15 Toddler Lunch Ideas (for Daycare, Preschool, and More)

Try these healthy toddler lunch ideas (no reheating required) when your little one needs a meal for preschool, daycare, a sitter, or a day out on the town. They’re toddler meals that are easy to pack and that don’t need to be reheated to make things super easy for you!

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Since coming up with toddler lunch ideas, preschool lunch ideas, daycare lunch ideas, and easy toddler lunches is such a huge challenge for so many parents, so these doable ideas are here to help. These healthy toddler lunch ideas will help you come up with easy-to-pack toddler lunches that are also yummy and affordable. Each packed lunch can be enjoyed right out of a lunch box, no reheating required, whether your toddler goes to daycare or preschool–or just needs a meal to take on the go.

Mix and match these lunches for toddlers as you like; refer to my master list of toddler snack ideas for help rounding out meals. And you can include fresh veggies and fruit that your toddler usually likes as simple lunch snacks.

Below you’ll find some of my go-to lunch ideas for toddlers. Adjust the serving sizes and what you pack alongside to offer nutritional variety and to account for whether your child needs their snacks packed, too.

(You may also like bento lunch box ideas, lunch snacks, kids lunch box ideas, and all of my school lunch recipes.)

How to Pack Easy Toddler Lunches Step-by-Step

Here are a few reminders to keep in mind when assembling your child’s food for the day. (Lunches and snacks above shown in EasyLunchboxes.)

1. Try not to send something that your kiddo has never had before. Try new foods at home so you know how your child likes them and whether they have any difficulty chewing them.
2. Try to make toddler lunches a mix of foods that are yummy, healthy, easy to chew, and familiar.
3. Check any allergy guidelines at your center or school to help keep everyone healthy—you may or may not be able to send nuts in toddler lunches for daycare or toddler preschool lunches.
4. Ask for specific feedback on how your child ate so you know what they are liking (and not liking) so you know whether you need to send more or less food.
5. Don’t worry too much if their appetite varies from one day to the next. This is totally normal! And try not to stress if the kiddo eats more or less or differently at daycare than they do at home. Different environments have different outcomes.
6. Add water and milk as needed and as preferred to these toddler lunch ideas.
7. Round out meals easily with the best finger foods for toddlers.

1. Hummus Sandwich

Spread hummus between slices of soft bread and cut into squares or small cubes, or place into a container and serve with whole grain crackers or sliced soft veggies like cucumbers or steamed carrots. We like to use Carrot Hummus and Creamy (Nut-Free) Hummus when making toddler lunches.

2. Pizza Rolls

Include some fruit, a simple dessert, and/or some cubed meat or beans to round out this easy pizza-inspired lunch. (You can pack it in a thermos—we LOVE this kids thermos.)

These pizza rolls are soft on the inside, so they’re not too chewy even if chilled or at room temp. And change it up with pesto pizza rolls another week!

3. Egg Muffin Snack Box

Slice or cube Spinach Egg Muffins (or hard-boiled eggs) and serve alongside whole grain pita wedges, leftover waffles, or crackers. I like to add some fruit and a simple fun food like fruit leather, a few pieces of dried fruit, or your kiddo’s favorite snack as an easy toddler lunch box idea.

(P.S. Some toddlers take a while to learn to like the texture of hard cooked yolks and that’s okay—just send the whites for now.)

4. Toddler Taco Salad

Make a container with brown rice, black or pinto beans, diced veggies, cubed cheese, and some salsa (if your kiddo likes it) for a tot take on a taco salad. This easy toddler lunch idea works well with a dip of mild salsa stirred together with plain whole milk yogurt as a yummy dipping sauce for this preschool lunch idea.

5. Pesto Pasta Salad

Toss store-bought or homemade pesto (like this Spinach Pesto) with pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced cheese or chicken. Pair with fruit and a fun food to round out the meal.

6. Egg and Cheese Mini Muffins

These easy to make egg muffins are good at room temperature or heated (and they work well to make ahead). I love them as a toddler lunch idea since they have a veggie tucked right inside! Include whole grain crackers or pita bread, some fruit, and perhaps some beans or simple veggies alongside.

7. Veggie Muffins

For an easy toddler lunch idea, try Pizza Muffins, Spinach Muffins, Carrot Cake Muffins, Savory Veggie Muffins, or Flourless Cocoa Muffins with protein and hidden veggies.

These toddler muffins are a balanced meal all on their own and are easy to enhance with a side of yogurt or a cheese stick, a piece of fruit, and maybe a little cubed chicken, turkey, or ham.

8. Tortilla Roll-ups

Spread Sun Butter or other favorite nut butter onto a soft flour or whole grain tortilla and top with a banana or whole-fruit jam. Roll up and slice. Add thawed edamame, puffs, clementine, or another favorite fruit and veggie alongside.

Or, spread a tortilla with cream cheese, add a piece of sliced turkey, and roll up into a simple wrap.

(Find more wraps for kids and pinwheel sandwiches, too.)

