15 School Lunches That Aren’t Sandwiches

1. DIY Lunchable-Style Box

Create your own “Lunchables” with sliced turkey or ham, cheese cubes, crackers, and cut-up fruit or veggies. Bonus points for using cookie cutters to create fun shapes and serving it in a bento-style lunch box. Add a treat like a healthy Breakfast Cookie or mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin for extra lunchbox joy.

2. Pasta Salad

Cold pasta salads are perfect for making ahead. Toss with veggies, cheese, and a favorite dressing or this basil pesto recipe. Bonus points for using fun-shaped pasta and adding a protein like chicken! Here are some pasta salad ideas for school lunch:

• Summer Pasta Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Summer Succotash Pasta Salad

3. Quesadillas

Cut into wedges and serve with guacamole or kid-friendly salsa on the side. Try these quesadilla recipes for your kids lunch box:

• Mexican Egg & Cheese Quesadilla
• Apples Honey Cheese Quesadilla
• Pizza Quesadillas
• Simple Chicken Fajita Quesadilla

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Tuna Pasta Salad & Pizza Quesadillas

4. Mini Pancake Sandwiches

Layer cream cheese and jam or nut butter between leftover pancakes for a sweet, satisfying lunch. Use spinach pancakes or whole wheat pancakes for a nutrient boost.

• Chocolate Sunbutter Pancake Sandwiches
• PB&J Pancakes Sandwiches

5. Rice and Beans Bowl

Pack warm or cold in a thermos rice and beans is a healthy and delicious sandwich-free lunch. Go burrito bowl style with Spanish Rice, Black Beans, corn, shredded cheese, and a little salsa. Or try one of my other recipes:

• California Style Cauliflower Rice and Beans
• Asian Style Cauliflower Rice

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Chocolate SunButter Pancake Sandwiches & California Style Cauliflower Rice and Beans

6. Savory Muffins

Muffin tins aren’t just for baking sweets! These savory, protein-packed muffins are perfect for little hands and easy to prep ahead. Serve them warm or cold with some fruit and veggies on the side. Try one of these fun options:

• Spaghetti and Meatball Muffins
• Corn Dog Muffin Bites
• Baby Frittatas (aka Egg Bites)
• Pizza Muffins

7. Fried Rice or Stir Fry

Leftover rice is not just for Leftover Rice Pudding, but for stir fries! Saute it with scrambled egg, peas, and soy sauce for a super easy, flavor-packed lunch. Try these stir fries in school lunch:

• Shiitake Veggie Stir Fry
• Un-Fried Rice
• Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

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Corn Dog Muffins Bites & Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

8. Mini Pizzas

Who doesn’t love pizza—especially when it’s mini? Use pita bread, bagels, or even matzah as the base and let your kids add their favorite toppings. These are easy to prep ahead and taste great warm or at room temp. Try these:

• Pita Pizzas
• Pizza Bagels
• Matzah Pizzas

9. Hummus and Dippers

Pack hummus with sliced cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and pita chips or pretzels. Add some Egg Salad or cheese for extra protein. Try these hummus recipes:

• Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus
• Avocado Hummus
• Super Easy Hummus

10. Pasta in a Thermos

Warm pasta like mac and cheese or spaghetti stays hot for hours in a thermos and makes for a comforting hot school lunch. Here are some of my favorite pastas to put in my kids’ thermos:

• Stove Top Mac and Cheese
• Roast Vegetable Pasta Sauce
• Ma Susu’s Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
• Chicken Pesto Pasta (this one’s good cold too!)

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Pita Pizzas & Stovetop Mac and Cheese

11. Rice Balls

Rice balls with simple fillings like tuna or seasoned veggies. Fun to eat and surprisingly easy to make! My kids love Japanese Rice Balls and these Rice & Cheese Balls are great too.

12. Chicken or Tofu Skewers

Thread bite-sized pieces of grilled chicken or tofu onto skewers with cherry tomatoes or cucumber slices. Great cold and easy to dip! Here are some of my favorites:

• Marinated Chicken Ideas
• Chicken Tikka with Cucumber Mint Raita
• Sweet Gingery Tofu

13. Roll‑Ups

Everything’s more fun rolled up! Instead of a sandwich, wrap up your favorite fillings in a tortilla, whether it’s turkey and cheese, hummus and veggies, or even peanut butter and banana. Roll ups are portable, customizable, and sure to feel fresh every day. Here are some ideas:

• Banana Peanut Butter Roll‑Ups
• Rainbow Roll‑Ups
• Turkey Pickle Roll‑Ups
• Hummus & Veggie Wraps
• Hummus Pinwheels

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Japanese Rice Balls & Rainbow Roll-Ups

14. Cold Noodle Salad

Toss cooked noodles with sesame oil, soy sauce, and shredded veggies. Add shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken from the grocery is super easy) or tofu for protein. Serve chilled! I love making a big Cold Soba Noodle Salad to eat throughout the week.

15. PB&J (A Different Way)

Think beyond the sandwich! Serve peanut butter and jelly in small containers with croutons or apple slices for dipping. Or try PB&J in a more playful format like:

• PB&J Skewers
• PB&J Pancakes Sandwiches
• Apple Ring PB&Js
• Peanut Butter French Toast Sushi Rolls dipped in Jelly

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Cold Soba Noodle Salad & Peanut Butter and Jelly Skewers

What Else to Put in Lunchboxes

My rule of thumb when building a well rounded school lunch for my kids is to include something from each major food group: a fruit, a vegetable, a carb and a protein.

• Fruits: Fresh fruit is always a win. Try apple slices (squeeze some lemon juice on them to keep them from browing), grapes, berries, orange segments, melon, or kiwi. Dried fruit like Strawberry Fruit Leather in the Dehydrator works too!
• Veggies: Go for baby carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper strips, or snap peas. Add a little hummus or ranch for dipping if your kid likes it!
• Crunchy Snacks: Pack some paper bag popcorn, pretzels, pita chips, whole grain crackers, or air fryer roasted chickpeas for that satisfying crunch.
• Dips & Spreads: Individual containers of hummus, guacamole, nut-free spreads, or yogurt-based dips can make lunch more fun and filling.
• Treats: I always add a small treat to my kids lunchbox. A small cookie, a piece of dark chocolate, or a homemade fig bar is a sweet surprise.