Mom to Mom Nutrition

Katie Serbinski, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and millennial mom, blogging about healthy recipes, child and mom nutrition, and motherhood.

  • Home
    • Free Resources (Free PDFs)
  • About
    • Media
  • Food & Recipes
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Appetizers
    • Main Dishes
    • Soups
    • Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Slow Cooker
    • Kitchen Tips
  • Nutrition
    • Basics
    • Meal Planning
    • 7 Disease-Fighting Foods to Shop For NOW
    • How To Nourish A Growing Baby
    • Nutrition Advice for Sleep Deprived Parents
  • Mom Life
    • Back to School COVID Style
    • Lessons Motherhood Has Taught Me…. So Far
    • 5 Self-Care Tips for Moms
  • Toddler Life
    • Picky Eating
    • How Toddlers Can Help in the Kitchen
    • 10 Family Mealtime Conversation Starters for Kids
  • Work with Me
    • For Brands
    • For Moms
Home » Food & Recipes » 50+ Preschool Lunch Ideas [FREE PDF]

50+ Preschool Lunch Ideas [FREE PDF]

Aug 7, 2017 8 Comments

These preschool lunch ideas will inspire you to change-up your lunch-packing routine and get your child exposed to a variety of new and healthy foods!

These preschool lunch ideas will inspire you to change-up your lunch-packing routine and get your child exposed to a variety of new and healthy foods!
Here’s a look at some of the Serbinski boy’s favorite preschool lunches [previously tested out at home and camp this summer].
It seems crazy to me that summer is almost over and we are headed into back to school season. I’m not sure what day it is let alone when my kids start school, but judging by back to school photos hitting my Facebook newsfeed I can say that we probably aren’t far out!

This year Joey will be in three-year-old preschool 3 mornings a week, and Anthony will be going to a Mom’s Day Out program two mornings a week. AND I’ll be packing ONE school lunch for both of them—so two lunches each week. Sounds exciting and a little confusing, right?! Monday’s they’ll both stay an extra hour to enjoy lunch with other children their age. That means I’ll just have one lunch-mess to clean-up at home on Monday’s. Lily girl will still be with Mom!

Think they are ready for school?! Handsome little devils… I mean angels… I mean brothers.

I received a lot of positive feedback this summer when I shared a few of their favorite camp lunch ideas on Instagram, so I figured, hey, I’ll share with you some of my preschool lunch ideas with my go-to packing list! DO NOT think my boys eat everything on this list. Well, I guess they do minus hardboiled eggs, cheese sticks, and tuna salad. It also depends on what hour or day of the week it is because their palates seem to change by that too.

We are still working on variety at lunchtime… but honestly, I’m trying to NOT stress about preschool lunch. Or the fact that they eat almost the same thing at lunch every day at home [spoiler alert: I DO TOO!]. So I guess the list is for those of you who have toddlers that eat more than 3 things any given day and need a little inspiration on those days when you don’t feel like packing a lunch!

Click here to download a PDF of all these preschool lunch ideas

You might also be interested in these lunchbox supplies:

Lunchboxes

Reusable Cupcake Liners

Small Storage Containers

 

These preschool lunch ideas will inspire you to change-up your lunch-packing routine and get your child exposed to a variety of new and healthy foods!

So here you have it, a mix and match 50+ food list of preschool lunch ideas [click the link above or HERE to get your hard copy!]. I can tell you we have a rotation of each category if not weekly, monthly, depending on my grocery list. And that I usually go a little light on the dairy at lunch because they get so much at breakfast and dinner.

Here’s another thing: don’t stress if your child won’t accept more than a few items on this list or any school lunch packing list for that matter. I see nothing wrong with having the same thing [or a similar variation] for lunch every day. You can read more about my school lunch packing rant here. What I can tell you is that chances are your little one is missing mom or dad while at school, so if you give them their favorites, SO BE IT! Just make sure you try to slide in a new veggie or two at dinner. It usually works for us…

JOEY’S FAVORITE PRESCHOOL LUNCH:

These preschool lunch ideas will inspire you to change-up your lunch-packing routine and get your child exposed to a variety of new and healthy foods!
Joey could eat this grilled cheese lunch all day. Every day. And you know what? Some days when I don’t feel like pushing the envelope and I want a grilled cheese, we do just that!

ANTHONY’S FAVORITE PRESCHOOL LUNCH:

Hummus and crackers! The kid likes anything Mom likes, so when I introduced him to hummus he couldn’t get enough. Thankfully Kroger has these Simple Truth individual hummus packs which are perfect for packing lunches!

