27 Bento Box Ideas For Kids & School Lunch (Easy to Make)

As a mom to two kiddos, I know all about the school lunch woes. Coming up with new ideas each week can really suck all the creativity and joy out of packing a lunch. I’m here to help you simplify packing lunches with 27 insanely delicious, healthy, and easy bento box ideas for kids!

What is a Bento Lunch Box?

A bento box is a lunchbox that’s divided into smaller compartments, separating the food in the box. Here’s what I love about using a bento box for kids and school lunch…

• Makes packing a school lunch super easy.
• An easy and organize way the kids to enjoy their lunch. Everything is easily laid out for the kids at lunchtime, which is ideal when you only have a few minutes to eat.
• Saves money: no more buying plastic bags that get tossed or new lunchboxes every year.
• I’m not a “Pinterest mom,” packing all the fun things like fruits in different shapes, etc. but the bento box makes packing a beautiful lunch super easy. When a lunch is beautiful (this doesn’t mean complicated), kids are more likely to enjoy their lunch.

1. Cheese, Crackers, Meat Homemade Lunchable

An easy lunch made with crackers, real cheese, and sliced deli meat (salami, turkey, pepperoni, cubed chicken, ham, etc.). This one is so easy, the kids can pack their own lunch!

• Main: Homemade Lunchable: salami + cheddar cheese cubes + crackers (Simple Mills brand)
• Fruit: Grapes and sliced pears sprinkled with cinnamon to prevent browning
• Veggie: Roasted broccoli (leftover from dinner)
• Crunch: Crackers (Simple Mills brand)

2. Pizza

Turn homemade pizza from dinner into a quick and easy school lunch. Or, make mini pizzas by spooning pizza sauce on English muffins or pita bread, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until melted. Mini pizzas are a great meal prep option as they keep in the fridge for days. Eat at room temperature.

• Main: Homemade pizza
• Fruit: Apricots
• Veggie: Roasted frozen broccoli (leftover from dinner)
• Crunch: Grass-fed beef jerky stick

3. Pizza Lunchable

Cut homemade pizza dough into small rounds using a biscuit cutter and bake. Or, cut pita bread into small rounds with a biscuit cutter. Pack a side of pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, and optional, pepperoni, for a build-your-own pizza lunchable.

Main: Homemade pizza lunchable
Fruit: Strawberries and pitted cherries
Veggie: Sliced cucumber and olives
Crunch: None

4. Egg Muffins

Bake eggs with bacon, veggies, and cheese in a muffin tin. The egg muffins can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and enjoyed at room temperature or reheated. These muffins are perfect for a protein-rich breakfast or lunch. Pack an ice pack to keep the food safe until lunch.

• Main: Egg Muffin
• Fruit: Strawberries
• Veggie: Bell peppers cooked in the egg muffin
• Crunch: Homemade granola (a great food to prep in advance and store in the freezer) and yogurt

5. Turkey Roll Ups

An easy protein option for the lunchbox. Roll up sliced turkey, ham, or pastrami with either sliced cheese or spinach. I love Applegate and True Story brands for lunch meat.

• Main: Turkey roll ups with spinach leaves and homemade tomato soup (leftover from dinner)
• Fruit: Grapes
• Veggie: Spinach (in the turkey roll up) and the soup!
• Crunch: Crackers (Simple Mill’s brand)

6. Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are a fantastic meal prep food. Make 8-10 eggs on the weekend and keep them in the fridge for breakfast and lunch all week. The eggs keep for up to 5 days and are best enjoyed at room temperature or cold. I love to make hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot. They come out perfectly every time!

• Main: Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs + plain yogurt and honey for sweetness (this Greek yogurt fruit dip is a great way to flavor plain yogurt for kids)
• Fruit: Apples sprinkled with cinnamon to prevent browning and strawberries
• Veggie: None
• Crunch: Flourless almond banana blender muffin (not suitable for nut-free schools but can be made with sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter)

10. Mini Pancakes

The perfect way to turn Sunday’s homemade pancakes into Monday’s lunchbox! Pack a little dipper container of pure maple syrup or fruit on side. I also recommend adding a protein, like an Instant Pot hard boiled egg, leftover cooked bacon, or rolled up turkey or ham.

• Main: Mini homemade einkorn pancakes (almond-oat pancakes are another favorite recipe or sheet pan einkorn pancakes) with maple syrup (in a dipper container) and Instant Pot hard-boiled egg
• Fruit: Strawberries
• Veggie: Celery sticks with peanut butter or sunflower butter
• Crunch: None

11. Pancake or Waffle Sandwich

Turn leftover weekend pancakes or waffles into the very best sandwiches! Spread the waffles or pancakes with cream cheese and jam, just jam, or peanut butter (or sunflower butter) and jam. I make einkorn pancakes, almond-oat pancakes, almond flour waffles, or einkorn waffles and keep them stocked in the freezer.

