13 Lunch and Snack Ideas for Preschoolers

Packing a lunch or snack for your child every day is a lot of work! It can also be hard to know what to send. As a parent, you want to pack your child something they’ll enjoy. At the same time, you know it’s important to feed your child nutritious foods. Part of the challenge is coming up with ideas so that your child doesn’t get bored with the same snacks and lunches every day. 

Let’s explore some helpful tips and strategies that make it easier to pack your child’s snacks and lunches. Plus, we’ll provide a long list of ideas to inspire you when packing your child’s lunch box. 

How to Pack Your Preschooler’s Lunch Box

What should a good lunch box contain? Here are some tips for creating a great snack or lunch your child will love.

Less is More

Small portions are more appealing for children. Instead of sending your child one big sandwich, try cutting it into smaller pieces. Another strategy is to send small portions of a few different items. This can help your child feel less overwhelmed by their lunch box. Plus, when you offer smaller portions of several items, your child can choose what they want to eat. ⁰Adding choice to your child’s lunch box empowers them to make decisions about what they’d like to eat. 

Create a Balance

A good rule of thumb when packing your child’s snack or lunch is to include one item from each of these three groups:

• Protein: Cheese, meat, eggs, yogurt, hummus, seeds, etc.

• Carbohydrate: Whole-grain bread, tortilla, rice, pasta, crackers, granola, pancake, etc.

• Fruit and/or Vegetables: Apple, carrot sticks, berries, cucumber, pepper, broccoli, watermelon, tomatoes, etc. 

Picking items from each of these three groups will help your child feel full and give them the energy they need.

“Eat the Rainbow”: It’s Pretty and Nutritious

The phrase “eat the rainbow,” means people should try to eat colorful foods. Including a few different colors in each meal makes it pretty. For example, add some colorful red berries to your child’s snack. Or, chop up some red, green, and yellow peppers to enjoy with a dip. When a snack looks pretty, it’s appetizing and enjoyable to eat.

Different colored foods also help bring different nutrients to snacks and lunches. For example, orange fruit and vegetables like carrots contain beta-carotene. Green vegetables often contain lutein and calcium. The more colorful your plate, the more nutritious. 

Offer New Foods Many Times

If you have a “picky eater,” don’t worry. Many toddlers and young children go through a phase of picky eating. It may even be a survival instinct that helped keep children safe in the past. When humans were hunter-gatherers, it would have been dangerous for toddlers to wander off and try strange berries. Being picky and unwilling to try new foods would have been a helpful trait. 

Even so, it’s important to keep offering your child new foods. Research shows that you may need to introduce a food up to ten times before your toddler is willing to try it. Over time, your child may be more open to eating different foods. For example, offering a small amount of vegetables with every meal may help your child learn to enjoy them over time. 

Involve Your Child

Research shows that when your child cooks, they’re more likely to enjoy fruit and vegetables. Your child may feel more open to trying new foods when they prepare them. 

Plus, involving your child in making their own snacks and lunches can help them feel more ownership in the process. Helping to make their lunch also brings a feeling of independence that boosts your child’s sense of control over their eating choices. 

For very young children, involving your child is as simple as asking for their opinion. You might give them a choice between two options. For example, “Would you like strawberries or blueberries today?” Or, “Would you like some turkey meat or a hardboiled egg?”