I’ve seen several articles claiming to give new and fun ideas for school lunches, but I must say…95% of their suggestions wouldn’t be TOUCHED by my kids, even if they were stranded in the desert with nothing else to eat but prickly pear cactus, alone, scared, and naked. Not even touched. I’m pretty sure they would almost starve to death first before they would eat turkey grape pinwheels or feta pear spinach wraps. My kids act like kids, they’re picky. They don’t like their fruit mixed with meat, too much green will make them gag, if it smells funny, looks strange, or makes slight jiggly movements, then you can count on it going right for the garbage. By the way, I’ve actually heard that cactus tastes similar to lemons. That’s all. I sound like I’m on drugs. I’m really not.
So, nothing fancy-schmancy here…just some lunch ideas that my kids wouldn’t throw away and some tricks to make lunch more fun. Let me share…
Breakfast for Lunch!
Homemade french toast sticks – Make french toast, a little toastier than usual, let cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar, cut into sticks, and wrap in foil. Send to school with a small dipping cup of syrup.
Cereal – Yep, they can even have cereal for school lunch! Ya know those mini cereal boxes they sell at the grocery store? Send a box in their lunch bag with a thermos of cold milk to pour on top. Of course, you can always throw in a yogurt or fruit to make it more hearty.
Bagel – Send a bagel with cream cheese already smeared on. Include some orange juice, yogurt, and call it good!
Smoothies - Using yogurt and lots of fruit, make a yummy smoothie. Pour it in a thermos with your bagel, or cheese and crackers, etc.
Hard Boiled Eggs – My boys love boiled eggs! I can’t make enough of them, and what’s better than a house that smells like fart? A couple eggs with a smoothie would be perfect!
Muffins - Blueberry, Cinnamon, Cranberry…kids usually like muffins.
Utilize the Thermos!
Not everything has to be cold…it really limits your choices. You can pick up a great thermos that will keep foods hot (or extra cold) for hours! If you want a great one, try this Thermos Stainless King Food Jar 
(works for drinks too).
(works for drinks too).
Now, instead of a cold deli meat sandwich every day, you can send:
Soup – Fill the thermos with hot soup and don’t forget a baggie of crackers! My kids love the Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soups…specifically the ABC and star shaped. But, for a heartier soup, they also love Bean & Bacon, Broccoli Cheese, and Campbell’s Chunky Potato and Bacon.
Frito Pie – Fill the thermos with hot chili. Send a bowl of Fritos corn chips and a snack size Ziploc bag of shredded cheese. Your little dude just needs to dump the hot chili on the bowl of Fritos, followed by the cheese. Frito pie, one of my kids favorites!
Meatballs – These can be any kind of meatballs…meatballs & gravy, meatballs & marinara, etc. Get them hot, and drop them into the thermos. Send some crackers or a roll and some fruit for sides, easy! Don’t forget to include a fork (or toothpick).
Think Outside the PB&J
Homemade Lunchables – My kids love lunchables. And, there’s no reason I couldn’t put one together myself. Fill a lunch tray (with lid) with crackers, some kind of meat, and cheese. Include a Ziploc bag of pickles (I try to keep the pickles away from all the other food…maybe wrapped up in a napkin, on the other side of the blue ice. Pickles in a lunchbox can potentially make everything taste like pickles!)
Italian Chicken Pitas – If your kids eat lettuce (pat yourself on the back), then they will eat this. Stuff a pita with grilled cold chicken pieces (you can buy them precooked in packages at the store), lettuce, and cheese. Send a small container of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing to pour on the pita fillings.
Kabobs- Kabobs are fun and there are a million ways to do them. Line long skewers with meat chunks, fruit, veggies, and cheese…any combo is great!
Croissant Sandwiches – Sometimes just changing up the bread of a sandwich is all it takes to add a little flair to a boring lunch. Make the sandwich on hoagie rolls, bagels, or croissants. If you use regular bread, take a cookie cutter and cut it into a fun shape. Throw in some baby carrots and ranch dip. One of my kids favorite croissant sandwiches is the Bacon Ranch Chicken Croissant…
Make the Lunch Extra Special
Happy Meal Friday - Celebrate the weekend by including a little toy trinket (or fun candy) in their lunchbox on Fridays. Go to a party store (Oriental Trading) and pick up a random selection of little toys (all under a dollar), keep them hidden well so that junior never knows what’s coming.
