Jessica Halper is a Blue Apron Chef, MPH, and Registered Nutritionist. Here are four of her lunch ideas for healthy meals kids will love.
The perfect healthy lunch for kids will fill them up, help them focus, and keep them happy. These lunch ideas incorporate things that kids love, like bright colors and food you can eat with your hands, along with hearty vegetables that pack a powerful nutritional punch. If you find yourself making more lunches at home these days, try taking one of these kid lunch ideas for a spin.
Recipes for Healthy Kid Lunches
Rainbow Hummus & Veggie Spread
Kids love the beautiful colors in this nutritious lunch. While creating the whole hummus rainbow takes a bit of prepwork, these dips can all be made in advance. When it’s time for lunch, just arrange them on a plate with a few vegetables and pita triangles.
Pink Hummus
Serves 6
- 1 15-oz can of cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup roasted beets, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, tahini, chopped beet, lemon juice, garlic and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with any cut-up vegetable of your choice and enjoy!
Green Hummus
Serves 6
- 1 15-oz can of cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ avocado, pitted and halved
- 2 cups spinach or any green of your choice (kale, arugula, etc)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, tahini, avocado, spinach leaves, lemon juice and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with any cut-up vegetable of your choice and enjoy!
Golden Hummus
Serves 6
- 1 15-oz can of cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with any cut-up vegetable of your choice and enjoy!
Whole Wheat Pita Pizzas
This spin on a pizza night is perfectly suited for a quick kids’ lunch. Nothing sparks a kid’s culinary mind like creating your own pizza. This lighter option uses whole wheat pita breads, which count towards two of three recommended daily servings of whole grains (when made from 100% whole wheat flour). Incorporate some kid-friendly color, and sneak in a few extra vitamins, by topping your pizza with a variety of vegetables .
Rainbow Pita Pizza
Serves 4
- 4 whole wheat pita breads (choose brands that specify 100% whole wheat and at least 4g of fiber per round)
- 6 oz tomato puree (choose brands that specify no added sugar)
- 6 oz shredded mozzarella
- 1 Cup yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 Cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Cups spinach or kale leaves, washed
- ½ tsp dried oregano, basil or all purpose Italian seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Arrange your topping on a whole pita. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool and serve.
White Pie Pita Pizza with Honey Drizzle
Serves 4
- 4 whole wheat pita breads (choose brands that specify 100% whole wheat and at least 4g of fiber per round
- 6 oz shredded provolone
- 2 Cups spinach or kale leaves, washed
- 2 Cups red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsps honey, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Arrange your topping on a whole pita. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool and serve.
Green Pie Pita Pizza with Feta Cheese
Serves 4
- 4 whole wheat pita breads (choose brands that specify 100% whole wheat and at least 4g of fiber per round)
- ½ Cup pesto sauce
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 Cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ Cup mushrooms sliced
- 2 Cups spinach or kale leaves, washed
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano, basil or all purpose Italian seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Arrange your topping on a whole pita. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool and serve
Love cooking with your family? Try this miniature apron, perfect for kids.