When it comes to serving sizes, I try to gauge what and how much I’m serving based on my children and their own individual appetites. Yes, you can use food labels to give you recommended amounts if you need to track calories and other nutrients for your child [which most of us do not]. You can also use my toddler serving size guide. But again, you know your child best. And what and how much they physically need to get through the school day.

If you had a chance to get the list, am I missing anything?! What would your child be happy with his or her preschool lunch?! 

Here’s a healthy, happy, and sometimes chocolatey-filled school year for all of us! 

Need to pack a lunch for your preschooler this school year?! Then get inspired with this list of 50+ preschool lunch ideas! Click To Tweet

These preschool lunch ideas will inspire you to change-up your lunch-packing routine and get your child exposed to a variety of new and healthy foods!

Related

Sign Up For Email Updates

slow cooking 101Subscribe to get email updates and my FREE Slow Cooking 101 printable. Use my basic formula to build healthy fix-it and forget-it meals the whole family will love!
I share special behind-the-scenes snapshots from our life, plus Mom to Mom tips, nutritional advice and much more. Plus, be the first to find out about upcoming events, new products and much more.

« There’s No Place Like Home
Open Face Apple and Peanut Butter Sandwiches »

Comments

  1. Sue Caputo says

    August 7, 2017 at 7:14 am

    I know a little girl who used to like pita bread spread with peanut butter and lightly drizzled with honey in her lunch. I believe she became a dietician. Love, Mom

    Reply
  2. Katie Paulson says

    August 7, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    Thank you so much for this, this is so helpful for my 3 and 1 year old! I just recently came across your blog and am so thankful that I have some new favorite slow cooker recipes in our dinner rotation (love the baslamic chicken). I really love your balanced approach to doing the best you can with meals and not getting stressed over it which is so easy to do with all the information out there today! Thanks again!

    Reply
  3. Anne says

    August 17, 2017 at 10:07 am

    Thanks for the great ideas. I am always looking for easy ideas for lunches at home & on the go for my toddlers. By the way, I would strongly encourage you to cut up those grapes for your preschooler!! I am an ER doc & that is a super scary choking hazard!

    Reply
  4. Jack Irby says

    November 23, 2017 at 1:21 pm

    I love those lunch ideas! It’s always nice to mix it up for the kids. I’ll have to try these.

    Reply
  5. David says

    May 28, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Pudding is not a vegetable.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Open Face Apple and Peanut Butter Sandwiches - Mom to Mom Nutrition says:
    August 9, 2017 at 8:17 am

    […] mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, so that mean it doubles nicely as a main entrée [think preschool lunches or Mom’s lunch] or shareable snack. Similar to a lot of my recipes, meal plans, and snack ideas, […]

    Reply
  2. Hundreds of School Lunch Ideas and Tips to Help Mom Stay Sane - Mama Knows Nutrition says:
    August 22, 2017 at 8:37 am

    […] 50+ Preschool Lunch Ideas – This post includes a free PDF printable of ideas and how to mix and match foods from different food groups to make a well-balanced lunch. […]

    Reply
  3. Our Favorite School Lunch: The Hummus Lunchbox - Mom to Mom Nutrition says:
    January 11, 2018 at 1:14 am

    […] 50+ Preschool Lunch Ideas […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Katie Serbinski at Mom to Mom Nutrition

WELCOME!

Hi, I’m Katie! Registered Dietitian, Mom, and Mealtime Negotiator. I’m on a mission to make mealtime happier, healthier, and easier with small children, despite what my 4 picky eaters have me believing. From family-friendly recipes to confessions about my unfiltered motherhood moments, I hope you grab a seat at my kitchen table!
Read more about me »

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Mom to Mom Nutrition Slow Cooker 101 Freebee

Top Posts

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Microwave

Chocolate Spinach Smoothie

Build Your Own Slider Bar for Dinner

No-bake chocolate protein bars stacked on a white and red plate.

No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars

Latest Posts

5 Tips for Healthier Meal Planning

Baby Foodie: Adding Herbs and Spices to Baby Food

Learn the basics to getting a healthy grilled meal on the table with these figure-friendly grilling tips!

Figure-Friendly Grilling

Taco pie covered in melted cheese and veggies on the side.

Easy Taco Pie

Copyright © 2023 · Mom to Mom Nutrition, LLC · Disclosure · Log in