• Main: Homemade Einkorn waffle sandwich with strawberry jam and cream cheese
• Fruit: Apple slices with cinnamon (cinnamon prevents browning)
• Veggie: Cucumber slices
• Crunch: Granola and Greek yogurt fruit dip

12. Hummus and Turkey Pita Sandwich

Slice a pita into quarters. Spread hummus inside the pita, add turkey or chicken or ham, cheese (if desired), and a cucumber slice. A quick and easy sandwich that feels different than your classic sandwich, and it’s perfectly balanced with protein, complex carbs, and fiber.

• Main: Pita sandwich: pita bread, turkey, homemade hummus, and cucumber slices
• Fruit: Clementine slices
• Veggie: Carrot sticks (store cut carrots in water and they’ll stay fresh and crisp for weeks)
• Crunch: Crackers (From the Ground Up Cauliflower brand)

13. Salad

If your child is a salad lover, the bento box makes packing a salad super easy! In the picture, I added lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber slices, carrots, and some leftover shredded chicken (I love to cook a whole chicken or grill chicken thighs and keep the meat in the fridge for lunch). In a dipper container, I added homemade ranch dip (homemade vinaigrette is another great option!).

• Main: Mixed salad with lettuce, carrots, cucumber, grape tomatoes, shredded grilled chicken thighs (leftover from dinner) with cheddar cheese, cubed bread, and salami skewers
• Fruit: Grapes
• Veggie: Salad 
• Crunch: Stonyfield YoKids Organic Strawberry Yogurt

14. Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot chicken and yellow rice or Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice are two of our favorite weeknight dinners. And the best part is they make lots of leftovers for school lunch.

If you’re using the Omielife bento box, with the built-in thermos, add the chicken and rice to the thermos in the morning (after reheating). If you’re using a different bento box, add the chicken and rice to a separate thermos, then fill the bento box with a fruit, veggie, and crunch.

• Main: Instant Pot Chicken and Yellow Rice
• Fruit: Pineapple chunks
• Veggie: Red bell pepper slices (store sliced bell peppers in the fridge for an easy snack or lunch side)
• Crunch: Plantain chips with beet hummus (a great dip to prep for the week for school snack and lunch)

15. Homemade Chicken Nuggets/Tenders

Are you noticing a trend here? Leftovers are your best friend when it comes to packing an easy and healthy lunch!

Make homemade chicken tenders for dinner, double the recipe, and stash the extras away in the fridge for an easy lunch. Serve the chicken tenders with homemade ranch dip (or ketchup), add the meat to a tortilla for a wrap, or top on a salad. Serve the chicken tenders at room temperature with an ice pack for safety.

Main: Homemade chicken tenders with homemade ranch dip
Fruit: Clementine slices
Veggie: Sugar snap peas
Crunch: Einkorn banana muffins (made in a mini muffin pan)

16. Hot Dogs

In the morning, you can quickly warm up hot dogs, cut into pieces, then add directly to the bento box or a separate thermos. I like Applegate brand, Niman Ranch brand, or True Story brand.

• Main: Applegate hot dogs with ketchup
• Fruit: Peaches and strawberries
• Veggie: Cucumber sticks 
• Crunch: Sea salt potato chips (cooked in avocado oil)

17. Banana Bread Cream Cheese Sandwich

Make your favorite banana bread on the weekend (I love this almond flour banana bread or turn these einkorn banana muffins into bread). Slice the bread and add cream cheese between two slices. A delicious and fun lunchbox sandwich!

• Main: Almond Flour Banana Bread and cream cheese with rolled up ham
• Fruit: Grapes and clementine slices
• Veggie: Sugar snap peas and homemade hummus
• Crunch: None

18. Pasta Salad

This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad is a great prep-ahead meal. It makes a ton, so you can make it for a weekend lunch or dinner (alongside grilled chicken thighs). Serve it up for a school and work lunch. It keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge.

• Main: Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
• Fruit: Blueberries
• Veggie: Celery with peanut butter and raisins
• Crunch: Pretzels

19. Classic Sandwich

There is nothing wrong with classic! Pack a classic sandwich, like ham and cheese, turkey and cheese, or peanut butter (or sunflower butter) and jam. Use sourdough bread, a brioche bun or dinner rolls, or homemade pancakes or waffles for the bread.

• Main: Ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce on brioche dinner rolls
• Fruit: Grapes
• Veggie: Cucumber slices
• Crunch: Granola bar (Autumn’s Gold brand from Costco: some of my favorite foods from Costco.)

