6 Easy Pinwheel Recipes for Lunch Boxes
Updated May 05, 2025
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Pinwheel recipes for lunch boxes are a fast and simplified way to pack lunches for little ones (and adults, too!) on the go that keep well for school or work lunches.
Pinwheels are such a fun way to change up your lunch box-packing game! They couldn’t be faster or easier to make, and my kids always think they’re such a fun alternative to plain, old sandwiches!
Plus, there are so many options for what you can put inside these creative roll-ups (see below for a full list of my and my kids’ favorite pinwheel recipes). As a mama of five, I need all the help I can get to make the mornings smoother, and these pinwheel ideas are a no-brainer. They taste good, keep well in lunch boxes, and satisfy hungry tummies.
Table of Contents
🍴Go Here for Even More Easy Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for Kids!
Why You’ll Love This Lunchbox Idea
- Planning lunches will help you stay on top of the meal-planning game and be a big time saver.
- It will also help you plan healthier foods for your family.
- If you’re making lunch boxes for several people, pinwheel style lunches will help simplify the grocery list and thinking required to plan lunches!
How to Make Pinwheel Recipes for Lunchboxes
Taco Pinwheel Lunch Box: Top an 8-inch tortilla with 1/4 cup refried beans (or leftover turkey and lentil taco filling), and spread to the edges. Top with a little cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced bell peppers. Roll and slice. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa, plus fruit of choice.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Pinwheel Lunch Box: Top an 8-inch tortilla with peanut butter (or other seed or nut butter), and spread to the edges. Top with a little jam down the middle. Roll and slice. Serve with sliced veggies, a cheese stick, and some cantaloupe.
Turkey and Cheese Pinwheel Lunch Box: Top an 8-inch tortilla with a little mustard and mayo, and spread to the edges. Top with chopped cooked turkey or turkey deli meat, cheese, and shredded lettuce. Roll and slice. Serve with pickles, veggies, and some berries.
Dill Pickle Lunch Box: Top an 8-inch tortilla with a little mayo, and spread to the edges. Top with cheese (we like cheddar) and diced dill pickles. Roll and slice. Serve with berries, veggies, and a boiled egg. Pickle and cheese is one of my kids’ favorite (they are soooo my kids!).
Hummus and Veggie Pinwheel Lunch Box: Top an 8-inch tortilla with 2 tablespoons hummus, and spread to the edges. Top with chopped cucumber, shredded lettuce, and diced bell peppers. Roll and slice. Serve with a boiled egg, a cheese stick, a mandarin orange, and some broccoli.
Pinwheel Lunchbox FAQs
Some ways to save time when preparing lunch box foods is to meal prep for the weekly lunches on the weekends, use leftovers creatively whenever possible, and prep in bulk. Cutting up all the vegetables and fruits needed for all the lunches for the week, boiling eggs, and even prepping the wraps are all great ways to prep lunches ahead of time.
I like to use containers with compartments to keep wet and dry ingredients separate so nothing gets soggy. It’s also good to add an absorbent layer to the box, like a paper towel, which can double as a napkin.
I pack foods that don’t spoil easily, just in case there isn’t a cooling option for the lunch box. Using insulated lunch boxes or bags when possible and placing a freezer pack or frozen drink in with the food is also a good idea.
Expert Tips
- For more “out of the box” lunch box tips, tricks, and inspo, make sure you check out Six Quick and Easy Hummus Lunch Boxes, 6 Sandwich-on-a-Stick Lunch Box Ideas, and 8 Wholesome Lunch Box Ideas for Adults or Kids!
- If your school is nut-free, use sunbutter or other seed butters instead of peanut butter.
- When I’m making lunches, pulling veggies from my veggie box is a real time saver.
- Using a string cheese instead of pulling out a grater is also a huge time saver.
Other Quick Lunch Ideas to Consider
Dip Recipes
Lemon Garlic Hummus Recipe Without Tahini
Healthy Snacks
No Bake Energy Bites: 25 Easy Snack Recipes
Healthy Snacks
Cherry Bliss Balls: 5-Minute Recipe For Cherry Balls
Meal Plans
Family Meal Planning Ideas
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
6 Easy Pinwheel Recipes for Lunch Boxes
Ingredients
- 1 tortilla roll-up, more details in post
- Fruit
- Veggie
- Extra protein, boiled egg or cheese stick, if needed
Instructions
- Make your tortilla roll-up by adding what you like to the tortilla (see ideas below), rolling it up, and slicing it.
- Add additional items to the lunch box to round out the meal, such as fruit, veggies, additional protein, and a treat, like chocolate chips or a fresh cookie.
- Store in the fridge or lunch box until ready to eat.
Notes
- I feel like these are best made and eaten on the same day.
- If your school is nut-free, try using sunbutter or other seed butters instead of peanut butter.
- When I’m making lunches, pulling veggies from my veggie box is a real time saver.
- My kids like to help make these lunches with all of the prepped-ahead options so they get the exact stuff they like to eat!
Haha…we are almost so the same…..my favorite sandwich is, and always will be…..Cheese with a pickle in the middle…..but…..its gotta be sliced sweet pickles! I’ll have to try it in a wrap next time. Sending this post to my sister….she has school kids and we all know how dull opening the “normal” lunch box is! You make it so fun!
Thank you for sharing with Sister! Always helpful. And I’m on team pickle, no matter what kind 🙂