Discover simple, healthy lunch ideas for tweens that are tasty, colorful, and packed with nutrition to keep your tween fueled and happy!
Do you know that feeling when your tween comes home from camp or school again with almost all of the food they left with that morning? Do you wish your child could pack their own lunch to save you the stress?
We’ve all been there! Whether it’s packing for school, sports, or camp, coming up with kid-friendly, nutritious lunches your child loves can feel like a small miracle, especially now that they have their own opinions on what to eat! We’re here to help with strategies and simple lunch ideas to help you get your tween involved in packing healthy lunches.
What age is a tween?
A tween is a child between the ages of 9 and 12. (1) This is a transition period from childhood to adolescence and comes with a lot of developmental changes. One of the big changes is a greater desire for independence along with a desire to fit in with their peers. During this time, tweens still need a lot of support and healthy role modeling from the adults in their life
Making healthy food choices is one key area where tweens might need support, so we’re here to help. Try making some of my healthy lunch ideas for tweens, and get your tween involved in the decision-making process! Investing in your child’s health early will pay off for their future health!
Lunch Making: Tweens vs. Teens
The meals and snacks in this article can make up part of a healthy diet for anyone of any age! However, these meals are aimed at tweens because they can be self-assembled with a little help from an adult, which can help encourage independent healthy habits and decision-making in the Tween stage of life.
Teenagers have more skills, higher levels of autonomy, and nutrient needs that look more like those of adults since they are growing rapidly during puberty and are frequently involved in more intense sports and activities than tweens.
What does a healthy lunch look like for tweens?
Using resources like the USDA’s MyPlate tool for tweens or teens or meeting with a registered dietitian can help you make sure your growing child is getting exactly what they need to thrive!
When packing lunches, aim to include at least four of the five food groups (2):
- Dairy or foods like plant-based milks or tofu that’s fortified with calcium and vitamin D
- Fruit
- Whole Grains
- Lean Protein
- Vegetables
By adding a mix of colors, you are truly packing a punch! Each color contains unique health benefits through phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals. Working just a few of these lunch box ideas for tweens into your week can make sure they are getting the nutrients they need to support their health now and in the future!
Items to Keep on Hand for Lunches
If ease is what you’re looking for, here are a few quick tips to help you plan for lunches this school year! You can plan ahead to make sure the colorful foods hold well in your child’s lunch box by picking up some of the following options during your next trip to the grocery store:
- Veggies: sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes (try yellow and orange too), grapes, celery sticks, jicama, baby carrots.
- Frozen foods: pineapple tidbits, mango chunks, peas, and corn – don’t defrost; many kids love to eat them frozen like these 10 popular frozen foods!
- Beans and legumes: Black beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas (all of which taste great with a healthy marinade or dressing!)
To get you started, try out some of my easy lunch ideas for tweens below!
5 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Tweens
Here are five quick, easy, and healthy lunch ideas for tweens! If you want more healthy ideas or more details about portion sizes, try out one of my meal plans here: Healthy Meal Plan #1 and Healthy Meal Plan #2.
1. Protein-Packed Pasta Salad
If your family likes pasta, this is a quick and easy lunch! Just make extra pasta and chicken earlier in the week and spice it up a little when it’s time to make lunches.
Main Dish: Assemble all your ingredients in a container, then add lemon juice and olive oil and toss everything together! Encourage your child to give the (closed) container a good shake before they eat it!
- Whole grain pasta (bowtie or pinwheel) or bean pasta, like chickpea or lentil
- Tomatoes roasted with crushed garlic (canned or fresh)
- Chopped chicken breast, tofu, lentils, or beans
- Baby spinach or arugula
- Bell pepper or cucumber Slices
Sides and Snacks:
- Grapes, berries, or sliced kiwi, if they don’t like green kiwi try yellow.
- Jicama or carrot sticks with homemade ranch dip (recipe below). Or try these tasty jicama slaws!
- Mix all your ingredients together in a small bowl for a ranch substitute!
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat or regular mayo
- 2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- Mix all your ingredients together in a small bowl for a ranch substitute!
Tip: A sprinkle of parmesan cheese is a great flavor booster! To prevent parmesan cheese from spoiling in the fridge, place it in a Ziplock bag and pop it in the freezer. Or better yet, try reusable silicone bags to save money and decrease waste the earth our kids will inherit.
2. Bean and Cheese “Sushi” Bites
Whether your tween is a sushi fan or a sushi skeptic, let them try this simple recipe!
