Picky kid? Nut-free school? Slow eater? Celebrity chefs forked over 30 simple ideas that take the stress out of packing.
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Tyler Florence
Dad of Dorothy, 4, and Hayden, 5; host of Tyler’s Ultimate on Food Network;
and creator of Sprout, a line of organic baby and toddler foods
LUNCH MENU
Tortellini salad (cook pasta; add peas in last 2 minutes; toss with pesto)
Peach
Small tossed salad
Peter Ardito
Goat cheese and grape jelly sandwich on a small cinnamon-raisin bagel
Nectarine
Raw sugar snap peas
Peter Ardito
Half a sunflower-butter and banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread
Low-fat fruit yogurt
Grape tomatoes
Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids
Peter Ardito
Soup (heat rotisserie chicken, broth, pasta, and veggies for 15 minutes)
Animal crackers
Raspberries
Peter Ardito
Rice balls (cook short-grain rice; roll with chopped cooked veggies into 1-inch balls)
Pineapple
Raisins
Peter Ardito
Ming Tsai
Dad of David, 10, and Henry, 12; host of PBS cooking show Simply Ming; author of four cookbooks; and owner of Blue Ginger restaurant, in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Turkey Sloppy Joe on slider bun (keep meat warm in a thermos)
Apple wedges
Cucumber slices
Peter Ardito
Ramen noodles (minus the seasoning pack) in chicken broth with veggies
Rice crackers
Plum
Peter Ardito
Turkey, lettuce, and Dijon mustard pinwheels on a whole-grain tortilla
Baby carrots
Vegetable chips
Peter Ardito
Lettuce wraps with grilled teriyaki chicken and carrots
Air-popped popcorn
Mandarin orange
Lunch Monitor: What Are Kids Throwing Away?
Peter Ardito
Soba-noodle salad
Bell pepper strips and ranch dip
Kiwi
Start to Finish: 20 minsGet the Recipe 
Peter Ardito
Josh Capon
Dad of Amanda, 6, and Max, 3; guest judge on Food Network’s Chopped; and executive chef of Lure Fishbar and B&B Winepub, in New York
PB&J heart-shaped sandwich on whole-wheat bread
Baby carrots
Banana with silly sticker
Peter Ardito
String-cheese stick
Rolled-up turkey lunch meat
Fruit kabob (cut off pointy end)
Whole-grain crackers
Peter Ardito
Tuna-fish sandwich stars
Blueberries
Edamame in shells (more fun to pop!)
Peter Ardito
Oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon
Green-bean letters
Applesauce cup
Peter Ardito
Brown Spanish rice and ground beef in a thermos
Tortilla chips
Green grapes
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 40 minsGet the Recipe
How to Eat Healthy: Raising Nutrition-Smart Kids
Peter Ardito
Marcela Valladolid
Mom of Fausto, 8, and host of Food Network’s Mexican Made Easy
DIY tostada: shredded chicken, cheddar cheese and refried beans, and 2 corn tortillas
Peter Ardito
Grilled-chicken sandwich with mayo
Guacamole for dipping sliced cucumbers, jicama, and carrots
Peter Ardito
Tortilla soup in a thermos
Corn
Grapes
Prep: 40 mins Cook: 20 minsGet the Recipe 
Peter Ardito
Veggie and black-bean burrito on whole-wheat tortilla with salsa
Watermelon wedges
Peter Ardito
Half an egg-salad sandwich on whole-wheat bread
Roasted cherry-tomato and mozzarella salad in olive oil-balsamic vinaigrette
Melon slice
Peter Ardito
Jeffrey Saad
Dad of Sebastian, 12, and Isabella, 15; host of Cooking Channel’s United Tastes of America; and author of Jeffrey Saad’s Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders
Apples & PB (core a small apple, spoon 2 Tbs. peanut butter in middle)
Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers
Leftover broccoli
Peter Ardito
Leftover ham (or low-salt deli ham) in whole-wheat pita with shredded carrot and zucchini tossed in vinaigrette
Blueberries
Surf Sweets natural Gummy Bears
Peter Ardito
Creamy shells (leftover pasta with milk, butter, and juice from canned tomatoes microwaved until hot; put in thermos)
Cucumber slices
Peach
Peter Ardito
Half a BLT: lettuce, tomato, and leftover turkey bacon on whole-wheat bread (bit of mayo with a dash of smoked paprika for flavor)
Baby carrots and ranch dip
Clementine
Peter Ardito
Egg-salad wrap (chopped leftover hard-boiled egg and chopped
bell peppers tossed in vinaigrette; roll up in an 8-inch tortilla)
Sliced pears with lemon juice
Terra Sweet Potato Chips
Nutrition Labels: 3 Things To Avoid
Peter Ardito
Andrew Zimmern
Dad of Noah, 7; host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods; and author of the upcoming Andrew Zimmern’s Field Guide to Exceptionally Weird, Wild, and Wonderful Foods: An Intrepid Eater’s Digest
Pork salad
Cucumber sticks with yogurt-dill dip
Fruit salad
Start to Finish: 15 minsGet the Recipe 
Peter Ardito
Pasta salad
Roasted broccoli
Berry and vanilla yogurt
Start to Finish: 10 minsGet the Recipe 
Peter Ardito
Chicken-salad sandwich with grapes, scallions, and celery on roll
Cheese stick
Dried peaches
Peter Ardito
Chili in a thermos
Mini corn muffin
Pineapple chunks
Peter Ardito
Leftover meat loaf on a roll
Santa Cruz Organic applesauce cup
Leftover steamed asparagus
Iain Bagwell
Bonus recipe: Parents advisor Elisa Zied, R.D, recommends this yummy chicken & brown rice soup.
Get the Recipe 36 of 36 Next Slideshow
Healthy School Lunches & Snacks
Make school lunches healthy and fun with these easy brown bag lunch… more Begin Slideshow