7 healthy lunch box ideas for kids

With so much junk food out there nowadays, making sure your child is happy and healthy is no mean feat. Almost every child will take a sweet treat over a crisp carrot. This begs the question, how can you feed your kiddo a tasty and healthy lunch box without spending hours in the kitchen?

Fortunately, you can ditch the back-to-school stress because we’ve done all the hard work for you. Here are our healthy lunch box ideas for kids that every child will love. 

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Top tips for packing lunches for your kids: 

Before we tuck into all the tasty options for kid’s next school lunch, here are a few ticks for your lunchbox checklist:

• • Check the school rules — Some schools have specific policies about what your child can bring to lunch, i.e., no nuts, etc.

• Aim for balance — You won’t get it right every day, but try and ensure your child’s lunch box has at least a carb (bread/grain), protein (meat/beans), and some fruits and vegetables.

• Keep your child in mind — Not every child likes the same things. You’ll know what your child likes and dislikes, so try to cater their lunch box accordingly.

• Pack the night before — Everyone knows how frantic the morning can get, so packing lunch boxes the night before can make everyone’s lives a bit easier.

• Get your child involved — This doesn’t have to be in the prepping, but ask them what they would prefer. Perhaps even ask them to create the week’s menu with you. As a good rule of thumb, give them three options to pick from.

• Meal plan — Lastly, it’s a good idea to map five lunch options for that week and do grocery shopping for them all at once. This will help remove the stress of last-minute shopping and not having all the ingredients for each meal.

NEXT READ: How to pack the perfect lunch box

Top 8 South African-inspired kid’s lunch box ideas: 

With those tips at hand, it’s time for the lunch ideas to start filtering in. These are our 8 top lunches for kids that are South African-inspired. We’ve included the calorie and protein count for each meal, showing just how healthy each lunch box will be. 

Note: We used the Happy Forks recipe analyser to determine all the nutritional details of these packed lunches. If you want to do the same, simply click this link.

1. Mini cheese & chives loaves

These cute loaves will delight kids of all ages. They can be made into muffins if you don’t have a mini loaf pan (although this kind of pan is a great addition to any kitchen!). These loaves also freeze well, so make a batch, freeze half and you’ve got a ready-to-go option for busy mornings.

Pair these mini loaves with fresh cherry tomatoes, a fruit, and a protein, like nuts.

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 470 kcal

Protein: 65 kcal (17 grams)

Fats: 240 kcal (28 grams)

Carbohydrates: 165 kcal (42 grams)

Click here for the mini loaves recipe

2. Boerewors & tomato frittata

Do you have leftover boerewors (a spiced meat sausage) from Sunday’s braai? Make this quick, tasty frittata to liven up Monday’s lunchbox. You can add other leftover veggies, like roast potatoes or mixed peppers, to keep things interesting. 

If you don’t have boerewors, use any protein you have in the fridge: bacon, ham, and chicken all work well. You can easily double this recipe for extra servings.

Add fruits, veggies, and other healthy snacks to the lunch box to keep it balanced.

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 322 kcal

Protein: 67 kcal (16 grams)

Fats: 196 kcal (22 grams) 

Carbohydrates: 60 kcal (15 grams)

Click here for the frittata recipe

3. Chicken meatball skewers

This is a flavourful addition to any lunchbox. You can easily make the meatballs the night before and just create the skewers before you pop them into lunchboxes. It’s a fun and healthy way to incorporate your proteins and vegetables without overloading the lunch box with carbs. 

Tip: If your child is vegetarian, you can always replace the chicken with falafel. 

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 549 kcal

Protein: 160 kcal (40 grams)

Fats: 178 kcal (20 grams)

Carbohydrates: 210 kcal (55.6 grams)

Click here for the chicken meatball skewer recipe

4. Mini pitas with tuna, carrots and lettuce

There’s always a tin of tuna in the back of the grocery cupboard, and you can keep a pack of the mini pitas in the freezer. Then, it’s a matter of minutes to whip up these tasty morsels. Serve with homemade (or store-bought, we’re not judging!) tzatziki.

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 655 kcal

Protein: 114 kcal (28 grams) 

Fats: 179 kcal (20 grams)

Carbohydrates: 362 kcal (90 grams)

Click here for the mini pitas recipe

5. Vetkoek with feta & biltong

Everybody loves Vetkoek, right? For those not from South Africa, Vetkoek is a traditional fried bread, much like Caribbean Johnny Cake. This super easy recipe gets an even more ‘local is lekker’ twist with the addition of biltong. 

