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50+ Lunch Ideas for Teens (Printable Guide)

August 22, 2019 by Maria Adams Leave a Comment

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Need lunch ideas for your older kids? Here are 50 + lunch ideas for teens plus tips on how to make it happen all year long. 

50+ Plus Lunch Ideas for TeensPin

It’s that time of year again! Back to school. And back to packing lunches.

If you are looking for lunch ideas for your teen or tween, I’ve got you covered! I created a downloadable guide with 50+ lunch ideas to get your kids excited for lunch. You can find recipes for many of the suggestions on this site, including:

  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Turkey Meatballs
  • Pasta Bolognese
  • Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad
  • Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
  • Curried Chicken Salad
  • Energy Bars – store-bought
  • Energy Bars – homemade: Raspberry Almond Power Bites, Chewy, No-Bake Granola Bars

Print out the guide and post it on your refrigerator or inside your pantry door. Or, simply use it for inspiration and then have your kids create their own, personalized guides. But be sure to post it somewhere visible. We all know how easy it is to get inspired…and then somehow when it comes time to plan lunches all we can think of is a turkey sandwich!

Get Your Kids Involved

The key to making a variety of tasty lunches all year (and not burning out after a week)? Get your kids involved! Kids of all ages can help in the kitchen, but once your child hits the tween and teen years, they can generally do most, if not all, of it themselves.

Of course, they will need help from you with the shopping and a little assistance, or at least guidance, with prepping or cooking.

  • Teens: PLAN & PACK weekly lunches
  • Parents/Caregivers: SHOP for lunches & ASSIST with prep as needed

My Child Would Rather Buy Lunch

If your child has no interest in helping, explain that you are counting on them to help you out. Tell them that knowing how to make and pack lunch is a life skill that is also handy to know for picnics, ski trips, and beach outings!

If they haven’t done much in the kitchen before, keep the lunch choices simple and help with the prep until they get the routine down. While I have some more involved lunch ideas on the list, there is nothing wrong with bringing a simple sandwich.

Purchasing school lunch is another option. It can be a great way to mix it up or take a day or two off from packing lunch. Many teens prefer to buy lunch every day. Ultimately, every family has to do what works best for them.

If your child is an athlete, they may be motivated to pack a lunch that will help them perform their best. Even non-athletes should know that eating a well-balanced lunch can help them feel their best and give them the energy they need for school, work, or other activities.

Tips for Lunch Packing Success

  • Create a weekly lunch plan.
  • Keep it simple and realistic.
  • Batch cook on Sundays.
  • Prep raw fruits and veggies ahead of time.
  • Organize lunch items so they are easy to find.
  • Keep containers and reusable bags on hand for easy, eco-friendly packing.
  • Night owls: (most teens!) Pack lunches the night before to reduce morning stress.
  • Remember that it’s ok to step in and make the whole lunch for your child now and then. Perhaps they are stressed or super busy. Or maybe you give them a break from packing every Friday. Either way, nothing says I love you like a homemade lunch!

50+ Lunch Ideas for Teens – Printable Guide

School Lunch Ideas TeensPin

Click Here to Get the Guide

Additional Lunch Inspiration

Here are links to my other lunchbox packing posts.

Vegetarian Lunchbox Guide

5 Simple Ways to Up the Lunchbox Appeal

Lunchbox Ideas and Guide

The Upgraded Lunchbox Sandwich

50+ Plus Lunch Ideas for TeensPin

PS – These teen lunch ideas would all make great adult lunches too! 😉

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Filed Under: Blog, free printable, Lunch, Lunch box Tagged With: lunch, lunch box, lunchbox, school, teens, tweens

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Hey there!

