Processed food lunches (such as Lunchables) are terrible for your kids, plus they’re so expensive! You’re always better off feeding your kids homemade lunches – they’ll get more healthful foods and you’ll save money. (If your kids really love Lunchables, here’s a way to make them yourself for about a 40% savings.)

 

It’s easy to get in sandwich and chips rut, so we’ve got 50 healthy and frugal lunch ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Homemade grain free granola bars
2. Sliced applies and peanut butter. Slice the apple and then hold it together with a rubber band.
3. Homemade beef jerky. By making your own beef jerky, you can use the quality of meat you want and use healthier seasonings at half the price. I’ve linked to a great how-to article with excellent pictures.
4. Frozen grapes – Buy organic grapes when they are in season and freeze them. A frozen grape is like a mini Popsicle.
5. Hummos and pita bread
6. Homemade yogurt pushups. Instead of buying overpriced prepacked individual yogurt sticks, make your own, using a silicone ice pop maker
7. Bite sized fresh fruit with cute little food forks. Kids will love eating the fruit with these animal shaped food picks.
8. Almond butter and honey whole wheat sandwich cut into bit sized shapes.
9. Edaname (soybeans) – Kids love popping the beans out of the shells. I suggest that you get organic soybeans as conventional soybeans have a high probability of being GMO.
10. Confetti quinoa. Quinoa and mixed tiny veggies makes for a colorful and fun lunch treat. Tastes good warm or cold.
11. Pretzels and cream cheese
12. Hard boiled egg – Some kids like to peel the eggs at lunch (adds an activity to the meal) others would prefer that you peel them ahead of time and preslice.
13. Broccoli spears and baby tomatoes
14. Mini 7-layer bean dip in a container with chips
15. Shredded chicken
16. Sliced kiwi
17. Bread and butter with sliced cucumber. Package separately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
18. Tapioca pudding
19. Sliced bananas and peanut butter
20. Spiral noodles with broccoli and shredded cheese
21. Berries – any kind
22. Egg salad in a whole wheat tortilla wrap
23. Seasoned and roasted seaweed.
24. Tortellini with mushrooms and cheese
25. Cut up cheese and crackers
26. Chicken leg
27. Meat and cheese roll-ups
28. Nuts – all kinds
29. Vegetable sushi (no raw fish) – How to make vegetable sushi for beginners. Easy and fun.
30. Baby oranges. Easy to peel. Fun to eat. Full of vitamins. You can’t go wrong.
31. Olives – make sure you get rid of the juice
32. Pickles – also get rid of juice – wrap separately
33. Mini quiche – Easy to make, mini quiche are gobbled up by kids. Alter the recipe to include the kind of veggies and cheese your kids like.
34. Beet chips – So much better than fried potato chips. Yes, they take a bit of time to make, but oh, so good.
35. Breaded baked zucchini
36. Sugar snap peas
37. Apple sauce
38. Watermelon – Another one that needs to be packaged separately and water tight so it doesn’t get too messy… but such a treat.
39. Hot dog slices – If you are going for the health aspect, I suggest you get a kosher or high end hot dog.
40. Salami slices – Same advice as #39.
41. Carrot slices and ranch dressing
42. Graham crackers and cream cheese
43. Yogurt and granola – keep separate until going to eat so the granola doesn’t get soggy
44. Homemade fruit rollup – Homemade rollups fruit, sugar or honey (little or none really needed), lemon and water. Compare this list to the ingredients on commercial fruit rollups.
45. Celery slices with peanut butter and raisins.
46. Radishes – Not for every kid, but I knew a 3-year-old girl who LOVED the radishes that her mom packed in her lunch box.
47. Flat bread sandwiches
48. Soup in a thermos
49. Homemade bread and anything
50. Check out Megan’s 10 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget.

Wondering how to pack these lunches? We’ve got you covered with a roundup of school lunch essentials.

Those are my 50 ideas. What have I missed?

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