Round out any lunch—whether yours or the kids—with one of our top picks for lunch snacks. These ideas require minimal effort, can be added to a lunch at home or packed for on the go, and are a perfect way to add an extra dose of nutrition (and yumminess) to lunch.
Lunch Snacks
The easiest way to ensure the kids have enough to eat at lunch is to add on a snack or two to the main meal. This can be as simple as tucking in a piece of fruit or a veggie pouch, or adding a snack bar on the side. This helps to hit more food groups and can be a nice safety net if you aren’t sure if the kids will eat the main part of the lunch.
Below you’ll find 50 ideas for what you include as a lunch snack. Each option works at home or packed for daycare, preschool, or school.
Use this to help you come up with ideas for filling that lunch box and to limit the amount of minutes you spend staring into the fridge wondering what on earth to pack!
(You may also like Cold Lunch Ideas for Kids, Packed Lunch Ideas, Vegetarian Lunch Ideas, and Hot Lunch Ideas.
Table of Contents
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Fruits
These are some of my go-to ideas for fruits for lunch snacks.
- Canned fruit in 100% juice
- Freeze-dried fruit
- Applesauce
- Avocado, diced (or as guacamole)
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Clementines (dice up as needed)
- Melon, diced
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
TIP: Check out my Master List of Fruits for Kids for all of my ideas.
Vegetables
These veggies are really easy options to add to a kids lunch box or baby lunch box as a lunch snack.
- Bell peppers, thinly sliced
- Carrots, shredded (1+ yr) or very, very thinly sliced (2+ yr)
- Cucumbers, thinly sliced
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved lengthwise
- Peas (frozen and warmed up)
- Snap peas, sliced thinly if needed
And try these easy recipes:
TIP: Find all of my best vegetables recipes for kids, too.
Proteins
If the main part of the lunch isn’t rich in protein, one of these ideas can be a nice add-on lunch snack option to ensure the meal is filling.
- Drinkable yogurt
- Beans (such as chickpeas or edamame)
- Cheese stick or slice
- Chicken, shredded
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Nut or seed butter (as a dip)
- Snack bar (such as Larabar)
- Turkey (low-sodium deli meat)
And try these simple recipes:
TIP: Learn more about kids and protein.
Carbohydrates
Whole grains and carbs are a helpful way to ensure we’re full enough after a meal. Here are some easy options for lunch snacks to include in kids lunches.
- Animal crackers
- Cereal bars
- Cereal for kids (dry)
- Cheese crackers
- Granola bars
- Toddler Muffins
- Puffs
- Snap Pea Crisps
- Toast
- Whole grain crackers
And try these simple recipes:
Desserts
Add a dessert in the meal as a yummy lunch snack with these easy options.
- Chocolate chips
- Cookie
- Gummies (for kids over 3 who can easily chew them)
- Yogurt pretzels
- Fruit leather
And try these yummy recipes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Fruit, vegetables, simple proteins like cheese, yogurt, shredded chicken, and beans, carbohydrates including whole grain crackers, muffins, and bread, and any foods that fill in food groups that may not be in the main dish.
We love doing snack meals, where you essentially build lunch from an assortment of snacks. It’s super kid-friendly and is a great way to use ingredients you have on hand.
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Comment below with feedback and find all of my favorite store-bought snacks here.
This post was first published on June 15, 2021.
i see a shell pasta with peas in this link is there a recipe for it?
It’s boxed Annies Mac and Cheese with peas stirred in.