Check out these school lunch ideas for teens by Kathy from Eclectic Lamb.
Healthy Lunches for Teens
I have some special teenage boys in my life. Their school day is long with sports practice and games after school. They were my consultants and testers for all of the teen lunch ideas and snacks shared here.
My teenagers bring a packed lunch and snack every day. Some teenagers may not want to bring a packed lunch to school. The opinion of my teen consultants is that when you bring food from home you can count on something good to eat.
Lunch Packing Tips
Here are my tips for packing food for teens. All lunches are packed in my favorite Easy Lunchboxes.
- Quantity: For teenage boys, it is all about the amount of food.
- Variety: Provide an assortment of food tailored to their taste.
- Leftovers: Plan dinner leftovers such as rice, pizza, potatoes, and pasta.
- Collaborate: Work with your teen when designing their lunches.
- Experiment: Try new food in limited quantities.
Easy Lunch Ideas for Teens
Below are five different specific lunches that I packed for my teenage sons. Use each as an inspiration for your own teen’s meal desires and needs. Mix and match ideas and ingredients from each for endless possibilities.
Lunch Idea 1 – Pizza Tarts, Banana, Celery with Blue Cheese Dressing, and Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps
Use homemade or store-bought mini pizzas with their preferred toppings. Celery sticks are elevated with a salad dressing dip. Your child will get many important nutrients from a banana. Top it off with flavored Pretzel Crisps.
Lunch Idea 2 – Onigiri (rice balls filled with black beans, cheddar cheese, and salsa), dried seaweed, hard-boiled eggs, Boston lettuce leaves, black pepper, pineapple, and sugar snap peas
Kids love rice, so they will enjoy eating these handheld onigiris. Adjust the filling to include their beans of choice.
More Easy Lunch Boxes to Pack
Lunch Idea 3 – Twice-baked potato bites, strawberry Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries, carrot, and pistachios
My boys love these mini baked potato bites covered with cheese. Mix up the yogurt with different berries or other fruit. Pack different nuts for good variety.
Lunch Idea 4 – Homemade pretzels, Babybel cheese or Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese sticks, black olives, and green grapes
These home-baked pretzels are a favorite of my sons and their friends.
Lunch Idea 5 – English Muffin Veggie Pizza (make your own) – 3 toasted English Muffin halves, cream cheese mixed with a little ranch powder, Mozzarella cheese, sugar snap peas, almonds, sliced red pepper and carrots
Create a more mature Lunchable that teens will enjoy putting together. Get their input on toppings.
Healthy Snacks for Teens
Many teens have long days away from home with all their extracurricular activities. Here are some snack ideas for teenagers that fit into a backpack to eat after school and before sports practice.
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- Homemade trail mix (pretzel snaps, almonds, craisins, yogurt covered raisins)
- Cranberry Walnut Pumpkin Bread
- Trader Joe’s Multigrain Pita Bite Crackers and pistachios
- Kind Fruit & Nut Bar (Almond & Coconut) and sugar snap peas
- Peanut Butter Energy Balls
I hope these teenage lunch ideas have inspired you to pack a healthier lunch for your child.
Maybe they will be motivated to pack their own!
-Kathy from Eclectic Lamb
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Thanks for sharing these great lunch ideas for teenagers, Kathy! Please visit Kathy’s blog and follow her social media.
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Check out Easy Dinners To Go!
Miz Helen
Thursday 16th of August 2018
Congratulations! Your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and have a wonderful week! Miz Helen
Leta
Sunday 17th of September 2017
I've been looking for those three compartment tupperwares for some time. Where to you get yours? Thanks for sharing - my teen does not like sandwiches in his lunch so I'm excited to try some of these.
Diana Rambles
Sunday 17th of September 2017
Leta, These are the ones used in the post. http://amzn.to/2xr5r3f There are different colored lid choices. Lids stay on and keep the food separated.
Alexis AKA MOM
Friday 15th of November 2013
You rock my dear! I so need to get on some good lunches for the boys. Lately I haven't had time at night.
Julia Nyanyo
Thursday 7th of November 2013
Hi Diana, you had me at your blog name - I love to ramble on too! I can't believe I've not found you before, you have so many great ideas. I'm g+ following and having a look at your pin party as soon as I've finished rambling on here. I have 2 teenage boys who are always hunting for food, they usually end up with breakfast cereal (morning,noon and night) as their go to between meal snack, I will be steering them towards some of these great ideas. Thanks
Crystal Mcclean
Tuesday 3rd of September 2013
Great ideas for any age! Even my husband would love these! Thank you for linkingup to Mom's Library, I'll be featuring you this week on Crystal's Tiny Treasures.