Make sure the biltong (jerky for Americans) is nice and dry. Otherwise, you will struggle to chop it finely. The feta in the centre is a yummy surprise when your kids bite into it.

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 737 kcal

Protein: 100 kcal (25 grams)

Fats: 337 kcal (28 grams)

Carbohydrates: 300 kcal (74 grams)

Click here for the Vetkoek recipe

6. Zucchini fritters with salami & cream cheese

Sneak some extra veg into their lunchbox with these yummy fritters. The batter is quite loose, but it comes together when it’s cooked. Add your kid’s favourite protein into the mix, and you’ll be onto a winner. You can also add a dip or spread and some fruits on the side for a well-rounded meal.

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 587 kcal

Protein: 99 kcal (25 grams)

Fats: 337 kcal (37 grams)

Carbohydrates: 154 kcal (40 grams)

Click here for the fritter recipe

7. Mexican chicken salad

For a quick and easy way to tick all the boxes of a healthy lunch, this Mexican chicken salad is the way to go. It includes vegetables, protein, and some natural fats that your kid is sure to love. To make things even better, you can make it the night before, so there’s no rushing in the morning.

Nutritional details per serving

Calories: 594 kcal 

Protein: 223 kcal (56 grams)

Fats: 168 kcal (20 grams)

Carbohydrates: 202 kcal (55 grams) 

Click here for the Mexican salad recipe

Other fantastic kiddies’ lunch box ideas: 

While the above recipes are all fairly easy school lunch ideas, sometimes you won’t have the time to make a whole meal. In that case, here are some things you can quickly add to a lunch box when you’re in a rush.

Proteins to include: 

Be sure to pair these with your grains and vegetables for a balanced meal.

• Hummus — it’s a great dip for veggie sticks and pitas. 
• Leftover meats — Examples include leftover roasted chicken or lamb chops. Avoid processed, pre-packaged deli meats. 
• Hard-boiled eggs — If your kid doesn’t like them plain, consider making egg mayo sandwiches.
• Roasted nuts — These salty morsels are a great snack for a peckish child.

Grains to include: 

These high-carb morsels will keep your child full throughout the day. 

• Pita breads — They’re easy to fill with proteins and vegetables.
• Mini bagels — They’re nicely paired with dairy products like cheeses and cured meats.
• Whole-grain bread for sandwiches — The healthier option than plain white bread.
• Tortilla chips — They’re healthier than the regular oil-drenched chips. 
• Popcorn — A  snacky carb to keep your kid going throughout the day.

Fruits to include:

Here are some easy-to-eat, seasonal fruits to consider for your little one’s lunches.

• Berries — Super easy to add and don’t make a mess to eat.
• Grapes — Another easy fruit that won’t make a mess.
• Apples — They offer a high source of fibre.
• Bananas — Great source of potassium, just be sure they don’t get squished.
• Naartjies — Easy to eat and offer a tasty sweet treat. 

Veggies to include: 

• Cucumber 
• Carrots 
• Radishes
• Peppers 
• Cherry tomatoes 

FAQs 

What are unhealthy foods for kids?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foods that have a high sodium (salt) content aren’t great for kids. Meals with a high sugar content aren’t great, and fish with a high mercury content can also be dangerous for your child. Plus, processed foods and pre-packaged meats have many preservatives and phosphates which studies have shown are unhealthy. 

Avoid sugar in their lunchbox in any form (always read the labels of foods for hidden sugars), processed white breads should be kept to a minimum. Plus, avoid colourants, flavourants, preservatives, and chemicals. Try and keep your lunchbox as close to natural foods as possible. The aim is to keep your child’s blood sugar level stable. 

Avoid sweet drinks with sugar and this includes energy drinks and fruit juices as well as iced teas as the sugar content in all of them is very high and will lead to blood sugar spikes and then lows. 

What should a healthy lunch box contain? 

In an ideal world, a packed lunch should contain five key factors. A portion of grains/bread, some fruits and vegetables, some protein (beans,  meat, dairy or fish), and water. 

This won’t be achievable each day, so aim to have at least two or three of these in each packed lunch.

Which type of lunch box is best? 

The safest options are glass and steel lunch boxes. Steel lunch boxes and water bottles are the best for kids, as the glass can break, and plastic lunch boxes and water bottles contain microplastics.

NEXT READ: How to get kids to eat healthy

This post has been included by Twinkl among their top picks for 10+ Healthy (and delicious) Lunch ideas for the whole family.