Healthy Lunch Choices

These instructions guide families in packing a healthy, balanced, and delicious lunch for their children.

Important information:

Lunchtime at school is a good time to promote healthy eating habits. A healthy, balanced lunch should consist of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. 

Instructions for packing lunch:

• Pack lunch in an insulated container that can hold a reusable cold pack or a frozen water bottle to keep the meal cold if needed. Use a thermos to keep hot foods hot.

• To save time, pack lunch the night before. Leftovers from dinner can be packed for lunch.

• Choose bread with at least 2-3 grams of fiber per serving, such as whole grain or 100% whole wheat.

• Choose lean meat t such as chicken, low-salt turkey or ham, tuna, and roast beef. Avoid salami, bologna, liverwurst and pepperoni, which are all high in saturated fat.

• Add vegetables to sandwiches such as spinach, dark green lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber or zucchini, avocado or roasted red peppers.

• Choose condiments such as mustard, hummus, mashed avocado or plain Greek yogurt.

• Use low-fat ranch dressing or mix ranch seasoning packet with plain Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream to dip vegetables.

• Include one serving of 1% or 2% dairy such as milk, soymilk, yogurt or cheese. When choosing dairy items, look for products that do not contain added sugars.

• Pack a water bottle or milk with lunch. Choose whole fruit instead of juice.

Try these tasty lunch ideas:

• Low-fat cottage cheese, strawberries, whole-wheat crackers, celery sticks with natural peanut butter and water bottle

• Whole-wheat pita bread with low-fat ricotta cheese, sprinkled with cinnamon, apple slices, with a side of raw broccoli and low-fat ranch dressing, snack size bag of nuts and water bottle

• Whole-wheat tortilla wrap with fat-free refried beans or mashed black beans, low-fat shredded cheese, salsa, side of strawberries and low-fat milk

• Whole-wheat wrap filled with roasted vegetables, pesto spread, low-fat cheese, side of apple slices, low-fat yogurt, and water bottle

• Thermos filled with turkey/vegetable chili or minestrone soup, with a whole-wheat roll, carrot sticks, and low-fat milk

• Tossed dark green leaf salad with vegetables and protein (such as hard-boiled egg, tuna, sunflower seeds, tofu, or beans), low-fat shredded cheese, whole-wheat crackers, a side of blueberries, and low-fat soy milk

• Pasta salad with whole-wheat macaroni, chopped vegetables, sliced low-fat cheese cubes, chickpeas, sliced olives, tossed with low-fat vinaigrette dressing, peach and water bottle

• Salad made with dark green lettuce leaves, corn, black beans, chopped tomatoes, low-fat shredded cheese, dressed with olive oil and vinegar, served with whole-wheat crackers, plum, and water bottle

Tips for balanced lunches:

Divide your plate into 4 equal sections. Each section should contain:  ¼ fruit, ¼ vegetables, ¼ protein, ¼ grains and a side of dairy. Choose 1 item from each of the following categories to make a balanced meal:

Grains – choose whole wheat or whole grain

• Bread, tortilla, biscuit, muffin, naan, chapati, roti, flat bread

• Potato, sweet potato, yam

• Corn, cassava, butternut or acorn squash

• Pasta, couscous, egg noodles, soba noodles, rice noodles

• Wild rice, brown rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, faro

Meat/protein

• Baked chicken or fish

• Lean and low-salt lunch meat: turkey, ham, or roast beef

• Hummus

• Tuna, egg, chicken, or chickpea salad made with light mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt

• Natural peanut, tree nut or seed butter

• Hard-boiled egg

• Beans, lentils or veggie burger

Vegetable

• Baby carrots

• Sugar snap peas

• Cucumber slices

• Zucchini sticks

• Celery sticks

• Lettuce wraps or side salad

• Tomato slices or cherry tomatoes

• Bell pepper strips or mini bell peppers

Fruit

• Banana

• Apple

• Grapes

• Orange or clementine

• Fruit canned in fruit juice or water

• Berries

• Pear

Dairy 

Choose low fat dairy, meaning 1% or 2% milk products

• Cow's milk or soy milk

• American cheese slices

• Cream cheese

• Yogurt

• Cheese stick or cheese wedge

• Drinkable yogurt

• Cottage cheese

Reviewed March 2026 by Janel Steinhoff, RD, Alexandra Zepp, DTR