7 Healthy Back-to-School Lunch Ideas Your Kids Will Love

The new school year gets closer every day. Have you thought about your kids' lunch plan yet?  This year, say goodbye to that sandwich and chips, and pack your kids a healthy lunch they won't want to trade. Healthy lunch ideas don't have to be boring. In fact, these back-to-school lunches will knock their socks off:

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

Photo Credit: Your Homebased Mom

If your little one loves cheeseburgers, try making this healthier version for lunch, from Your Homebased Mom.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a muffin tin and set it aside.
3. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion. Drain off the excess fat.
4. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic salt.
5. Stir together the milk, Bisquick mix, and eggs. Whisk until completely combined.
6. Fill each muffin cup half full with the Bisquick mixture, then top with 1/4 cup of the ground beef mixture.
7. Top each muffin cup with an additional tablespoon of Bisquick mixture.
8. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi

Photo Credit: The Kitchen Wife

The Kitchen Wife puts a twist on the standard PB&J sandwich with these Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1 slice whole wheat bread
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon jam
• 1 strawberry, sliced

Directions:

1. Cut the crust off of a slice of whole wheat bread.
2. Using a rolling pin, flatten the slice of bread slightly.
3. Spread the peanut butter over the flattened slice of bread, followed by the jam.
4. Arrange sliced strawberries over half of the bread.
5. Roll up the bread jellyroll style, then slice it horizontally into four pieces.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Photo Credit: What Lisa Cooks

Your kids will beg for these Homemade Pizza Rolls, courtesy of What Lisa Cooks.

Ingredients:

• 1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough
• Flour
• 3 tablespoons pizza sauce
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Roll out the crescent roll dough into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.
3. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough in a thin, even layer.
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.
5. Roll up the dough jellyroll style, then slice it horizontally into 1/2-inch slices.
6. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.

Taco Bento

Photo Credit: 3 Boys and a Dog

It's a taco buffet for lunch with 3 Boys and a Dog's Taco Bento.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Lettuce, shredded
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef and stir in the taco seasoning mix.
2. Fill a silicone cupcake container with 1/2-cup of the seasoned ground beef.
3. Fill three more cupcake containers with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomatoes.
4. Fill a small food storage container with tortilla chips, then arrange the containers inside your child's Bento Box for lunch.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Photo Credit: Easy Toddler Meals

Nothing will warm your child's spirit at school like these Mini Chicken Pot Pies from Easy Toddler Meals.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
• 3/4 cup cream of chicken condensed soup
• Flour
• 1 package crescent roll dough
• 1/2 cup frozen vegetables, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken condensed soup, vegetables and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roll out the crescent roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
4. Cut out circles from the dough using a 3-inch cookie cutter.
5. Grease a muffin tin, then form a dough circle into each muffin cup.
6. Spoon the chicken mixture into each cup.
7. Using a glass or cookie cutter, carve out circles of crescent dough.
8. Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray and carefully place dough in each circle.
9. Add chicken mixture into each circle, then top with strips cut from the leftover dough.
10. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Tortilla Pinwheel Lollipops

Photo Credit: Home Cooking Memories

Home Cooking Memories making healthy eating a little sweeter with these Tortilla Pinwheel Lollipops.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 ounce ranch dip mix
• 6 soft taco-sized tortillas
• 9 ounces lunch meat
• 8 ounces cheese, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Combine the cream cheese and ranch dip mix. Stir until completely combined.
2. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over a soft taco-sized tortilla.
3. Arrange a few slices of lunch meat over the cream cheese mixture, followed by a few slices of thinly sliced cheese.
4. Roll up the tortilla jellyroll style, then wrap the entire roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Slice the roll into 1 1/2-inch-thick pinwheel slices, then insert a lollipop stick into each pinwheel.

Meatloaf Swords

Photo Credit: MOMables

En Garde! MOMables make lunchtime fun with these Meatloaf Swords.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• Small flexible skewer
• Cheddar cheese, cubed

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the zucchini, spinach, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, black pepper, ground turkey, and eggs. Stir well.
3. Press the ground turkey mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan.
4. Combine the tomato sauce and barbecue sauce, then spread it over the ground turkey mixture.
5. Bake for around 1 hour, then cool for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the meatloaf from the pan, then slice off two 1-inch-thick slices.
7. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes, then slide the cubes on to a small flexible skewer, alternating them with cubes of cheddar cheese.

With all these healthy lunch ideas, you might want to revamp your next shopping trip. Find out how to create a healthy grocery shopping list in 10 simple steps.