100 New Lunchbox Ideas To Try
”Notice anything different, Mom?”
I looked over. ”Uh…no. Looks like your sack lunch, uneaten as usual.”
MacLean made that “13 year old boy exasperated noise” that he’s been perfecting. ”Yeah. Because it’s the same lunch I’ve had for 3 days!”
“But…but you like yogurt and oranges!” I hedged.
“No, Mom. It’s the same exact lunch. You haven’t changed anything for 3 days. Why don’t you just tell the world you’re trying to murder me through Salmonella?”
Have I mentioned that my twins definitely picked up my Drama Queen streak?
But it’s true. I must have just assumed I’d already packed it, or something. Man, I do suck, don’t I?
Anyway, here’s a lovely list of 100 new ideas to try for packing lunch from home. The lovely girls over at Family Fresh Cooking.com did all the work collecting them for us. Thank you!
100 New Lunchbox Ideas To Try
Here is a list of 100+ recipes from around the web to get you started.
Bars
DIY power bars and granola bars are simple to prepare and are a great way to save money, use healthful ingredients and they taste amazing! See Brownies and Bars on Pinterest ~ lots of these are decadent, but fun to look at anyway!
- Banana Molasses Granola Bars Anja’s Food 4 Thought
- Chocolate Hazelnut Larabars The Healthy Foodie
- Crispy, Gooey Trail Mix Bars Family Fresh Cooking
- Coconut Rolled Raw Energy Balls Blooming on Bainbridge
- Dark Chocolate and Dried Cranberry Granola Bars Thyme
- Fresh Fig Bars Healthy Happy Life
- Grab and Go Granola Bars Out of the Box Food
- Homemade Coconut Luna Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bites Bran Appetit!
- Telluride Trail Bars Family Fresh Cooking
- The Raw Brownie My New Roots
Breakfast-y Snacks
These double as breakfast on the go or delicious snacks. if you are anything like me then you crave breakfast all day long! See loads of great (constantly updated) Breakfast ideas on my Pinterest page.
- Acai Bowl Epicurean Mom
- Bircher Muesli Ami’s Vegetarian Delicacies
- Cinnamon Chia Scottish Oats edible perspective
- Double Chocolate Banana Scones (vegan and gluten free) Family Fresh Cooking
- Oatmeal Sandwich Bread Eat, Live Run
- Peanut Butter and Jam Surprise Oat Scones Yummy Mummy Kitchen
- Pumpkin Pie Granola My Baking Addiction
- Raspberry Maple-Pecan Granola Family Fresh Cooking
- Rise and Shine Breakfast Burritos (make ‘em small for snacks) TidyMom
- Spiced Banana Almond Meal Pancakes Roost
- Wheat Brioche Buns (top with a healthy spread) Sprouted Kitchen
- Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Pancakes Food Doodles
Cookies (healthy ones)
Want more cookies? Check out my Cookie favorites on Pinterest.
- Almond Coconut Cherry Breakfast Cookies Running to the Kitchen
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Girl
- Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies – Gluten Free Family Fresh Cooking
- Brown Butter Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies Naturally Ella
- Cocodate Cookies Weelicious
- Healthy Carrot and Oat Breakfast Cookies Lauren’s Latest
- Lemon Ricotta Breakfast Cookies Family Fresh Cooking
- Sesame Date Breakfast Cookies Dessert for Two
- Sunflower Seed Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Family Fresh Cooking
- Toasted Quinoa Shortbread Cookies Kitchen Konfidence
Crackers + Crunch
For more ideas follow my Snacks and Nibbles Pinterst board.
- Breakfast Snack Bites The Urban Baker
- Homemade Parmesan Crackers Yummy Supper
- Gluten Free Graham Crackers All Day I Dream About Food
- Parmesan Potato Chips Picky Palate
- Seedy Crisp Crackers It’s Not About the Recipe
- Sesame Crisps food4tots
- Spiced Roasted Chickpeas Sweet Savory Sweet Life
- Toasty Nuts La Tartine Gourmande
- Vegan, Gluten Free Crackers Averie Cooks
- Whole Wheat Carom Seed Crackers
- Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers Guilty Kitchen
- Whole Wheat Cheese Straws Apt. 2B Baking Co
Fruity Snacks
Berries and sliced fruit and fruit salads are great in the lunchbox. You can also try these recipes. Follow my Tutti Fruitti board on Pinterest.
- Baked Applesauce Sweet Peas Kitchen
- Dehydrated Apples and Bananas Bev Cooks
- Dried Banana Coins The Slow Roasted Italian
- Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Back to Her Roots
- Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips Laura friendly
- Homemade Fruit Leather Georgia Pellegrini
- Rainbow Fruit Skewers Brooklyn Supper for Babble.com
- Rainbow Fruit Wraps Gimme Some Oven
- Raspberry Applesauce Family Fresh Cooking
Muffins and Healthy Cakes
Follow Muffins on Pinterest too!
