Do you need nutritious and delicious lunch ideas that your toddler will actually eat? Oh, and wouldn’t it be grand if they didn’t take 8 hours and all the dishes in your kitchen to make? Well, here are 25 of the very best toddler lunch box ideas to inspire you!
Is your little one positively green with envy when it comes to your older kids heading to school with their swanky lunch boxes? (I mean, so jealous that you bought him or her a lunch box to use at home?) Or is he or she starting preschool and in need of one of the best lunch boxes for kids? If you answered yes, you’re probably going to need something to put inside said lunch box, right?
That’s where these tasty and easy toddler lunch box ideas come in! 😉
There’s a lot to like here (and with 25 ideas, a lot to eat)—from the variety to the yum-factor. However, three things that can’t be overlooked are:
- Your toddler will actually eat these recipes!
- These aren’t strictly for lunch, meaning you can use these recipes for any time of the day.
- Kids (and adults) of all ages can enjoy these “toddler” lunch box ideas.
I can hear your stomach growling, so let’s dive right in!
Yogurt Toddler Lunch Box Ideas
1. Homemade “Go-Gurt” With Hidden Veggies – The very best toddler lunch box recipes allow you to sneak something healthy past your picky eater. These “Go-Gurt” knockoffs are a great way to slip some vegetables into your kid’s diet. Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret! 😉
Bonus: These orange juice fruit popsicles are another way to get your child to willingly eat something healthy!
2. Cinnamon Yogurt Dippers – This idea works well for lunch, breakfast, a snack, or even dessert! Can’t find the cinnamon apple straws mentioned in the post at your local store? Swap them for tasty fruit like strawberries.
Muffins Ideas for a Toddler Bento Lunch Box
3. Cheddar and Spinach Muffins – This savory recipe will have you rethinking muffins. They’re so good it’ll be real struggle to ensure they end up in your toddler bento lunch box instead of your mouth! But if you do eat a few too many, no worries—a new batch can be ready in just 30 minutes. 😉
Bonus: Are you and your family vegetarians? If so, the above recipe is perfect, but you’ll probably get tired of eating just cheddar and spinach muffins all the time, no matter how delicious they are! No worries, here are 32 vegetarian toddler recipes.
4. Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins – Looking for toddler boy lunch box or toddler girl lunch box ideas that won’t have them bouncing off the walls? Look no further because this tasty treat is sugar free! Plus (as if you needed more incentive), it’s ready in just 30 minutes.
5. Egg Muffins – If your kid will eat cold eggs, this versatile recipe is one to hang on to! You can easily customize this lunch idea with whatever your child prefers (different vegetables, meats, cheeses, etc.) or whatever you need to use up.
6. Vegetable Frittata – Okay, okay, a frittata is not technically a muffin but these frittatas are muffin shaped and made in a muffin pan so they could be muffins. Muffin or frittata, they’re delicious and packed with nutritious veggies so add them to your toddler lunch box, girl or boy! 🙂
Pizza for Toddler Boy Lunch Box or Toddler Girl Lunch Box
7. Pizza Scrolls – When it comes to kids (and most adults), you can never go wrong with pizza, and these pizza scrolls are no exception. I love how adaptable this recipe is; you can use a variety of ingredients, so go ahead and experiment.
8. Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Lunchables – How many times has your kid begged for Lunchables at the store? Too many to count? Save your money and give them something a lot healthier with this recipe for homemade pizza Lunchables! This toddler cold lunch box idea is vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-free.
Bonus: Your toddler probably won’t have access to a microwave, toaster oven, or other appliance to reheat his or her lunch at preschool so cold lunches are the name of the game. Here are even more toddler cold lunch box ideas:
- Cold Lunch Ideas for Toddlers and Grown Ups – A roundup of lunch ideas for people of all ages, no re-heating required!
- 25 Healthy Cold Lunch Ideas – These cold lunch ideas aren’t specifically for toddlers, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find something here for your picky little eater.
- 53 Healthy Cold Lunch Ideas for Adults at Work or Home – Hey, Mom and Dad have to eat too! 🙂
9. “Veggie Faces” No-Bake Vegetable Pizzas and Wraps – One trick to getting picky eaters to willingly eat a vegetable is to turn the food prep into a hands on activity. This no-bake pizza wrap recipe does just that! It’s part cooking and part craft project.
Bonus: Here are more tips on getting kids to eat vegetables and fruits.
10. Pizza Cupcakes – Pizza? Cupcakes? Combined? Forget toddler lunch box ideas—sign me up! 😉
Creative Quesadillas for Lunch Ideas for Toddler Lunch Boxes
11. Mini Broccoli Quesadillas – Easy toddler lunch box ideas don’t get much easier than this! These tasty protein packed quesadillas are ready to eat in just 10 minutes. (If you want to add even more protein to this recipe, simply throw in some diced meat like chicken or ham.)
