By Laura Fuentes on Updated
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Need ways to get more veggies into your kid’s lunch box? You’re not alone.
The simple lunches below make eating vegetables at lunch delicious. Like what you see? Click through to the post to learn the tips to keep everything fresh in the lunchbox!
School Lunches with Veggies
Veggies should not be the afterthought of packing school lunches. There are ways to incorporate them into a lunch without hiding them.
They can be part of the main lunch, like in the zucchini pizza bites, dipped, or added to a kid-favorite food!
Here are some lunches with veggies:
Broccoli Nuggets
4.95 from 18 votes
Cheesy, delicious, and in every kid's favorite shape: a nugget! They're perfect for dipping, can be frozen, and made in bulk!
Pack this lunch
Veggie Macaroni & Cheese
4.75 from 16 votes
Take a kid-staple food like mac and cheese and amp the nutrition by adding pureed carrots into the sauce. This recipe packs great inside a thermos!
Pack this lunch
Veggie Egg Bites Snack Box
5 from 12 votes
These are cheesy and packed with veggies. They can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature, making this a protein lunch that's perfect year round.
Pack this lunch
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Thermos
5 from 14 votes
My daughter claims the leftovers from dinner for her thermos lunch every time I make this recipe. Tip: chop the broccoli florets into smaller pieces to fit better inside a thermos.
Pack this lunch
Turkey and Veggie Hummus Wrap
5 from 15 votes
If they're good to be dipped with hummus, why not wrap them up with turkey for protein and give this wrap the ultimate crunch texture? We say yes.
Pack this lunch
Zucchini Parmesan Waffles
5 from 19 votes
Savory waffles that are good at room temperature? Ooh yes. Cheesy, filled with zucchini, and so good! Take this next level by packing marinara sauce for dipping in a small leak-proof container.
Pack this lunch
Crunchy Ham & Cheese Pinwheels
5 from 13 votes
When sliced into pinwheels, leafy greens are easier to bite through. No need to make a salad, just a little in each bite.
Pack this lunch
Related: Top Lunchboxes We’ve Tested
Healthy Bell Pepper Nachos Lunch
5 from 8 votes
These healthy nachos use bell peppers as a base so your kids will enjoy epic nachos AND veggies at the same time. Can be enjoyed at home or at room temperature in a lunchbox.
Pack this lunch
Zucchini Pizza Bites
5 from 6 votes
A delicious, bite-sized way to eat more veggies for lunch! Enjoy these at home or at room temperature directly from the lunchbox.
Pack this lunch
Turkey Club Sandwich
5 from 18 votes
If you rarely add lettuce, tomato, or other veggies in hopes of avoiding a soggy sandwich, click through the post to learn how to prevent this common issue!
Show me how!
DIY Taco Lunchables
5 from 34 votes
Everything kids love from taco night inside a lunch box. If you can turn it into a taco, this post shows you how to turn it into a fun DIY lunch!
Tacos for Lunch are Great!
Crustless Quiche Muffins
5 from 14 votes
The perfect way to repurpose any veggie leftover from dinner that's not enough to turn into another meal. Grab the recipe + packing tips & veggies to egg ratio.
Pack this lunch
BLT Salad Lunchbox
5 from 15 votes
A good BLT is the gateway to enjoying more salads for lunch. It's got all the ingredients kids love. Tip: finely shred the lettuce if your kid is just starting to enjoy salads.
Pack this lunch
Veggie Snacks for School Lunches
Another way to add an extra serving of vegetables into your child’s day is by packing delicious snacks rich in veggies, like one of these:
Hummus and Carrots Bento
5 from 19 votes
Veggies taste better with hummus! Create a snack bento, with your child's favorite veggies, and creamy hummus for dipping and pair it with a sandwich or wrap for a healthy lunch.
Pack this lunch
Baked Zucchini Chips
4.97 from 29 votes
Because veggies taste better when it feels like you're eating a potato chip! Makes a fun side for lunch or snack.
Pack this snack
Egg Salad Stuffed Celery Snackbox
5 from 8 votes
Take the classic ants-on-a-log for a spin plus add more protein to the snack box by pairing celery sticks with egg salad!
Pack this snack
Parmesan Spinach Balls
5 from 47 votes
A kid-approved veggie recipe you can pack as a side for lunch or even as a snack! Bonus: make them in bulk and keep them in the freezer for when you need them.
These sound great!
Cheesy Cauliflower Bites
5 from 25 votes
Bite-sized veggies that are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside make these cauliflower bites irrisistible.
Pack this snack
Broccoli Tater Tots
4.95 from 35 votes
Crispy, cheesy, and bite-sized make these a fun way to enjoy this dreaded vegetable. I tell my son that the green specks is just "seasonign."
Grab the recipe
Zucchini Carrot Cake Bars
4.97 from 30 votes
The recipe where carrot cake meets zucchini bread that makes veggies delicious to eat!
Pack this snack
Edamame Hummus
5 from 18 votes
High in protein and delicious, this edamame hummus is a breeze to make in the blender or food processor and perfect for dipping veggies or with crakers.
Pack this snack dip
Lunch Vegetables
The most obvious way of adding vegetables to lunch is on the side! Below are the most popular veggies to add to a lunchbox.
- Carrots, baby or sticks
- Cucumber, sliced or in wedges
- Tomatoes, grape or cherry
- Sugar snap peas
- Celery sticks
- Bell pepper, sliced into strips
- Avocado, sliced or mashed
- Edamame
- Pickles
- Broccoli
- Jicama, sliced into strips
- Lettuce, shredded or chopped
- Spinach, shredded or chopped
- Peas, frozen or room temperature
Want an easy way to build lunches with veggies fast?
Download Your FREE Lunchbox Builder Printable
Use this printable PDF to pack easy, nutritious lunches your kids will LOVE!
Each lunchbox will be filled with a variety of healthy carbs, fats, and quality protein to keep them satiated and focused for the entire school day.
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by Laura Fuentes
onSeptember 29, 2015
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Nicole
I would suggest (once classes start allowing it) to send in some of your heathy treats to her class. Let the other children taste it for themselves and see that just because it looks different doesn’t mean weird or that it tastes bad. I’m sure that they will go from making fun of her to begging her for her lunch because it’s so delicious.
Reply
Anita
My daughter loves eating healthy lunches that I pack for her. But the problem she has is other kids picking on her and making fun of her homemade lunches. It doesn’t seem to matter what I send to school with her, someone thinks it looks weird because it’s not in a package. This has brought her to tears many times. Any suggestions on what I can say to help her? She’s in 3rd grade.
Reply
MOMables
What I would suggest is to talk to the teacher. Do not dismiss your efforts and continue to send your daughter healthy lunches. Talk to your daughter about it and make sure she has the confidence to smile and not let these kids bother her. Kids can be cruel and talking to the teachers is where I would begin.
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Kim
As parents we have to remind our kids that being different is not a bad thing. That we pick our friends because they are different or because we have similar taste. Remind her being health and taking pride in herself is more important then what anyone else thinks. Then I would also recommend talking to the teacher as well. This is not just about your daughter you have to bring it to a level the teacher can understand because it is a form of bullying. Schools have a no tolerance bully policy and if the teacher does not address it she can be in trouble. We have to remind our children that we are there to protect them no matter the battle or the giant. Mom your awesome and I’m sure she’s awesome because she keeps bring her lunch and eating it. Remind her beauty is not only how you look on the outside, but it is also influenced by what you but in.
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