9. Sandwich Bread Roll-ups

Roll soft whole grain sandwich bread flat and thin with a rolling pin. Spread on cream cheese and jelly, nut butter and jam, mashed sweet potato and nut butter, hummus, mashed beans and salsa, or herbed goat cheese. Slice and serve as spirals as a fun with simple sides like fruit and yogurt to round things out for an easy toddler lunch.

(Find more sandwiches for kids, too.)

10. Ham and Cheese Box

Pair diced ham with shredded cheese and whole grain bread or a muffin as a sort of toddler-friendly sandwich. Add simple produce options such as thinly sliced cucumber and clementine to round it out. (You can use a different lunch meat or shredded cooked chicken or turkey if you prefer.)

11. Leftover Pancake or Waffle Sandwiches

The next time you have pancakes on the weekend, double the batch and place leftovers in the fridge or freezer. Spread with nut butter (use Sun Butter if lunch needs to be allergy-free) or cream cheese and jam or honey for a simple, but unexpected daycare lunch idea.

Add halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, cheese, or berries on the side.

12. Overnight Oats with Yogurt

There’s no reason you can’t do breakfast for lunch—and you could blend this yogurt and oat mixture smooth and spoon it into a reusable pouch if you think that will be easier for your toddler. Include sliced fresh veggies like halved cherry tomatoes, snap peas, or leftover roasted veggies, whole grain crackers, and/or some beans or shredded meat for added protein.

(And this Applesauce Overnight Oats recipe can actually be stirred together in the morning and it will be soft enough by lunchtime—if you don’t think to do it the night before.)

13. Yogurt Lunch

This is one of our favorite toddler lunch ideas, especially when it seems like we’re out of food! Layer granola (remove any big clumps or whole nuts) over yogurt. Add simple sides like fruit and tomatoes. The granola will soften a bit as it sits in the lunch box to ensure it’s easy to chew.

14. Soft-Roasted Cinnamon Chickpeas

Pair these flavorful beans with whole grain crackers, diced veggies, cheese, and a piece of fruit for a simple snack lunch for toddlers. (Or pair with leftover rice, shredded chicken, and roasted veggies.) They’re a little salty, a little sweet, and are packed with easy-to-eat nutrition.

15. Snack Box Lunch

Add cheese (slices, cubes, or string cheese); meat (cut deli meat, leftover shredded chicken or beef); thawed frozen peas or corn, cherry tomatoes, or shredded carrots; cut grapes, berries, melon, or another favorite fruit, to a lunch box for an easy toddler lunch idea for preschool.

Include a few crackers or a favorite dry cereal for a simple, and toddler snack lunch!

Best Toddler Lunch Box

I specifically love the EasyLunchboxes and the OmieBox Bento Box with one insulated compartment for packing foods you want to stay warm or cold. The Lunchbots thermos is also a great option for packing hot foods. I’ve been trying out lunch boxes for years and I have distinct favorites based on price and how you’ll use them.

TIP: Check out my favorite kids lunch boxes for more information.

My daycare won’t reheat or refrigerate lunches—any tips?

Yes, here are some ways to ensure you keep the food safe in your toddler lunches until lunchtime and also have options for what to send.

1. First, get a thermos for kids. This will help cold foods stay cold and hot foods stay hot and give you a lot more options for the types of foods you can send.
2. Second, use at least two thin ice packs on either side of the lunch (however you pack it—in a lunch box or in a plastic bag).
3. Third, consider freezing an applesauce pouch, yogurt tube, or shelf-stable milk container. They will add more coldness and will thaw by lunchtime. I even heard of a mom who froze her son’s cheese sticks to help keep the food cold and they also thawed in time for the daycare lunch.
4. Keep toddler lunch ideas simple. It’s okay to rely more on snack boxes or simple sunflower seed butter and jam sandwiches, especially if this is a temporary situation. (But even if it’s not!)
5. Do your best and remember that there are many challenging constraints on packing lunches that are making this really hard—it’s not you!
6. If you need disposable lunch packaging, these disposable lunch boxes are my picks.

TIP: See 20 Cold Lunch Ideas for more preschool lunch ideas.

Best Tips for Success

• You can find all of my best easy toddler lunch ideas, plus allergy-friendly and packable recipes, together in my Yummy Toddler Lunches ebook. I hope you’ll check it out!
• Pack your toddler lunch ideas in a lunch box with ice packs. Then put the whole thing into an insulated lunch bag to keep it safe.
• Cut food into bite-size pieces to ensure it’s easy to chew.
• Pack fresh fruit such as thinly sliced apples, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, or kiwi as easy sides. (Here’s how to store fresh apple slices so they don’t brown.)
• Ask for information from the teacher as to whether there was enough food, too much food, or if anything was hard for the child to eat so you can adjust your toddler lunches.
• Remember that it’s normal for kids to need time to adjust to eating at daycare or preschool.
• It’s okay to keep things really simple when packing lunch for toddlers.

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I’d love to know your challenges and successes with packing your toddler’s lunch. Please share in the comments below!

This post was first published June 2017.