Bonus: If I had you at the word “easy,” then you’ll definitely want to sink your teeth into these 27 easy toddler meals and these 25 toddler lunch ideas that are easy and healthy.
12. Mini Chicken Quesadillas – Ready in less than 30 minutes, this is a great option when you need to put together lunch in a hurry! Plus, it’s a great way to use up leftover chicken.
Breakfast Food Toddler Lunch Box Ideas
13. Mango and Banana Bread – You’ve probably heard of banana bread, but what about mango banana bread? Pretty exotic, right? Save a slice for yourself, but this is an exciting addition to your toddler bento lunch box.
14. Peanut Butter and Jelly Mini Pancake Stacks – Breakfast staple (pancakes) meets lunch staple (PB&J) in this irresistible recipe. If you’re looking for ways to make this lunch idea for toddler lunch boxes even easier, make the pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. Learn how to freeze pancakes here.
Bonus: Here are 48 make ahead lunches that can save you time and make you look like Super Mom (or Dad)!
15. Sweet Potato and Apple Fritters – I added this recipe to the “breakfast for lunch” section because the fritters remind me of hash browns. This tasty recipe offers a little sweetness, is dairy free, and can be made ahead of time and frozen. What’s not to love?
Toddler Cold Lunch Box Ideas: Sandwiches, Pinwheels, and Wraps
16. Homemade Uncrustables – Have you heard of Uncrustables? If not, they’re essentially closed crustless PB&J sandwiches that are in the freezer section of your grocery store. No list of toddler lunch box, girl and boy, ideas would be complete without some version of the PB&J, but instead of store-bought Uncrustables, make them at home. Here’s a recipe for allergy-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan Uncrustables.
17. Tuna Pinwheels – If you want nutritious and delicious lunch ideas for toddler lunch boxes you cannot go wrong with tuna. Tuna is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids; it also contains vitamin B, manganese, zinc, vitamin C and selenium, which can improve skin health and boost the immune system. Maybe you should snag one of these tuna pinwheels for yourself. 😉
Bonus: The tuna definitely gives the above recipe a nutritional boost. If health and nutrition are paramount to you, here are some more kid and toddler lunch box ideas and snack options!
- 44 Healthy Lunch Ideas For Toddlers
- 25 Kids Healthy Lunch Ideas
- 25 Healthy Homemade Snack Ideas for Kids (and Adults)
- 38 Healthy Fun Snacks For Kids
18. Chicken Caesar Wrap – If your kid likes Caesar dressing, you can’t go wrong with this toddler cold lunch box idea. It’s quick, easy, and a great way to use up leftover chicken. By the way, this is also a great summer lunch or dinner option when you don’t want to use the stove.
19. Chicken Pinwheels – See something your kid won’t deign to eat in this recipe (black olives, maybe)? No worries! This super quick and easy recipe is totally customizable. Swap ingredients as needed.
20. Meatball Pita Pockets – Looking for an out of the box toddler boy lunch box or toddler girl lunch box option? By the way, do you get it it? Out of the box / lunch box? Anyway … look no further than this 5 ingredient recipe that comes together in a snap!
Even More of the Best Toddler Lunch Box Ideas
21. Halloween Inspired Fun Lunch Box Ideas – This Halloween themed toddler bento lunch box is scary good! Not only is it filled with tasty treats (no tricks here), you don’t have to be a magician to pull it off.
Bonus: Pair the Halloween lunch box ideas with these free printable Halloween lunch notes to give your kid an extra special treat.
22. Nut-Free Chocolate Spread – Okay, by itself this delicious chocolate spread is not the best toddler lunch box idea. (In other words, you should not just feed your toddler chocolate spread for lunch.) However, while it isn’t a great standalone option, this nut-free dairy free, and vegan spread is an awesome addition! 🙂
23. Kid-Friendly Pasta Salad – Get the “kid-approved” stamp on this recipe by picking a fun pasta shape, brightly colored veggies, and using fresh flavorful ingredients (such as farmer’s market veggies). This dish is an awesome lunch option but it can also be a summer-friendly dinner side!
24. Homemade Goldfish – I bet your child loves Goldfish, but do you love their ingredients? If you’re not totally sold on this classic kid’s snack, make your own at home! This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-free, and is of course, the perfect addition to any toddler lunch box.
25. Easy to Pack Lunches for Toddlers and Preschoolers – Need kid-friendly toddler boy lunch box or toddler girl lunch ideas in a hurry? Here are a few more easy to pack ideas to inspire you!
Bonus: Not quite satiated? Ready for seconds (or even thirds)? Here are even more toddler lunch box ideas, meals, and snacks!
- Need Toddler Lunch Ideas? Here Are 60 Easy and Delicious Toddler Lunch Recipes
- Toddler Lunch Ideas
- 47 Recipes for Toddler Meals and Toddler Snack Ideas
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.