50+ Kids Lunch Ideas Besides Sandwiches

Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas – Kids and Adults Love Them!

I like to call myself a Lunchbox Ninja. I’ve been packing lunches for my always-hungry boys for years now, and you know what? There’s more to life, and lunch, than sandwiches.

That’s right, kids lunch doesn’t have to mean the same sandwich, applesauce, and pudding cup every day (yes, that was my typical lunch as a kid). And adults need variety too. However, that doesn’t mean lunch has to be complicated. You don’t have to carve carrots into cartoon characters or break out the cookie cutters to turn everything into fancy shapes. And spending all weekend cooking and packing fancy meal prep containers isn’t necessary either.

Packing a School Lunch

I’m not a nutritionist or dietician, but I’ve found an approach that works for us to ensure my kids have balanced meals. I call it my mix of having a plan and no plan at all. I keep some staples in the fridge and pantry, have a few go-to recipes, and just some general ideas of things to can assemble simply with common pantry ingredients.

In fact, I rarely pack a sandwich in my kids’ lunchboxes – maybe once a week they get peanut butter and jelly. And as someone who lives a gluten free life, I avoid sandwiches because those tiny, overpriced, and bland loaves of gluten free bread make an underwhelming sammie.

But we all like variety, and I like that by giving them different things in their school lunch, not only are they eating a variety of foods and flavors, but also getting a variety of nutrients.

Packing lunch for work

Yes, these ideas are also great for adults to pack for work. Or, if you work from home, having them ready to grab when the hunger pangs strike means you can grab something quickly and get back to work.

So let’s get to it…

Easy Things to Make for Lunch Instead of Sandwiches

• Lunch on a Stick – Everything is more fun when you put it on a stick. Grab some plastic skewers and fill it with vegetables, meats, cheeses, and more for these creative combos perfect for dipping, dunking, and devouring.
• Wraps, Rolls, and Pinwheels – Are wraps better for you than bread? This may or may not be true, depending on the bread and wraps you choose. But there are some flatbreads made with whole grains and even extra nutrition from things like flax seeds. You can even find gluten free wraps.
• Alternatives to Use Instead of Bread – You can totally swap out the bread and make your “sandwich” on things like apple slices or wraps in lettuce. You can even wrap everything up right in your favorite deli meat.
• Breakfast for Lunch – Who says muffins and eggs are only for breakfast? We all love breakfast for dinner, so breakfast for lunch is a great option. Plus there are many ways to add in extra protein and even veggies.
• Salads Kids Will Eat – Yes, kids will eat salad, especially if it’s pasta salad or you make it taste like pizza or tacos. And they are definitely great options for adults. Change it up with zoodles salads or salads in a jar to make them fun and portable.
• Protein-Packed Dips – When dips are made from ingredients like Greek yogurt or chickpeas, they become a satisfying source of protein. And dipping makes kids more likely to eat veggies.
• Wholesome Parfaits – Parfait possibilities are endless, whether you use fruit, yogurt, and granola, or try something like chia seed pudding. Those layers and eating out of a jar always make trying new things more appealing to kids.
• Finger Foods – Kids love food they can pick up and eat, and many of these are great options for adults as well. Some pack perfectly in a lunchbox, and others are great to have on hand at home for weekends, days off, and summer break.

50+ Easy Lunches – No Sandwiches

Easy Lunch Meals on a Stick

Here are easy salad and sandwich skewer ideas to get you started, but the combinations you can make are truly endless. The fun part is choosing what to dip them in.

Chef Salad on a Stick

Make a classic salad more fun to eat and dip it in your favorite salad dressing, like this Honey Mustard. The best part is that you can customize them with the deli meats and cheese your family loves the most.

Gluten Free

Chef Salad on a Stick Recipe

Wraps, Rolls, and Pinwheels

Rolling it up makes your favorite sandwich fillings a little more interesting when you just need something other than your usual slices of bread. If you can’t find gluten free wraps, you can make your own gluten free tortillas.

Mediterranean Chicken Pinwheels

These little rolls are packed with tons of flavor from olives, artichokes, and roasted red peppers. And cutting the wraps into pinwheels makes them extra fun to eat.

