Smart and Small Ideas for a Healthy Brown Bag Lunch for Your Kids

Brown bag lunches are great for parents who are concerned about nutrition, as they allow you to carefully create a meal that offers your child well-balanced nutrition that can carry them through the school day. The trick is to use brown bag lunch ideas that keep things interesting so that your child will be excited about lunchtime and eating nutritious food. Here we have a handful of easy brown bag lunch recipes that will make your child the envy of the lunchroom!

Mini burritos

For a nutritious brown bag lunch that's out of the ordinary, make mini burritos using rice, cheese and black beans in a tortilla with salsa on the side.

Honey mustard grilled chicken strips

Cut strips of grilled chicken with a side of honey mustard for dipping, and you'll have a quick brown bag lunch that's nutritious and fun to eat.

Star sandwiches

Put together a healthy sandwich with lean meat, low fat cheese, tomato, and spinach, then kick it up a notch by cutting it out with a large star shaped cookie cutter.

Kid sized sushi

Roll up short grain rice, small sliced veggies, cream cheese, and cooked fish in a roasted nori roll for a brown bag lunch that's cute and fun to eat. Add chopsticks and a fortune cookie for flair.

Healthy sides

Sides that tend to be a hit with children include multicolored pasta, baked chips, cheese cubes, Goldfish, and ants on a log. Edamame is especially fun for kids to eat, as are dippable sliced veggies. Trail mixes with lots of nuts and dried fruit are wonderful as well.

Desserts

Satisfy your child's brown bag sweet tooth by adding fruits you know they'll love. Grapes, sliced fruit, and dried fruits are great. Yogurt and frozen fruit juice are other options, as well as a piece of dark chocolate.

Don't forget to include special notes, games, toys, stickers, and other fun details that will brighten your child's day.