Banana-Coconut Cookies in Flourless
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Zucchini Cookies with Chocolate Chips
These healthy little soft-baked cookies are a yummy treat or snack to share. Rolling the shredded zucchini in a towel helps ensure that the excess moisture is absorbed—and doesn’t wind up in the batter.
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Healthy Oatmeal Cookies with Apples and Carrots
Make a batch of these healthy oatmeal cookies for dessert, snack time, or a special breakfast. You can make these half the size using 1-tablespoon batter for each cookie and reducing the baking time to about 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
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So Good Chickpea Blondies
These blondies are packed with just-sweet-enough flavor and nutrition. I prefer these chilled, but see what you think!
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Graham Crackers Peanut Butter Balls
These should chill for 30 minutes before serving to allow the oats to soften up a bit. (You can eat them immediately, they’ll just be a little chewy.)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are some healthy snacks for lunch?
Fruit, vegetables, simple proteins like cheese, yogurt, shredded chicken, and beans, carbohydrates including whole grain crackers, muffins, and bread, and any foods that fill in food groups that may not be in the main dish.
Can I replace lunch with snacks?
We love doing snack meals, where you essentially build lunch from an assortment of snacks. It’s super kid-friendly and is a great way to use ingredients you have on hand.
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Comment below with feedback and find all of my favorite store-bought snacks here.