5 Healthy Lunches You Can Pack For Your Kids in Mere Minutes

Flickr user usdagov

Few things make parents feel as defeated as opening up their kids' lunchboxes at the end of the day and finding their carefully packed healthy lunch untouched. I know, because I've done it too many times! But with a little creativity, even if you're short on time, you can turn an otherwise mundane bagged lunch into something your kids can't wait to eat.

Kids are extremely visual, so the key is coming up with cute, easy — emphasis on easy — ways to serve healthy meals that won't add time to your already-crazy morning routine. Here, five fun ways to serve up a healthy lunch that your kids will want to eat!

Kid Pocket
POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber

Kid Pocket

What kid doesn't like pizza for lunch? While a slice of pizza doesn't transfer well to school, a handheld pizza pocket does. Get the kids involved on a Sunday night and make a bunch. We used prepared pizza dough and then had the kids add their favorite fillings — ham and cheese, mozzarella, chicken and pesto, whatever they like. Then we baked them and froze them. In the morning, just heat one up in the toaster oven, pack it in an insulated container, and it will be warm for lunch! Add in some carrots already dipped in ranch (or their favorite) dressing and a banana with a message, pack it in a fun lunchbox — we used Pottery Barn Kids' Marvel Classic Lunch Bag ($25) — and you've got yourself a superlunch!

Preschool Lunch
POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber

Preschool Lunch

Skip Hop's Zoo Lunchies ($15) and Zoo Lunch Kits ($9) are so cute that kids will be excited to open their lunchboxes! To make an ordinary peanut butter and jelly sandwich a bit more exciting, we turned it into sushi rolls and gave our half an apple a bit of a makeover by transforming it into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! Throw in a few adorable (and nut-free) School Days cookies from Eleni's Cookies, and you've got yourself a fun lunch!

Sandwich-Free Pinwheels
POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber

Sandwich-Free Pinwheels

For kids with gluten allergies — or even those who just don't like sandwiches — skip the bread completely. These meat and cheese rolls are simply low-fat string cheese sticks wrapped in salami and turkey. Paired with a bag of Skinny Pop Popcorn (also gluten- and nut-free) and an adorable School Days cookie from Eleni's Cookies (which is also nut-free), this combo makes for great finger food.

Mac and Cheese Cups
POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber

Mac and Cheese Cups

For the sandwich averse, mac and cheese takes on a whole new shape when it's baked into mac and cheese cups. And if you're having trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, mac and cheese is the perfect place to hide some! Jessica Seinfeld's macaroni and cheese (with butternut squash or cauliflower) is a great way to sneak some nutrients into your kids' lunches.

Back-to-School Bento
POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber

Back-to-School Bento

The bento box is a bit more ambitious, but the first day of school is a special one, right? Using Pottery Barn Kids' All-in-One Lunch Bag ($35, originally $60), we were able to create an adorable bento box. This school bus sandwich is a hoot — the recipe called for egg sheets (found in an Asian market) to be placed atop your child's favorite sandwich, but we used sliced cheddar cheese, some nori wrappers, and cute bento picks ($9 for 20) to make it feel more fun. Add some celery and hummus (kids love to dip, so they'll be more likely to eat the celery if there's something to dip it into) and a sweet snack to finish off the meal like Annie's Bunny Fruit Snacks, and you've got yourself a complete meal!