Think outside the sandwich: How to spice up your kids’ school lunches

Do your kids get tired of eating sandwiches? Then it’s time to think outside the sandwich! Get creative when choosing foods for your child’s lunch.  Here are some ideas to get you started. Mix and match the options in the different columns to get a variety of lunch ideas.

Vegetables and Fruit	Grain Products	Milk and Alternatives	Meat and Alternatives
Pepper strips (red, green, yellow)	Tortillas, flatbread, nann or pita bread	Fruit yogurt or soy yogurt	Hard cooked egg
Cauliflower and broccoli trees	Cold or hot cereal*	Yogurt dip (tzatziki) for vegetables	Tuna, salmon or chicken salad flavoured with: curry, onions, light mayo, pickles, apples and/or dill
Baby corn	English muffins	Milk or fortified soy beverage*	Ham slices
Cherry tomatoes	Oatmeal muffins	Cheese cubes, cheese string or cheese slices	Hummus
Melon balls	Rice cakes	Milk-based pudding	Refried or baked beans
Fruit smoothie*	Whole grain crackers	Cottage or ricotta cheese cups	Hard cooked egg
Sliced apples or pears	Chappati, roti	Milk-based soup*	Tuna or salmon salad
Peas in a pod or snow pea pods	Pasta, brown rice, couscous or quinoa	Greek yogurt	Steamed soybeans (edamame)
Sliced mango	Bread sticks	Hot chocolate*	Marinated cooked tofu

*Foods that need to be kept cold or hot can be packed into a thermos to keep the food at a safe temperature. Cold foods can also be stored with an ice pack or frozen juice box.

Here are some sample lunches to get you started:

#1: Red pepper strips with hummus dip, and cheese-filled pasta with tomato sauce.

#2: Marinated cooked tofu in a whole wheat tortilla wrap with shredded lettuce and grated carrot. Add a fruit yogurt on the side.

#3: Why not have breakfast for lunch? Hot cereal in a thermos topped with frozen berries and sliced almonds with a cold milk or soy beverage.

Leftovers are great for lunches, too! Try these:

• Vegetarian chili, a small whole wheat roll with a slice of hard cheese, a fruit cup and water


• Curried beef with vegetables, pita wedges, orange slides, a mini banana muffin and water


• A chicken thigh, whole wheat couscous, raw carrots, a wedge of cantaloupe and milk

Thinking outside the sandwich is a great way to keep your kids interested in their lunches. Try a variety of different healthy foods to find combinations that your kids will love!



This article is being used with permission from EatRight Ontario. EatRight Ontario provides free nutrition advice from Registered Dietitians. Ontarians can get answers to healthy eating questions at 1-877-510-510-2 or by email at www.eatrightontario.ca. Dietitians of Canada acknowledges the financial support of EatRight Ontario by the Ontario Government.