20. Soup

Chicken noodle soup and roasted tomato soup are always popular with kids! Turn this nutrient-dense dinner into a school lunch by reheating the soup and adding it to a thermos. Then pack a fruit, veggie, and crunch in the bento box.

• Main: Instant Pot chicken noodle soup
• Fruit: Apple slices sprinkled with lemon juice (to prevent browning)
• Veggie: Veggies in soup
• Crunch: Energy Bite and slice of sourdough bread

21. Oatmeal

Turn breakfast into an easy and healthy lunch by packing oatmeal in a thermos, then adding a fruit, veggie, and crunch to the bento box. I add grass-fed whey protein (this is my favorite brand) to the oatmeal (stir in after cooking) for extra protein!

Oatmeal is fantastic to prep on the weekend and reheat later in the week with a bit of water to keep it from drying out.

• Main: Oatmeal and cheese stick
• Fruit: Grapefruit
• Veggie: Cucumber slices
• Crunch: Tortilla chips

22. Apple Sandwich

Core an apple, then thinly slice, and add peanut butter (or sunflower butter) to two of the slices to make a sandwich. Sprinkle the apple slices with lemon juice or cinnamon to prevent the apple from browning in the bento box.

• Main: Apple sandwich (apples, cinnamon, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter) and rolled up turkey
• Fruit: Apple
• Veggie: Carrot fries (carrots cut into sticks and roasted, similar to this roasted green and carrot recipe)
• Crunch: Cheese cubes and crackers (Mary’s Gone Crackers) and homemade yogurt stick

23. Cheese Quesadilla

Quesadillas are easy to make for lunch! Add cheese to a tortilla, then toast the quesadilla over the stove-top in a skillet or in the oven. Add the quesadilla, cut, to the bento box. Kids eat this lunch at room temperature. You can also add mashed up beans, spinach, or turkey or ham with the cheese. Add an ice pack if using lunch meat in the quesadilla.

• Main: Cheese quesadilla (use this quesadilla recipe as a guide, just skip the spinach if that’s not your child’s favorite thing)
• Fruit: Grapes and unsweetened applesauce
• Veggie: Cucumber slices and carrot sticks with homemade hummus
• Crunch: Pretzels

24. Meatballs and Dipping Sauce

Another great dinner turned easy lunchbox meal! Add last night’s oven-baked meatballs and sauce to the lunchbox. I love these little skewers for making the meatballs easy to pick up and dip in the sauce (in a dipper container).

• Main: Oven-baked meatballs and spaghetti sauce (in a dipping container) leftover from dinner
• Fruit: Grapes
• Veggie: Cucumber slices and carrot sticks
• Crunch: Crackers (Simple Mills brand) and cheese cubes

25. Tuna or Chicken Salad Wrap

Make chicken salad (with cooked, shredded chicken) or tuna salad (with canned tuna). Keep it in the fridge and in the morning add the salad to a tortilla and wrap it up! This is great for adults and kids. Alternatively, make a wrap with your favorite lunch meat and cheese.

• Main: Chicken salad in a tortilla with lettuce
• Fruit: Apples with lemon juice (to prevent browning)
• Veggie: Lettuce in the wrap and Bubbie’s brand pickles
• Crunch: Pretzel sticks

26. Pizza Muffins

Savory muffins, like pizza muffins or corn dog muffins, are a great food to prep in advance, toss in the freezer, and pack in the bento box. Thaw the muffins in the fridge overnight, or reheat from the freezer in the microwave or oven until thawed. The kids enjoy these muffins at room temperature (just add an ice pack to keep the food safe).

Main: Einkorn pizza muffin with easy no-cook pizza sauce (in little dipper container)
Fruit: Raspberries & 100% fruit roll up (Bear brand)
Veggie: Cucumber, tomato, and feta cheese salad
Crunch: 100% fruit roll up (Bear brand)

27. Mac and Cheese

What kid doesn’t love mac and cheese? Make homemade stove-top mac and cheese or Instant Pot mac and cheese for dinner (serve with a veggie and protein), then turn the leftovers into a quick lunchbox meal.

Reheat the mac and cheese in a microwave or on the stove-top (add a bit of milk when using the stove-top to keep the mac and cheese from drying out), then add to a thermos and pack a fruit, veggie, and crunch in the bento box.

Main: Homemade stove-top mac and cheese (or Instant Pot mac and cheese) and rolled up ham
Fruit: Cantaloupe and 100% fruit leather (Wild Made brand)
Veggie: Leftover roasted frozen broccoli
Crunch: 100% fruit leather (Wild Made brand)