Lunch Ideas for Kids

Most Popular

Kids' Favorite Sandwich Recipes

Grilled cheese, sloppy joes, tuna melts, egg salad, chicken and broccoli pockets, heroes, and more: We've got a sandwich to please every kid's palate.

21 Kid-Friendly Chicken Recipes for Dinner Tonight

Nuggets and tenders aren't the only kid-approved chicken dinner options—but don't worry, we have recipes for them, too.

By Kelly Vaughan

Chicago Dog

Some traditions you just don't mess with, and a Chicago dog is one of them. All-beef frankfurters are "dragged through the garden," meaning they're piled with a bunch of veggie condiments. Try rocking these dogs at home for your next casual buffet.

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

With a candy-bar-inspired top and a crumbly cookie base, each of these rich squares packs a double dose of that perfect pairing: chocolate and peanut butter.

Panko-Breaded Fish Sticks

Berry Sorbet

Chill your sorbet container before running the ice cream maker so when you transfer the sorbet to the freezer, it won't start melting.

Baked Salmon Sushi

There's no raw fish in these easy sushi rolls—just succulent, perfectly cooked salmon and plenty of fresh vegetables. For our food editor's tips on how to roll like a pro, see How to Make Sushi at Home.

Open Face Sandwiches

Eggs are tasty and healthy but they can be fun too! Make these Open Face Sandwiches for a nutritious and delicious meal.

Classic Burger-Joint Cheeseburger

Forget waiting in the drive-thru lane! You can make a better burger at home with quality ingredients in no time.

Quick Fried Chicken and Waffles

Keep the waffles warm in a 200-degree oven while making the chicken.

Avocado Sushi

Team creamy avocado with your favorite crunchy vegetables -- we used julienned cucumbers and carrots -- in these DIY sushi rolls. For our food editor's tips on how to roll like a pro, see How to Make Sushi at Home.

Creamy Tomato Soup

This creamy tomato soup recipe is adapted from "Martha Stewart's Cooking School." It's simply delicious and full of flavor.

Inspiration and Ideas

15 Super-Cool Kids' Bento-Box Lunches You Can Actually Make

Hungry for ways to jazz up your child's lunchbox? These adorable DIY bento-box ideas, crafted by blogger, author, and mom of two, Wendy Copley, are sure to put smiles on faces and fill hungry bellies.

30 Creative Bento Box Lunch Ideas Kids Will Love

These creative bento boxes make for fun, tasty, and nutritious lunches your kids will love eating.

Healthy (But Fun!) Lunches for Kids

16 of the Best Lunch Boxes for Back to School

10 Super-Scary (But Also Very Cute) Bento Boxes for Halloween

Cheddar-and-Scallion Savory Pancakes

Test Kitchen's Favorite Mac and Cheese

Our ultimate mac and cheese relies on three different kinds of cheese -- American, cheddar, and Parmesan. For easier grating, put the block of cheese in the freezer for five minutes first.

All Lunch Ideas for Kids

Strawberry Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is delicious and surprisingly easy. With just 20 minutes of prep, create this frosty treat using just five ingredients—egg yolks, sugar, skim milk, heavy cream, and sliced strawberries.

Open-Faced Grilled Cheese with Apple and Bacon

This variation on a classic is topped with apple and bacon slices for the ultimate sweet and savory combination.

Emeril's Kicked-Up Tuna Melts

Little ones will have fun measuring and mixing ingredients for the tuna melts.

Pizza with a Sunny-Side-Up Egg and Herb Garden Pesto

This pesto pizza can also be served for breakfast.

Chickpea, Cherry Tomato, and Feta Salad

Make this simple salad in just minutes, and take it to work with a slice or two of bread or a pita.

Test Kitchen's Favorite Tomato Soup

No cream here! A butter-and-flour roux is the secret to this lush, velvety tomato soup. Gild with fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of your best olive oil. Serve alongside our Test Kitchen's Favorite Grilled Cheese for the ultimate comforting meal.

Test Kitchen's Favorite Grilled Cheese

Our trick to getting this beloved sandwich just right? Slather the bread with a combination of butter and mayonnaise. The former imparts rich buttery flavor, while the latter ensures an uber-crisp exterior and perfect golden-brown crust. Serve with bowls of Creamy Tomato Soup.

Split Pea and Potato Soup

Tender chunks of potato make thick pea soup even heartier. This make-ahead meal is guaranteed to warm kids up on cold winter days either for lunch or dinner.

Strawberry-Coconut Smoothie

This smoothie gets a flavor boost from light coconut milk.

Potato, Broccoli, and Cheddar Soup

Broccoli is used two ways in this kid-friendly dish: it's simmered until tender for the soup base and roasted for the garnish.

French Vanilla Ice Cream

Soft, fluffy French vanilla ice cream can be served with amaretti cookies or rainbow nonpareils. It's also the perfect base for a variety of mix-ins.

Chicken Fingers with Orange Dipping Sauce

An easy sauce made of orange juice, lemon juice, and honey is an irresistible dip for chicken fingers. Use the sauce, minus the honey, as a marinade if you are making the chicken fingers from scratch.

Cincinnati Chili Dogs

Native Buckeyes pledge allegiance to this dog. Pile on the all-beef chili, heady with chocolate, cinnamon, and other spices, with abandon. The finishing touches are fundamental: yellow mustard, diced sweet onion, and lots of shredded cheddar cheese. Unless you're a pro at eating one, you may want to grab a knife and fork -- or a bib.

Soy-Honey-Glazed Arctic Char

Salmon can be used in lieu of char.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese is definitely a kid-friendly choice, but adults will likely enjoy it, too.

Texas Corn Dogs

The secret to an even coating: Pour the batter into a tall container, such as a Mason jar, and dip in each hot dog.

Monkey Cake

An animal theme can really get things swinging at a kid's birthday party. Indulge your child's penchant for monkey business with a fanciful banana cake with chocolate buttercream icing shaped and decorated to look like a curious friend.

Fusilli With Broccoli and Chicken

Serve four food groups in one delicious dish: corkscrew pasta, broccoli, chicken, and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Velvet Cocoa Cake with Instant Buttercream

Indulge in a slice of rich chocolate cake made with buttermilk, butter, and plenty of cocoa powder. It's topped with a super easy buttercream recipe that uses marshmallow cream for the base, plus two kinds of chocolate—cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips.

Account

More