Healthy Lunch Recipes for Kids

Finding healthy lunch recipes for kids can be tricky, especially because it is easy to fall into the routine of serving the same types of food every day. Some parents aren’t sure of where they can find healthy lunch recipes for kids, so they buy pre-packaged foods that have unhealthy ingredients.

Toddler Lunches

There are a few healthy lunch recipes for kids that are targeted for toddlers, and this is one of the most critical times to teach them about healthy eating and develop their taste buds to enjoy foods that will nourish their body. Here are a few ideas:

• Peanut Butter Sandwich Bites: Use whole wheat bread and all natural peanut butter. Instead of spreading on sugar-filled jam, try using blended fruit as a substitute. Or, raw honey can be a great way to sweeten the sandwich, and it is an ingredient that is included in many healthy lunch recipes for kids.
• Finger Foods: Toddlers love to feed themselves, and you can help them to be independent by providing a variety of finger foods for them to choose from. Instead of worrying about finding healthy lunch recipes for kids, simply choose a few of their favorite healthy foods and serve them together. You can give them a sectioned plate with a fruit, vegetable, protein, and grain. For example, chopped bananas, cooked carrot pieces, black beans, and whole grain bread.

School Lunches

When your child is old enough to go to school, healthy lunch recipes for kids are even more important because your child will be taking their lunch to school each day. You don’t want them to feel embarrassed about what they are eating, and there are a few ways to make their lunches fun and interesting:

Pita Pizzas: Instead of serving a sandwich every day, switch things up by making a mini pizza in pita bread. There are many healthy lunch recipes for kids that suggest lots of great toppings that can be added to the pizza, such as low fat cheese, tomato sauce, lean meat, and vegetables. These pita pockets can be wrapped in tin foil so that they don’t fall apart in the lunch box.

Thermos Soup: Find a serving size thermos, and send soup with a piece of whole grain bread and another side dish. Soup is healthy and it will stay warm in the thermos until lunchtime. Search on the internet to find healthy lunch recipe for kids to get ideas about various types of soup that you can make.

Homemade Lunchables: Kids love to eat the pre-packaged cheese, meat, and cracker lunches that can be purchased in the deli section at the grocery store, but those lunches can be unhealthy. Instead, you can make your own healthier version by using whole grain crackers, low fat cheese, and nitrate-free lunch meat.

Using a little bit of creativity can help you to put together healthy lunch recipes for kids, and your kids will love the variety of meals that they have every day.