- Almond Meal Banana Muffins Honest Fare
- Banana Nut Oat Bran Muffins Two Peas and Their Pod
- Berry “Queen” Muffins Scandie Foodie
- Brown Butter, Apple and Carrot Muffins – Gluten Free Cannelle et Vanille
- Lime Olive Oil Muffins Wears Many Hats
- Mom’s Bran Muffins The Moveable Feasts
- Paleo Banana Bread Muffins With Style and Grace
- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins Multiply Delicious
- Peaches and Coconut Cream Muffins Food For My Family
- Sweet Strawberry Snack Cakes Family Fresh Cooking
- Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread {never} homemaker
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts for Nuts! on Pinterest….for even more nutty ideas.
- Dark Chocolate Drizzled Cashews What’s Gaby Cooking
- Indian Spiced and Roasted Nuts Donal Skehan
- Maple Almonds A Small Snippets
- Maple Citrus Roasted Pecans Family Fresh Cooking
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds My Kitchen Addiction
Popcorn
Also followt my Popcorn Pinterest board for more ideas…
- Bacon and Pecorino Popcorn A Spicy Perspective
- Cheesy Chili Lime Popcorn Bless This Mess
- Chili Lime Popcorn whole living
- Popcorn 100 Days of Real Food
- White Cheddar Popcorn How Crazy Cooks
Pudding
You can follow my Puddings and Custard Pinterest board too!
- Cinnamon-Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding An Edible Mosaic
- Fruit Pudding Elana’s Pantry
- Mango Pomegranate Mousse Beth Michelle
- Rice Carrot Pudding Kiran Tarun
- Roasted Peach Tapioca Pudding Family Fresh Cooking
- Vegan Tapioca Pudding dramatic pancake
Savory Bites
For more follow Savory Bites on Pinterest.
- Baked Quinoa Burgers (slice ‘em or make them mini) Fig and Fork
- Everyone’s Favorite Teeny Tiny Potatoes Family Fresh Cooking
- Mini Caprese Skewers Skinny Taste
- Mini BLT Kebabs Family Fresh Cooking
- Simple Sweet Potato Fries with 2 Dips Sprout & Pea
- Sticky Stacky Sandwiches Super Healthy Kids
- Sweet Potato Hash with Canadian Bacon, Red Pepper and Sage Cookin’ Canuck
- Quinoa and Currant Summer Salad The Reluctant Entertainer
- Quinoa Edamame Salad Our Best Bites
Shakes and Smoothies
A great way to have a cold smoothie for your snack is to freeze it overnight and let it thaw throughout the day. Make sure you use a freezer safe container and you leave room for expansion! Follow Shakes, Floats & Smoothies on Pinterest.
- Alien Juice Smoothies Bake at 350
- Avocado Smoothie The Little Kitchen
- Green Smoothies Aggie’s Kitchen
- Frozen Hot Chocolate Ice Cubes (let them melt in milk for healthy chocolate milk!) Family Fresh Cooking
- Mixed Berry Smoothies 40 Weeks
- Pumpkin Smoothie The Pioneer Woman Cooks
- Sugar-Free Orange Julius Add a Pinch
- Walnut Date Cinnamon Smoothie Aida Mollenkamp
Spreads and Dips
Kids and adults love dips. Pack organic nut and seed butters or make your own! Dips, spreads and sauces make fruits and veggies more tempting and they add some sustain to your snack. Also follow Dip + Dress + Sauce + Spread on Pinterest.
- Avocado and Edamame Spread The Perfect Pantry
- Cannellini Hummus with Wonton Chips Once Upon a Plate
- Creamy Fluffy Hummus Fresh Tart Steph
- Feta Cheese Dip Heather Christo
- Green Pea Hummus Meal Makeover Moms
- Grilled Baba Ghanoush The Parsley Thief
- Lentil Hummus Deliciously Organic
- Homemade Nutella Diethood
- Sun Dried Tomato Hummus with Crispy Chips Family Fresh Cooking
- Toasted Coconut and Hazelnut Butter Top with Cinnamon
Veggie Snacks
Keep containers full of sliced and prepped veggies for grab and go snacks and lunches. You can also make these fun recipes. Eat Your Veggies on Pinterest.
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini Chips Ambitious Kitchen
- Baked Organic Zucchini Chips My San Francisco Kitchen
- Crispy Baked Kale Chips For the Love of Food
- Make your Own Veggie Chips Chow.com
- Roasted Green Bean Fries How Sweet Eats
- Sun-Dried Potato Chips eCurry
Extras!
- #ProjectLunchBox Pinnersmy my group Pinterest board
- 5 Best Drinks for Hydration Ingredients Inc.
- Healthy Road Trip Eats and Drinks (perfect for the lunchbox too!) Mountain Mama Cooks
- Healthy Snack Recipes for Kids Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Patio Snacks: Oven Fries, Crudités and Mint Lemonade Olive Oil and Lemons
- Portable Baked Oatmeal Plus 10 on the Go Snack Ideas Oh She Glows