Bento box ideas for kids: 6 school lunch ideas

Every morning I pack a lunch for my 2nd grader and Kindergartener.

And I’ve found that using bento boxes can make the process a little bit easier and more fun.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

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Packing using bento boxes

Here’s the basic system that I follow each day when I’m packing up the kids’ bento boxes. (Although I don’t always include every single category.)

Main course: I try to include something with protein, dairy, carbohydrates, or all 3.
Fruit: Usually something chopped up, and then I give the rest to the kids for breakfast.
Veggie: Usually raw veggies or some kind of salad
Snack: Crackers, pretzels, granola bar, crunchy mixes, etc.
Treat/dip: In the little section in the middle of the box I either put some kind of dipping sauce, or a little treat like chocolate chips.

That’s it! Scroll down for some examples of bento box ideas for kids, and go down even farther to see my favorite lunch packing products. 😉

Bento box ideas for kids: 6 examples

Lunch 1: Spinach turkey roll-ups

Main course: Spinach turkey roll-ups

To make these, I spread a little bit of garden-veggie cream cheese on a tortilla, then added spinach, turkey (or ham) and cheese. Then I just roll up the tortilla and cut it into pieces.

I also added a Babybel cheese.

Fruit: Nectarines

Veggie: Caprese salad

Mix halved cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Snack: Munchies snack mix

Treat/dip: Gummy ice cream cones

We found these cute little treats at a candy store at the beach.

Lunch 2: Deli sandwich

Main course: A sandwich

They key to keeping sandwiches interesting for my kids is to choose a variety of types of bread/rolls. Today I used half of a sandwich roll, and added chipped ham, cheese, and spinach for a little crunch.

Sometimes I’ll substitute the roll for different kinds of bread, wraps, croissants, dinner or Hawaiian rolls, etc.

Fruit: A fruit salad

I mixed up chopped strawberries, nectarines, and golden kiwi.

Veggie: A mixture of raw veggies

Baby carrots, raw broccoli, and a snack pepper

Snack: Oyster crackers

Treat/dip: Ranch salad dressing to dip the veggies in

Lunch 3: Quesadillas

Main course: Cheese quesadillas

To make these, lay out a tortilla and spread a very thin layer of sour cream on in. Then fill it with shredded cheese (I like cheddar and Monterey Jack) and add a little sprinkle of taco seasoning.

Then top with a second tortilla, and fry on both sides in a hot pan with a little oil.

I let them cool completely and cut them up before adding them to the Bentgo, and add a side of salsa for dipping.

Fruit: Cherries

Veggie: Caprese salad

(See lunch #1 for a description of how I make this. It is one of my girls’ favorites!)

Treat/dip: MMs

Lunch 4: Mini sandwiches

Main course: Mini sandwiches

This is just a little twist on the regular sandwich I showed above. My kids think it’s more fun to eat four little sandwiches than one big one.

I often do this with peanut butter and jelly, but today I used ham, cheese, bologna, and lettuce.

Then I added a granola bar.

Fruit: Golden kiwi

Veggie: Cherry tomatoes

Snack: Pretzel sticks

Treat/dip: peanut MMs

Lunch 5: Chips and bean dip

Main course: Chips and bean dip

I filled the large compartment of the Bentgo with tortilla chips, and then assembled a 5-layer dip in a different compartment:

The layers:

Refried beans mixed with taco seasoning.
Sour cream
Lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese

I also added a cheese stick.

Fruit: Peaches

Snack: Jello

My kids thought this was so fun. I actually made the jello the night before, and poured it right into this compartment to gel overnight.

Treat/dip: Chocolate chips

Lunch 6: Chicken wraps

Main course: Chicken wraps

I make batches of chicken in the slow cooker ahead of time: Just cook 2 chicken breasts and a packet of taco seasoning all day. Then shred it and pop it in the freezer to use in wraps or with rice in burrito bowls.

For today, I also added rice, lettuce, tomato, and cheese to these wraps.

Fruit: Golden kiwi

Veggie: Snack peppers

Snack: Chex mix

I actually made my own chex mix this time, and it turned out so yummy! This is the recipe I used to make the sauce, and then I added my own assortment of crunchies. 😉

Treat/dip: Yogurt covered raisins

My favorite lunch packing tools

Here are a few of my favorite lunch packing products:

Bento boxes

We love the Bentgo Kids lunch boxes. They have not leaked at all for us, and I pack dips and sauces all the time.

However, I have heard from some people that they might leak if you try to pack a really watery fruit, like watermelon or applesauce. In that case, I would add a piece of Saran Wrap on top of that particular compartment.

Preview	Product	Price
	Bentgo Kids Bento-Style 5-Compartment…	$27.99	Buy on Amazon
	Bentgo Kids Bento-Style 5-Compartment…	$25.99	Buy on Amazon

The Bentgo Kids are recommended for kids age 3-7. After that, I would consider switching them to the Bentgo Pop or the Bentgo Modern, which can both hold larger portion sizes.

Preview	Product	Price
	Bentgo Pop – Leak-Proof Lunch Box &…	$29.99	Buy on Amazon
	Bentgo Modern – Leak-Resistant Bento…	$34.99	Buy on Amazon

Insulated lunch bags

We got these Bentology lunchboxes, and they fit the Bentgos perfectly. There’s a tiny bit of extra space to add an ice pack and some silverware.

Preview	Product	Price
	Bentology Lunch Box for Girls – Kids…		Buy on Amazon

Ice packs

Along with the insulated bags, these have kept the kids’ lunches nice and cold until lunchtime.

Preview	Product	Price
	Cool Coolers by Fit & Fresh 4 Pack XL…	$11.99	Buy on Amazon

Water bottles

We have these water bottles for the kids. They’re not totally indestructible, but they hold up for at least a year or two of daily use, and are inexpensive. They’ve been a good option for us.

Preview	Product	Price
	EYQ 32 oz Water Bottle with Times…		Buy on Amazon

Other fun stuff

Here are a few other things we have that are not necessary, but have made lunch packing (and eating!) a little more fun for us:

Product	Price
156PCS Animal Food Picks for Kids Bento…	$5.98	Buy on Amazon
Tribe Glare Decruster Sandwich mold…		Buy on Amazon
Wilton 710-7236 Mini Candy Eyeballs, 24…	$7.07	Buy on Amazon
Recreo Sandwich Cutter Bento Box…		Buy on Amazon

Lunch box menu

Be sure to check out this post about how I use a lunch box menu to make this job so much easier!

That’s it! Let me know any other favorite ideas in the comments.

Thanks for reading, and happy lunch packing!

-Laura

Kristin Duncan says

August 24, 2023 at 7:31 pm

What are you using to keep lunches warm? Like if you do pizza slices or something do you just serve them cold?

- admin says
  
  August 25, 2023 at 1:02 pm
  
  Yes, I always do cold lunches. It’s just easier for us, and my kids don’t mind eating cold pizza. 🙂 (Neither do I!)

Bento box ideas for kids: 6 school lunch ideas

Packing using bento boxes