Gluten Free Option – use gluten free wraps

Mediterranean Chicken Pinwheels

Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls

Instead of tortillas, try rolling up chicken salad in rice paper wrappers. You can use your favorite recipe, but this spicy version is a cool way to eat everyone's favorite kicked-up chicken.

Gluten Free

Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls Recipe

What to Use Instead of Bread

Whether you want lower carbs, more protein, extra fruit and veggies, or just need something different, skip the bread entirely.

Chef Salad Lettuce Wraps

A salad you can pick up and eat with your hands. These little lettuce cups are loaded with meat, cheese, eggs, veggies, and any dressing you love.

Gluten Free

Chef Salad Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Turkey, Ham and Cheese Apple Sandwiches

These apple sammies are a fun change of pace. You'll love the sweet and savory combination and the extra crunch.

Gluten Free

Turkey, Ham and Cheese Apple Sandwiches Recipe

Breakfast for Lunch Meals

From muffins to eggs and more, your morning meal can be portable to enjoy at lunchtime.

Mini Carrot Zucchini Muffins

A kid-friendly favorite for years that is packed with veggies. These sweet little bites are irresititble.

Gluten Free Option – make gluten free carrot zucchini muffins.

Mini Carrot Zucchini Muffins Recipe

Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Egg Muffins

Use whatever leftover veggies, cheese, and meat you have to customize them any way you like. You can enjoy them at room temperature or keep them warm in a thermos.

Gluten Free

Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Egg Muffins Recipe

Salads As Simple Lunch Ideas

Salads are always a great lunch option, especially when they are more than just a little lettuce. These are filling and flavorful.

Mexican Pasta Salad

This tasty salad has so many great colors and textures. A creamy Southwestern Dressing gives it a kicked-up zesty flavor that's not too spicy.

Gluten Free Option – use gluten free pasta

Mexican Pasta Salad Recipe

Spreads and Dips To Make For Lunch

These are yummy options to dip vegetables and more.

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

Greek yogurt lightens up and adds protein to this old favorite. Use it as a dip or drizzle it on salads.

Gluten Free

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip Recipe

Sweet Potato Hummus

A little sweet, a little savory, and full of maple-cinnamon flavor. Great for dipping fruit, veggies, graham crackers, and more.

Gluten Free

Sweet Potato Hummus Recipe

Classic Hummus

It's everybody's favorite chickpea dip. But when you make it yourself, you can use some tricks to make it ultra-creamy, and the fresh flavor can't be beat. Don't forget the gluten free pita for dipping!

Gluten Free

Classic Hummus Recipe

Layered Parfaits for Packing

This is almost like dessert for lunch, but it’s easy to make them yummy and portable.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt Parfaits

Don't limit your PB&J love to sandwiches. Layer your favorite peanut butter and jelly with yogurt and a peanut buttery granola.

Gluten Free

Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt Parfaits Recipe

Berry Quinoa Yogurt Parfaits

It tastes like dessert, but it's a surefire way to get the kids to eat quinoa. It also adds great texture and more protein.

Gluten Free

Berry Quinoa Yogurt Parfaits Recipe

Finger Foods for Lunch

Anything you can pick up and eat with your hands is always more fun for kids.

Ants on a Log

You don't have to use only peanut butter and raisins for this classic. You can make a big platter when the kids are at home or pack different combos and toppings in little containers.

Gluten Free

Ants on a Log Recipe

Baked Falafel

Crisp outside, soft inside, and made with all the classic Mediterranean flavors you love. So good when you pack them with tzatziki, hummus, or tahini for dipping.

Gluten Free

Baked Falafel Recipe

Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates

Only three ingredients in these easy little bites that pack easily in a lunchbox.

Gluten Free

Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates Recipe

Good To Pack With Lunch

After you’ve packed a lunchbox, don’t forget about after-school snacks!

• No-Bake Energy Balls and Bites are great portable snacks.
• 100+ Gluten Free Snacks are perfect if you want or need to avoid wheat.