Main Dish: Mash black beans with a bit of lemon juice, then spread on a whole grain tortilla, sprinkle on shredded mozzarella cheese, and roll into a tight log. Then, cut it into slices just like sushi! If you have leftover beans, mash them and use them as a dip for the rolls! Some schools have microwaves if your kids don’t like them cold.
Sides and Snacks:
- Orange sunshine – Peel an orange and slice it into thick circles. Or keep the theme going and try this fun fruit sushi wrap, too!
- Edamame, snow peas, or sugar snap peas
Tip: Beans provide protein, fiber, phytochemicals, and magnesium, which are all important for maximizing kids’ health potential. Switch things up from time to time and use pinto or cannellini beans.
3. DIY Turkey Lunchable
This is a healthy tween lunch idea your kids will love. If you don’t want to shell out major $$$ for preservative-packed Lunchables, make your own customizable versions! Buy your family’s favorite lunch meats, preferably without harmful additives, cheeses, and vegetables, and cut them down to size!
Main Dish:
- Whole grain crackers — experiment until you find one your tween loves
- Turkey breast slices, cut to the same size as crackers
- Cheese slices, cut to the same size as crackers
- Cucumber slices, radishes, or peppers
Get the kids slicing and dicing. Place them in reusable silicone bags or a bento box, and encourage kids to stack em’ and eat em’!
Sides and Snacks:
- 2-4 clementines, depending on your kids’ nutritional needs
- Red and green bell pepper sticks with hummus. If you’re feeling the DIY spirit, try making your own hummus!
Tip: Look for lunch meats with low sodium and fewer additives like nitrates and “natural flavors” when you’re shopping. For the healthiest cuts, try making your own roasted chicken or turkey or buying it fresh cut at the deli counter.
4. Chicken and Broccoli Pita Snackers
This is another easy lunch idea for tweens because, let’s be honest—what’s better than repackaging delicious leftovers from last night’s meal? Try doubling the main recipe when you make it for dinner and serve it again for lunches! Also, while you have pitas in the house, try these Greek Pita Pizzas.
Main Dish:
Roast chicken breast and broccoli on a sheet pan using your favorite neutral recipe.
- Add 1 tsp of ground cumin, juice of one lemon, ¼ cup shredded cheese, ¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro to make a salad.
- Add any other vegetables and dips to customize it!
- Serve with pita chips or pita pockets as desired!
Sides and Snacks:
- Carrot “Dollar Coins”: Slice carrot into thick slices
- Fresh or frozen red or green grapes
Tip: Freezing grapes is a great way to make them last longer and can provide a great alternative to sugary frozen treats!
5. Turkey Taco Salad
Last but not least, Turkey Taco Salad is a great lunch box idea for tweens! If you make a big batch of taco-seasoned turkey, you can use it as a topping for nachos or filling for quesadillas later in the week!
Main Dish:
- Place shredded lettuce, black beans, corn, ground turkey cooked with taco seasoning, grape tomatoes, and shredded cheese in a container.
- Add any other cut vegetables or toppings your tween wants.
- Encourage your tween to give it a good shake before eating!
Sides and Snacks:
- Apple slices with nut butter
- Homemade popcorn sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil, or add parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for a tasty boost of nutrients.
Tip: Popcorn is a great whole-grain snack that can be sprinkled with an array of crazy flavor combinations. Exposing children to different flavor profiles early on really develops their palates.
Tips and Tricks: Simple lunch ideas for Tweens
I hope you found some useful tips, tricks, and healthy lunch box ideas for tweens today! In case you’re still looking for more, here are a few tips I use to keep mealtimes simple!
- If you’re preparing or cutting foods like fruits and vegetables, always make more than you will use for that day to have extra snacks on hand and easy grab-n-go options for the rest of the week! I like to make a DIY “veggie platter” to keep in the fridge and pull from for snacks and lunches as needed. Pre-cutting the vegetables makes it easy for your tween to serve themself, too!
- Avoid food boredom by adding variety with different dressings or food pairings.
- When preparing meals, save yourself time by making enough for three days. If you’re cooking, double the recipe, and you will have lunch covered for you and the kids! With your creative hat on, you can use the same items in many different ways.
Do you have a child who is struggling with picky eating or severe allergies? Has dinnertime drama turned into a nightmare? Book an appointment with me today. Together, we find easy solutions to build a healthier foundation over time. Take charge of your family’s health and kickstart some results in the first six weeks: Book Pediatric Nutrition Counseling Today.
References:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8555731/
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kids | MyPlate. www.myplate.gov. Published 2023. https://www.myplate.gov/life-stages/kids