I'm Maria, a mom and Registered Dietitian with a love for good food. Let me help you navigate your way to happier, more confident eating and cooking. I take a non-diet, intuitive eating approach and truly believe that all foods can fit! Read More…

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Maria | Non-Diet Dietitian
Looking for a delicious snack or breakfast idea th Looking for a delicious snack or breakfast idea that may also appeal to your teen? Why not try this cardamom chia pudding parfait?⁠⁠
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It provides a satisfying combination of carbs, protein, and fat that will keep you going until your next meal. Plus it's loaded with nutrients such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, not to mention it packs in more than 12 grams of fiber!⁠⁠
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Get the recipe on my blog, link in profile. (PS, you should probably make a few, they are great to have on hand in the fridge!)⁠⁠
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#cardamom #cardamomchiapudding #chiapudding #chiaseeds #teensnackideas #teenbreakfastideas #momsnackideas #parfaitglass #nutrientpacked #recipeideas #strawberries #vitaminCfood #ironfood #fiberrichfood #fikatime #snacktime #postworkoutfuel #nourishingsnack #recipeontheblog #familynutrition #foodtographyschool #nutritionforteens #halsanutrition #registereddietitian ⁠⁠
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Teens and tweens benefit from snacks to help bridg Teens and tweens benefit from snacks to help bridge the gap between meals. Add sports and the need for a snack becomes even more important. 🤸‍♀️🤾🏽‍♂️⛹🏿‍♂️🏄🏼‍♀️🏑

So what should your teen eat after a practice or event? 

Ideally, they should eat food that provides both carbohydrates and protein. Water is also important to help with rehydration.

Carbohydrates are our main source of fuel. We store carbohydrates in our muscles as glycogen. After exercise, it’s important to replenish the lost glycogen. Carbohydrate-rich foods include:

✔️grains such as cereal, bread, rice, crackers, granola, and oats
✔️dairy products such as milk and yogurt
✔️starchy veggies such as potatoes and corn
✔️fruit 

Protein helps us repair damaged muscles and teens need to have a ready supply of protein for growth too. But think beyond the protein bar, you can actually get ample protein from a variety of foods, including:

✔️Soy, dairy, or pea protein milk 
✔️Greek or Skyr yogurt
✔️Kefir
✔️Cheese
✔️Nuts and seeds
✔️Nut and seed butter
✔️Beans and legumes
✔️Eggs
✔️Seafood such as salmon and tuna
✔️Meat such as turkey, ham, chicken, and beef

I have put together some suggestions for snack ideas in these infographics. In general, it’s great to include a fruit or veggie as part of the snack when possible. 🍓🥝🍅🥑🥒🥕🫐🍎It can help to think of the post-workout snack as a “mini-meal” versus just a snack. 

Of course, it’s important to remember that the snacks don’t have to fit into these neat categories or include produce all the time. Eating should never have rules around it. Moreover, food choices are about more than nutrition. Other factors that come into play include what’s available, appealing, and convenient. 

Ultimately, what your adolescent decides to eat (or even whether they eat) is up to them. But you can help out by keeping a variety of options available at home. 

To learn more and get additional snack ideas, go to my latest blog post, link in profile. ⬆️Also, be sure to save this post for future reference (or perhaps share with your teen)!
Weekends call for pancakes! 🥞I have finally sta Weekends call for pancakes! 🥞I have finally started increasing the batter size so that it makes enough pancakes for my family of four. My teen boys can eat a lot and lately we had been running out before the pancake maker (that would be me!) got to eat (or at least eat enough). 

Here is my modified “Flying pancakes” recipe. You can find the original on my blog. 

1 cup spelt or white whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1-2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups kefir or buttermilk
1/2 cup plain oat milk
2 tablespoons avocado or canola oil

butter for greasing pancake pan

toppings of choice 

1. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
2. Add liquid ingredients and stir until just combined.
3. Heat pancake pan of griddle.
4. Grease pan with butter. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes and flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy with toppings of choice. No fresh berries? 🍓🫐No problem. Try frozen berries, applesauce, and bananas as pictured here! Or add chocolate chips to the batter, yum.
Happy first day of spring! 🌱The sun is bright ☀️ here and I am on my way out to do some yardwork. It just feels like a day to be outside and after a week of too much time on my computer 👩‍💻 I know that’s what I need! 