Make ‘em Laugh! – Write a joke on the outside of the paper lunch sack, include the answer on the inside. If you’re not using paper sacks…just attach a joke on the outside with tape. Tell them they can’t see the answer until their done eating their lunch. They might need to recruit their friends to help them figure it out. Need some joke ideas? Check out this post…”Every Mother Needs an Arsenal of Lame Jokes“.
If you have any suggestions for lunches (that your kids love)…feel free to share those in the comment section too!
Mariel
Owner & Author at Or so she says...
Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!
@orsoshesays
Blogger, Promoting Motherhood, Creativity, Great Ideas, Good Food, and Family Values. http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
My hot lunch date. @ Olive Garden http://t.co/bxMw2Rt3Dw - 49 mins ago
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Spinach salad with feta cheese, almonds, grape tomatoes. Strawberries, turkey and cheese rolled in a whole wheat flour tortilla.
And, I love that company!
Excellent giveaway! I liked the tip that they gave about using the small Tupperware containers for *dipping* sauces. Never thought of that!
I like the idea of putting a frozen juice box in their lunches to keep everything cool!
Anything in a wrap! Love wraps.
I struggle with cold lunches for my son all the time. I like the idea of making our own “lunchables” instead of buying them at the store.
I love the idea of putting frozen juice in the lunch to keep everything cool, very clever!
I just loved the colorful veggies and fruit in there with the bread sticks. It looked so happy and bright.
I LOVED the sushi idea!!! Also the salads looked yummy and my kids, believe it or not, lOVE salads! Fun, fun giveaway!!!!
Nothing is worse than soggy sandwiches! I always squirt the mustard in a slice of turkey or ham fold it in half, and put it in a separate baggie or container. Then my kids can put it on the bread/bun at school when they are ready to eat!!! 
I loved the turkey and cheese roll ups, and I love your blog. Look forward to it with my coffee every morning.
My kiddo’s would love the pepperoni with a baby belle cheese fruit and crackers. I must pick some up at costco today!
Thanks
I loved the little angel tuna fish salad! So cute. I love all the healthy, cute ideas.
These are so cool! I would love to have them, thanks for the chance! I love the meat and cheese kabob idea. I fun way to eat them! Great ideas!
That is awesome! THe pizza, with pretzels goldfish, and strawberries was a great idea.. Also so many great ideas to choose from Thanks for this blog!
Liz
Gotta love the colored top ramen “under the sea” theme lunch! How fun would that be to eat seaweed ramen? Such a fun idea. Crossing my fingers cause this product is awesome!
Wow what a wonderful post! I am told I make my son exotic lunches but like you I feel like its important that he eat his lunch so I really seek creative and yummy choices.
I loved all your suggestions but especially love the chili and fritos idea….my son would love this.
The only problem I have is that lat year alone he lost 5 lunch bags so in the end I used plastic supermarket bags…:(…might you have any sugestions on how to help him remember not to leave the lunch bag in the yard after lunch?
I will definitely try these the compartments rock!
Thank yous so much for all the great ideas and their site is way cool too!
-christine
I love that I could use it for my husband or my kids. The portion sizes are just right.
Turkey and cheese roll ups look fun and something my boys would eat!
I like the meat and cheese cabobs with crackers and fruit! All of them look amazing, they would be the king/queen of the lunchroom! These look bigger than I first thought, I like that!
I love the homemade yogurt sundae. Maybe my kids would eat yogurt with some fun stuff on top!!!
What a great website. BOTH OF YOU!!!
Thanks.
I really liked any of the wraps, or the breadsticks with the thermos of soup. You can’t have soup without a breadstick!
I love the idea for using disposable Souffle cups for dips. My kids love to take veggies with ranch or fruits with peanut butter to dip them in. Awesome giveaway, thanks!
Great post!! I liked the whole wheat wrap w/ crunchy pb and bananas with a yogurt sundae..I’ll have to try that one with my kids!
i love this! thanks for sharing. my favorite was the colored ramen and the tuna sandwich shaped like a fish. how creative!
lloyd_am(at)hotmail(dot)com
Love the cheese and salami kabobs and crackers. Even though I’m not packing a kiddo lunch, I am packing a hubby lunch and need all the ideas I can get…he’s just as picky as any kiddo out there!
