A week’s worth of healthy school lunch ideas

This post was updated on August 16, 2021.

A big part of having healthy, happy kids who want to be active is also having the right kind of fuel for their growing bodies. And as another back-to-school season approaches, so does making school lunches. As much as I find packing lunches for three kids day after day a bit of a pain at times, I also look at it as an opportunity to fill them up with lots of different healthy snacks.

So before your kids head off to school, here are a few great snack ideas you can choose from to make sure your children have a colourful and nutritious lunch. (Plus a treat or two for good measure!) Feel free to mix and match items from this week-long meal plan to make it your own.

Monday

• Chickpea & avocado salad sandwich
• Mixed berries
• Nut-free trail mix with dry cereal, raisins or dried cranberries
• Cucumber coins

Tuesday

• Chicken miso soup
• Pita wedges & hummus
• Grapes
• Cucumber sticks and bell pepper slices

Wednesday

• Edamame salad (or just edamame on its own as a snack)
• Pineapple with yogurt dip
• Pretzels
• Shredded cheese

Thursday

• Best-ever turkey sandwich
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Graham crackers “Oreos”
• Sugar snap peas with hummus for dipping

Friday

• Homemade mini meatballs (any recipe will do, but we love turkey meatballs especially!)
• Plain yogurt with blueberries
• Oatmeal shortbread cookies
• Veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots) and hummus