6 Creative & Easy Lunch Ideas for Kids

Between playing, reading, and singing with your child, there’s also laundry and dishes and a million other things that take up your valuable time. With all this on your plate as a parent, especially if you’re a mom, it can be hard to find the energy and time to get creative in the kitchen, particularly when mac & cheese is easy and a fan favorite! If you’re looking for fun and easy ideas to spice up your family lunches, check out our roundup of favorites from the kiddos in our lives.

Tuna Canoes

Kids love ants on a log—a scoop of protein filled nut butter, smeared on a celery stick with a line of raisin “ants” in the middle—and they’re the perfect blend of nutritious and entertaining that encourages kids to chow down. This tuna canoe variation is a great way to switch things up. Instead of peanut butter, you can put a dollop of tuna down the middle and use peas for ants! 

Vegetable Dumplings

These veggie dumplings are a bit more complicated to throw together, but they make a great family activity in addition to a yummy lunch. This recipe walks you through mixing the filling and putting the dumplings together. Your kids will enjoy sticking the wonton wrappers together to encase their lunch!

Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are a great lunch for children because they’re a filling, savory treat! This easy recipe uses brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil to make a yummy sauce to cover the soba noodles, carrots, and cucumber. These are very tasty, so make sure to save some for yourself too!

Rainbow Wraps

We love this idea for a rainbow wrap! This children’s lunch is colorful and nutritious. They use red tomatoes and peppers, orange carrots, green avocados and purple cabbage all wrapped together in a tortilla. You can sub in fun veggie colors you and your children pick out at the grocery. This recipe is great for taking on a picnic; you can even make the outing extra fun by finding other colors in nature that match your rainbow. 

Peanut Butter & Jelly on a Stick

This is another twist on a classic lunch time favorite! These peanut butter & jelly sandwiches on a stick are a fun way to get creative with your usual lunch time routine. Cut the sandwiches into small enough pieces to fit on a kebab and place bananas or strawberries in between!

Tea Time + Sandwiches

An afternoon tea party is a great way to celebrate lunch and spending time together as a family. While we all agree caffeinated teas are not best for our kiddos, there are other herbal options that are safe and delicious. Get a teapot brewing with a fun new flavor, add some mini sandwiches, and don’t forget to dress up! 

Do your kiddos have a favorite lunch time meal? Tag SmartSitting in your Facebook and Instagram posts, so we can see your delicious meals! Looking for more ideas for cooking for children? Make sure you sign up for our newsletter for all the latest info coming from our team!