I already struggle with new lunch ideas and my son is only 20 months! ahh! I am doomed for sure. He is bound to get more picky right? Ill have to try some of these ideas. I think food is easier or more fun to eat if it looks fun! like the cute yogurt/pudding with sprinkles in it! Who knew yogurt could look cute?
love it! plus if he can dip any of his food in anything he loves it. I should try new fruit and let him dip it in the cute yogurt!
The mini quishes looked fun and yummy!
ps i love your blog!
lesliewinter_86@hotmail.com
These are exactly what I have been looking for!! Thank you!! I love the idea of them having veggies/salads and dips and the frozed juice box idea to keep it all nice and cold!! the wraps, and the soups!!
I love the meal idea of the wraps with fruits and veggies on the side. My kids love lunch meat and cheese!! I have not seen these before. They are great.
I love the meal idea of the wraps with fruits and veggies on the side. My kids love lunch meat and cheese!! I have not seen these before. They are great.
We love our Easy Lunchbox and containers!
Love your ideas for lunch…especially the happy meal friday! That is great!
I SO want some of these! Brilliant!
I SO want some of these! Brilliant!
I loved all the ideas! Very helpful and I will be returning to the site often for more ideas. The one that made me excited today was the goat cheese on crackers. Hummus for dipping the veggies. Yummy!
Why did I never before think of sending a thermos full of warm, delicious soup on cold days? Genious! Fingers and toes crossed to win!!
I love how you tell it like it is! Great post. I would’ve LOVED something warm in my lunches. BTW any tips for making hard boiled eggs less stinky??
I really like their partitioned bpa free boxes and the perfect sized coolers. I also like their tips for finding little condiment containers.
Since next year I’ll be packing two lunches, I love the idea of bento boxes. Stackable to save space. I know my son would love to find chips and guacamole in his lunchbox.
We start school next week, so this giveway would be perfect for us! My kids checked out the site with me and they picked the left over pizza, strawberries and fish crackers/pretzels… (i think they reminded them of lunchables and since I never buy lunchables for them, they thought this idea was pretty cool)
the reviews do sound pretty good! Thanks for the post.
I liked the frozen juice in the lunch to keep everything cool! never thought about that!
I love the idea of sushi, if my child would eat it i would definitely be on board to send it in their lunch.
I liked the idea of clipping on some hand sanitizer. You just never know where those hands have been. (I am speaking of my husband, of course!
And by the way, I do think your blog is “fabulous, amazing and rockin’”. Thank you for all the time and hard work you put into it!!
I LOVE the Under the Sea lunch. Such a clever idea and a fun surprise for the little ones when they open it up to eat. AWESOME website!
Love the cheese and salami kabobs and crackers. Even though I’m not packing a kiddo lunch, I am packing a hubby lunch and need all the ideas I can get…I am always sending him out the door with a cold sammich, what a shock it would be to get something different.
I loved everything I saw. My 12 yo has mourned the loss of Lunchables being an option for him with his appetite. This would satisfy his “buffet” mentality and satisfy his stomach. Yea! Thanks for bringing these to my attention.
The spinach salad looked yummy.
emilou84037@yahoo.com
those containers are awesome! my kids would love the puddig with the sprinkles!
~Sarah
I love the idea of sending hummus and veggies for dipping. The little compartments are great–no worries about losing a million little containers that get sent to school to hold each item!
These containers would be perfect! It sure beats using all those plastic sandwich bags to puts the different food in! Perfect for portion sizing as well! I loved the idea of sending soup in a thermos and putting bread sticks and veggies or fruit in the containers. Thank you for this post and all the ideas for lunches!
I have to be honest. I never even thought of anything else beside PB & J and chips in a brown bag. I can’t wait to show my son these ideas for lunch. His school doesn’t really have a cafeteria so he pretty much always has to bring a home lunch, so I think it will be fun to learn all these new and creative ways to do lunch.
Thanks
Shanna
pokienose@gmail.com
I love the lunch containers! And those kabobs look super-fun to make and eat.
Work it girl!
I love these! My daughter loves anything with a dip, so this would work great for that!
Cheese and turkey wrap w/sesame crackers sounds yummy!
I love the tip on how to make the container leak free for things like yogurt…just use wax paper and then put the lid on. This is a great giveaway…thanks.
