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    Bless This Mess > Recipes > Lunch Recipes

    All Kinds of Lunch Box Inspiration!

    Published: Aug 26, 2014 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Melissa · 34 Comments

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    Title Image for Lunch Box Ideas with 5 examples of healthy lunches with food that resembles characters and animals

    Today isn't just All Kinds of Lunch Box Inspiration and healthy lunches... it's also a giveaway of some really fun lunch box gear and products to get you excited for the coming school year! Keep reading, it's a long post 🙂

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!
    Lunch Box Inspiration

    The Best Things to Pack Your Kids for Lunch

    I'm always looking for fun new ways to pack a lunch and I thought I'd share some inspiration with you today. I don't make crazy intricate lunches often, but once in a while I get overly motivated or Macey needs a little sunshine in her lunch box and I'll go wild with creativity. Things like this are fun when you want them to be fun, but don't think I do them every day, that would suck the fun out for me. Here were some really cute and extra creative lunch box ideas that I liked.

    I'm on team you might as well try to be healthy. Use homemade whole wheat bread, real cheese, and if you are going to use packaged convenience foods, get healthy ones! Lucky for you the giveaway today is for a bunch of our favorite healthy store-bought brands (Annie's, Rudi's, Applegate, Honest Tea, and Organic Valley). Yay!

    Some Super Fun Lunch Box Ideas:

    Dinosaur Bento Box from Wendolonia

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Spooky Haunted House from BentoLunch.net

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Easy Pasta Salad Lunch by Bless this Mess
    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Happy Birthday from Chaos and Confections

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Hello Kitty Bento Lunch from Create Eat Happy

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Spider Lunch Box from Bless this Mess
    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Read Across America Lunch from This Lunch Rox

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Happy Bunny Bento from Another Lunch

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Very Turkey Sandwich from Bless this Mess
    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Pooh and Piglet Bento from Mothering Corner

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Despicable Me Minion Bento Lunch from Glory's Mischief

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    The Classic from Bless this Mess
    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Fish Sammies for Bento Lunch from Hawaii's Bento Box Cookbook

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    Gumball Bento Lunch from BentOnBetterLunches

    All kinds of lunch box inspiration!

    There's more! Nutritionist Amelia who works with these great brands sent me some lunch box tips and I wanted to share them.

    Amelia’s Top Lunchbox Tips:

    • Think outside the sandwich. When I hear the phrase “packed lunch” I immediately think of a sandwich in a brown bag. But sandwiches get old fast, and plenty of other foods offer great nutritional value and equal convenience. Instead of focusing your child’s lunch around a sandwich, pack a yogurt parfait, mini frittata, or pasta salad. If your child does like sandwiches best, change up the format occasionally by making a wrap, burrito, stuffed roll or panini.
    • Invest in a Bento box. Kids (and adults!) of all ages love and appreciate finger foods, and a Bento box - or collection of small containers - allows you to pack a variety of healthy items that together equal a balanced meal. Keep all the food groups in mind when assembling your little nibbles - protein, grains, vegetables, fruits and healthy fat. A little of each of these nutrients will help keep your child satisfied throughout the day
    • Include your child in some aspect of food prep. When you invite the kids to help you make a shopping list, select fruits & veggies at the grocery store, or wash and prepare lunch foods on the weekends, they’ll feel more invested in the healthy food you serve them. Even a monthly trip to the farmer’s market to pick out fresh produce and a few specialty items can get your kids excited about what might appear in their packed lunch.
    • Make lunches colorful. Appeal to your child’s senses by offering a variety of colors, textures and tastes in her lunch. Serving different colors of fruits and vegetables is a great way to create visual appeal as well as maximum nutritional value. Aim to include in-season produce, so fruits and vegetables taste their best.

    Check these out for more lunchbox inspiration:

    • Make Ahead Lunch Box Ideas: Pack on Sunday, No morning prep!
    • 6 Easy Pinwheel Recipes for Lunch Boxes
    • Six Quick and Easy Hummus Lunch Boxes
    • 6 Sandwich-on-a-Stick Lunch Box Ideas
    • 8 Wholesome Lunch-Box Ideas for Adults or Kids
    • 5 Secrets to Healthy Packed Lunch Success!

    I hope this post got the healthy creative juices flowing for future Lunch Box Ideas!

    Disclosure: This isn't a paid post. I participated last year in spreading the #rockthelunchbox love and enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd do it again this year. They did send me the same prize that you all will get though and we have loved it.

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    About Melissa

    Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...

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    1. Lachelle

      September 01, 2014 at 11:44 am

      So fun... though really do most people have the time? I love the ideas and wish I was more ambitious.

      Reply
    2. Annette

      September 01, 2014 at 8:23 am

      My children are grown now, but what I wouldn't give to have been able to access this sort of information when I was packing school lunches. Absolutely adorable. My grandson would love this.

      Reply
    3. Nina H

      September 01, 2014 at 8:18 am

      Thanks for the great giveaway and lunch ideas!

      Reply
    4. Carolsue

      September 01, 2014 at 1:24 am

      My kids would sure get a kick out of this "lunch box"!!!

      Reply
    5. Emily Smith

      August 31, 2014 at 10:24 am

      I love all these ideas! My boys will be happily surprised when they open their lunches at school 🙂

      Reply
    6. ten b

      August 31, 2014 at 9:07 am

      thanks for the ideas - i had to read the spider bean dip recipe - from the pic, I thought it was a giant brownie with icing. I obviously have chocolate on my brain.

      Reply
    7. Ashley Outland

      August 30, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      What wonderful ideas! Thank you!

      Reply
    8. Heather Gavin

      August 30, 2014 at 8:50 am

      My sister gave me a bunch of those boiled egg shapes, my kids LOVE those. What great ideas, thanks.

      Reply
    9. Annette

      August 28, 2014 at 7:34 pm

      I love these ideas, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    10. Sarah

      August 28, 2014 at 3:07 pm

      See... I see these and think "how cute!" but then it's 8:00 and time to leave and I just throw the best thing I can find in the bag...

      Reply
    11. Carol Kemp

      August 27, 2014 at 2:35 pm

      Such fun ideas. Love them.

      Reply
    12. Beth W.

      August 27, 2014 at 8:52 am

      Fun ideas!

      Reply
    13. Nikki

      August 27, 2014 at 8:14 am

      wonderful ideas!

      Reply
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