Back-To-School Lunch Box Ideas to Veggify your Kids

Kids and veggies seem to be natural enemies. When faced with anything green, most kids come up with an excuse similar to this one:

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Or, they comply, but getting the veggies into their mouths looks something like this...

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Or this...

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Or maybe even this...

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But don't worry! We've got you covered with these kid-friendly, healthy, back-to-school lunch and snack ideas for your little ones.

• Cottage cheese, berries, honey, and graham crackers

This is as simple as it sounds, folks. While the texture of cottage cheese is a bit too much for most kids, adding fresh berries, honey, and graham crackers turns this into a cheesecake bowl! Simply pack the berries, honey, and graham crackers separately from a carton of cottage cheese, and instruct your child to mix them together. To save on lunchbox space, you can pre-mix the berries and honey.

• Hummus and pretzels

This one is a winner. Rich in protein, filling, easy-to-eat, and even easier to pack, it's the perfect snack or lunch. For an extra, almost unnoticeable veggie boost, blend a vegetable into the hummus, e.g. roasted red peppers, avocado, spinach or roasted carrots, but feel free to get creative and experiment with other veggies!

• Veggie-Packed Sauce

This Jamie Oliver recipe puts 7 different veggies into a delicious tomato sauce, which sneakily adds nutrients to your child's favourite pasta. For extra ease, make a big batch of this in advance, freeze it, and thaw small portions as necessary. 

Image & Recipe: Jamie Oliver

• Sweet Potato Fries

These sweet potato fries are high in potassium, a great source of vitamin A, and oh-so delicious. Make a big batch of these to last for lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the week. 

Image & Recipe: Chocolate Covered Katie

• Coconut and Date Balls

These energising, bite-sized snack balls are a definite must for little kids prone to running around. 

Image & Recipe: Kid Spot

• Vit-A-Man Sandwich Recipe

The layer of cream cheese in this sandwich will make your child forget that they're eating veggies!

Image & Recipe: Martha Stewart

• Veggiebuzz's Best Veggie Burger Recipe

Use our favourite veggie burger recipe to keep your loved ones running on nutrients. Make a large batch of these, freeze them, and re-heat when a lunch is needed in a pinch.

• Mini Veggie Pizzas

Use a tortilla, crumpet, or half a bagel as a base for a mini oven-baked pizza. Simply use the tomato sauce mentioned above, add some cheese, top with more veggies, and pop in the oven.

• Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These grain-free, gluten-free muffins will be a delight for your little ones. They're easy to eat on the go and taste like fall in the U.S.

Image & Recipe: Blogilates

• Home-popped Popcorn

High in fibre, easy to make, and free from all of the nasty additives in microwave popcorn, home-popped popcorn is the perfect lunch box addition. Simply cover the bottom of a wide-bottom pan with vegetable or coconut oil, place a couple of raw kernel on it, and cover the pot. When the kernel has popped, pour in more raw kernels to coat the bottom of the pan, cover with a lid and continue to cook while shaking the pot every now and then.

• Strawberry Quinoa Bars

These nutritious bars will keep kids full from snack time to lunch, or from lunch until they get home.

Image & Recipe: My Fussy Eater