I like the idea of making mini quiches and seving them with crackers and fruit. My kids would love that combo.
I like the breadsticks with aside f veggies and minestrone soup.
Loved the:
Little angel fish tuna sandwich is swimming in colored Top Ramen with a carrot crab and apple starfish. Smaller compartments are filled with apple starfish and a Taro Mochi.
Thermos of minestrone and a breadstick and string cheese. Yum. I love this product. We need some!
String cheese, crackers, & deli meat w/a side of fruit and veggies. My daughter would love this AND it’s super-easy–great for a morning when we’re short on time.
Loved the fish shaped tuna sandwich with colored noodles and apples cut in star shapes to look like starfish. SO cute!
I could really use these lunch containers for my 3 boys!!!
A whole wheat hot dog bun for the bread of a PB and banana sandwich? Genius! I forgot I used to use hot dog and hamburger buns as sandwich bread when I was little. My kids would love to see any of these ideas for their lunch!
I love the idea of pasta for lunch especially with a yogurt sundae. It looks so yummy!
Love the pizza, my Son would eat that everyday. I also liked the different yogurt variations.
Pasta and veggies, grapes, and “trailmix,” of goldfish and raisins (although I would personally add chocolate chips instead!
necklacebliss(at)gmail(dot)com
Yum, homemade guac with tortilla chips. Thanks for featuring this company I’ve been looking for something just like that. My son likes pizza roll ups…turkey pep, tortilla, cheese and spaghetti sauce to dip.
the grilled chicken strips is a great idea i think.
I loved how they did yummy veggies and made them look so good! I showed the picture of the pepperoni and cheese to my son, and he was stoked. Great ideas! I went on the website to order my own, and the shipping is almost as much as the product. Too bad. Guess I will just have to hope for a win!
definitely the salad of lettuce, cucumbers, carrot shreds, corn, wheat germ, dried cranberries, & cheese with homemade flat bread.
Yummy!
I could really use these!
So many great ideas! I know what my daughter is getting for Christmas this year! I have had such a hard time finding great containers that fit in insulated bags, I got some pricey ones from Tupperware that are great except they don’t fit in any of the insulted lunch bags! SO EXCITED!
I like the idea of putting quiche in muffin tins then there the perfect size. I also like the idea of having little containers for dips and sauces, etc.
I love that the separate compartments in the containers seal so little people (my daughter) shaking their lunch boxes wont end up with everything mixed together.
My kids would so eat the pizza and strawberries!
I think I really like the idea of Mixed green Salad, Romaine/Spinach,Carrots/Cauliflower/broccol, lentils/Quinoa, Dried cherries w/raspberry vinaigrette
‘Somersaults’ cruncy nuggets, Strawberries & Mango
mmmm
heidiemyers@gmail.com
Putting antibacterial wipes in their lunch box is a great idea–my son would definitely benefit. And so simple, too!
lseverts AT gmail DOT com
Much better than a lunchable, looks like something most my kids would eat.
I like the dipping containers also.
Mmmm they all look so good. But especially all the fresh fruit in the lunches!
I like the Lunchable idea. Love all the ideas for lunches on your blog post today!
I like the roll ups. Got to get the husband doing more of those, instead of so much PB&J.
Thanks
Jana
jlnay@hotmail.com
I would personally LOVE the egg salad on lettuce with a side of crackers! Not a sandwich person myself! These lunches look close to what my son eats daily (at home at our table, would be perfect to continue on to school!)
Thanks so much
~josephine (dot) parsons(@) yahoo (dot) com
My favorite was totally the sushi.
I totally loved the idea of the frozen juice box in the lunch to keep everything nice and cool.
FAbulous post!
Here’s a true story– my husband and I are going to school in the evenings and having a hard time with dinners at school– so yesterday when I was reading this, I got to the thermos king food jar part and thought, “brilliant! This is the answer to my problem!” no kidding, I left then and there to go grab it from Target! So this morning when I noticed your mention of a giveaway I thought, “Whaaaat? There was no giveaway yesterday!” (see, I was thinking I had finished the post!)
So I went back and actually finished the post, and was crazy excited about all the other FAB ideas there were, especially these super functional lunch boxes!
Soooo (after that longwinded explanation) my favorite lunch idea was super simple (I’m a simple lady) grapes, cucumber with some salt sprinkled on it, and a peanut butter sandwhich — beautiful! I would never think to put cucumber in the kiddos’ lunch!
