Delicious School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters

Keeping school lunches interesting, nutritious and delicious can be tricky, especially if you’re feeding a picky eater. There’s nothing worse than being greeted after school with a lunch box full of untouched food that ends up going in the bin! 

Getting kids to enjoy their lunches can be a juggling act between what’s healthy and what they’ll actually eat. 

To make sure their lunch box comes home empty (and their tummies full), we’ve rounded up our most popular back to school lunch ideas even the pickiest eater will be asking for again and again. They’re so tasty you’ll want to pack an extra lunch just for yourself, too! Let’s dive in.

How do you pack a lunch a child will eat?

The best lunch box ideas for fussy eaters appeal to both their eyes and their stomachs. Kids eat with their eyes first, so making it look great goes a long way. Try using cookie cutters to make fun shapes or decorative toothpicks to entice them even more. Stars, hearts, or animal cutouts can make their lunch time feel like an adventure!

Having a balance of healthy but delicious additions with a variety of tasty treats will help ensure your kids are eating everything. A good rule of thumb? Pack a rainbow of natural foods and healthy creations and you can’t go wrong. 

Top tip: It’s best to introduce new flavours one at a time to see what your kids do and don’t like. 

What are good snacks for picky eaters?

It’s important to think about morning tea snacks when coming up with packed lunch ideas for kids. These should be things that are flavourful, while giving them plenty of energy to get them through to lunch. Some kid-friendly snacks you can try include:

• Fruit kabobs
• Popcorn
• Protein balls
• Mini yoghurt cups
• Crackers and dip

Choose whatever is exciting for your child’s tastebuds, mixing it up from time to time to keep them interested.

Back to school lunch box ideas that get the kids involved

Getting the kids involved in preparing their lunches is a great way to get even the fussiest eater interested in their school food. The little kids can help pick out what they would like to try, while older kids can get involved in the hands-on prep. Simple recipes will make sure they’re quick and easy for you, and everyone can try their hand at a little food prep.

Our favourite lunch box recipes

If you’re looking for some fresh lunch box recipes for kids, you’ll love these. They all use real ingredients, with little people’s tastebuds in mind.

Lunchbox Pizza Toast

This Lunchbox Pizza Toast recipe is one of our personal favourite packed school lunch ideas. All you need is a loaf of Bakers Delight Hi-Fibre Lo-GI bread, and grill with some tomato paste, shredded cheese and ham, or any other ingredients you and your little ones like. It’s that simple — and yummy!

Mini Cheesymite Scroll with Avo, Tomato & Cheese

If your kids scoff down cheesymite scrolls like there’s no tomorrow, this lunchbox recipe is going to be a hit. Our Mini Cheesymite Scrolls with Avo, Tomato and Cheese are pretty self explanatory. Simply slice the scrolls in half and top with those yummy, healthy toppings for a lunch so good even you’ll be wanting one (or two!).

Mexican Roll-Ups

Who doesn’t love taco night? Mexican Roll-Ups keep the fun of taco Tuesdays going, loading all the leftovers onto a piece of Bakers Delight Hi Fibre Lo-GI bread, that’s then rolled up and baked in the oven. You can even play with other ingredients to make the perfect flavourful roll-ups for your family.

Roast Chook Sandwich

The good ol’ Roast Chook Sandwich is a classic for a reason. Whether you’ve got leftover Sunday roast chicken or pick-up a BBQ chook from the store, they perfectly balance flavour and are packed full of protein. The whole family will want one in their lunchbox!

Keep it fresh (literally) for the best school lunches

Fresh is best, especially for school lunches. Using fresh bases, like breads and scrolls, will help ensure the food texture and taste is maintained in the lunch box, making it more appealing for kids. Bakers Delight breads can be kept fresh by freezing for up to 4 months, there to use whenever you need. When ready to thaw them out, simply:

• Remove the seal and leave the bread to thaw naturally and slowly in the packaging, if you’ve got time.
• Remove bread from the packaging, wrap in a paper towel and place in the microwave for 10-second bursts until soft and fresh again, if you need to use now.

Freezing your fresh bread ensures you’ll always have yummy bread to use for lunches or to put in lunch boxes. 

Want some more inspiration to start them off right for the year? We’ve got loads more healthy lunchbox ideas that’ll have them cheering.

Find your local Bakers Delight for the best school lunches even the pickiest eater will devour.