Thanks gor such a rockin’ blog!
I have a thermos for soup, but I loved the idea of sending the tomato soup with a breadstick. I must get some of those disposable souffle cups immediately!!
I have a thermos for soup, but I loved the idea of sending the tomato soup with a breadstick. I must get some of those disposable souffle cups immediately!!
I have a thermos for soup, but I loved the idea of sending the tomato soup with a breadstick. I must get some of those disposable souffle cups immediately!!
I have a thermos for soup, but I loved the idea of sending the tomato soup with a breadstick. I must get some of those disposable souffle cups immediately!!
I love the ‘cutsie’ lunches for my kids like the angel fish tuna sandwich with starfish apples.
Ok love the colored ramen noodles and a fish shaped sandwich. Thats for sure on our menu next week when chow mien is on the school menu!
Love the pizza and salad idea! I absolutely hate packing school lunches and these actually make me want to! Hope I win! Already ordered the thermos!
So many ideas – we got sick of eating sandwiches all summer long. I think I’ll first try the skewers. I can see that I definitely need the containers and great lunch bags.
Way cool! I had never heard of them. I love that you can put anything in the containers. My kids love Salad. I cant wait to get one to use it..Thanks!!
I love the little angle fish & seaweed idea!! The kabob and wrap ideas are more practical for me though. My kids like when we make a wrap, cut it in slices and use a toothpick to hold a pickle on the end. It looks like a snail! I LOVE the dipping sauce idea, my daughter will really enjoy her lunches more with that. Thanks for all the fun tips & ideas. I can always count on your blog for the best ideas!! Thanks.
I love the idea for making it leak proof!! Such a wonderful product for my three girls… and even my husband!
Love the idea of using frozen juice to keep it cold!
The super fit kale chips sound interesting–I never would have thought of that.
I love this suggestion: “Fill a thermos with boiling water to heat the core for a few minutes. Spill out the water just before you fill the thermos with soup or an entree. The thermos is now hot and ready for your hot food, and will stay that way longer.”
The wraps! My girls would love them!
All the wraps sound so good! But I especially like the pasta and veggies…wish I had some right now!
So many GREAT ideas. I’m definitely jotting some down to use for my husband’s lunch. I loved all the uses they showed for souffle cups. They also had some great variations on sandwiches and healthier “lunchable” ideas for the kids!
I love the idea of hot minestroni soup on a cold day with a bread stick and some fruit. Any kid would love this lunch.
Oh my gosh, these lunchboxes are amazing! I loved the lunch idea with meat and cheese skewers, crackers, fruit, and a hard boiled egg. Yum. I’m a teacher, and lunch time flies by. This post is going to change my lunch time for the better!
I love the egg salad with crackers, cucumber, & granola. It looks soo yummy with the nice green lettuce. I know what I’m making for lunch tomorrow!
Love the yogurt sundaes! with blueberries and strawberries on the side. YUM!
What a great container! I liked the salads
I’ve never tried sending a salad with my son…he would love that. The mixed fruit was also a great idea 
thnx
Ybright@hotmail.com
Oh wow! I’ve been desperately needing some new lunch box ideas!
Love the wraps! Gosh, why didn’t I think of trying that? And the frozen juice.
My favorite would have to be a wheat sandwich, with a boiled egg, and fresh fruit. I am really loving this lunchbox idea.
I love their pasta for lunch ideas, yummmm!
The frozen juice is SO smart! I’m going to be doing that one from now on….
The frozen juice is SO smart! I’m going to be doing that one from now on….
I Liked the Turkey and cheese roll up on a multigrain tortilla, with pretzel rods, cheddar bunnies and the strawberries with raisins. If I win this lunch system i think I might have my daughter switch from school lunch to lunch from home and use the ideas on their website. They are wonderful healthy ideas. I Hope i win!!!
I’m diggin the PB&Honey on a whole wheat bun, string cheese, bite size peaches and cantaloupe, and the home made yogurt parfait fixed just the way I want.
I have a first grader who would love this! I liked the cheese and sausage kabobs with the fruit and dip. Yum! Thanks so much for all the great lunch ideas. This is just what I have been looking for…something real that my kids will eat! paicemom at yahoo dot com.
i love the mini quiches!