Speaking of bright, I made this pretty “Moroccan-spiced carrot salad with lentils” last weekend. It was so delicious and luckily there was enough to enjoy it for a few leftover lunches. Recipe from @loveandlemons cookbook. I highly recommend it. 

What’s on my cooking list today? Not sure. Sometimes you just need a little rest and regroup day if you know what I mean! I am hoping for some local takeout tonight. 

How are you spending your Saturday?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀Why not celebrate w Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀Why not celebrate with a minty green smoothie/ Shamrock Shake? 

Here is how I made this one:

Shamrock Shake

1 smoothie

1/2 cup @siggisdairy plain full fat yogurt
1/2 cup oat milk
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup baby spinach
7 mint leaves

whipped cream 
dark chocolate

Combine yogurt through mint leaves in a high-speed blender. Pour into a class. Top with whipped cream and then use a microplane to grate dark chocolate on top. Enjoy! 💚

PS - Don’t fear the full fat dairy! It tastes delicious and provides a mega dose of satisfaction. Also, often times when we go for the low-fat we end up adding more sugar to make it taste good. 

#shamrockshake #happystpatricksday #luckoftheirish #greensmoothiesrecipe #siggis #luckysmoothie #stpaddysday #snackideas #familysnacks #momsnack #chocolateplease #dailysiggis #siggisambassador #halsanutrition #foodtographyschool #foodtography @foodtographyschool #replicasurfaces
Friday night is pizza night at our house. 🍕Ofte Friday night is pizza night at our house. 🍕Often, we order takeout but sometimes we make it ourselves.👩‍🍳Pictured here is one of my favorite combo’s: 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕫𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞𝕤 𝕡𝕝𝕦𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒. 🌱Topped with mozzarella and perhaps a drizzle of balsamic glaze it’s 💯.

You can get the recipe for this classic on my blog, link in profile. Here I’ve made it on my homemade rye pizza dough (also on the blog). But you could also pick up some ready-made dough at the store.

One of the best parts of making your own pizza is that everyone in the family can add their own favorite toppings. 🥦🍅🍆🧅🧄My husband generally eats anything I make 🤣 but my kids are more selective. One loves onions but not mushrooms and one prefers just cheese (and red sauce).

Does your family have a pizza night? Do you sometimes make your own or stick to take out? 

#mushroompizza #onionpizza #arugula #flatbreadpizza #recipeontheblog #pizzanight #familypizza #makeyourownpizza  #halsanutrition
I love whipped cream. I'm talking homemade, no sug I love whipped cream. I'm talking homemade, no sugar added, plain whipped heavy cream. It's the way my mom made it growing up.⁠⁠
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It's not a food I eat very often, but that means that when I do have it I savor it even more. ⁠⁠
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For example, in these Swedish "semlor". These traditional lenten buns are eaten from January through Easter in Sweden. The sweet cardamom yeast dough is baked until golden and then filled with almond paste and whipped cream. ⁠⁠Dreamy. 😍
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I made a couple of batches last month. I ended up freezing several unmade buns to have on hand for future "fikas" (Swedish-stye coffee breaks). ⁠⁠
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I finally pulled out the last of them from the freezer today. It turns out my 12-year old really loves to eat these buns plain, he simply takes it out of the freezer and pops it in the microwave for a bit. 🙂 So alas, there are only 4 left, but they are now ready to go for our afternoon fika. ⁠⁠
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While I haven't written up the recipe for these (it takes time to translate my Swedish metric recipes into English!) you can do a search and find many good recipes online. 

Happy Thursday! 💗⁠⁠
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#semlor #semla #swedishlentenbun #swedishbaking #homemadesweets #nordicbaking #nordicinspired #homemadewhippedcream #whippedcream #almondpaste #cardamombun #fikatime #slowdown #savorfood #fikatime #fika #coffeebreak #enjoylife #bepresent #todayfood #intuitiveeating #allfoodsfit #foodisculture #foodistradition #foodtography @foodtographyschool #replicasurfaces @replicasurfaces #foodtographyschool #halsanutrition⁠⁠
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Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day!💫 Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day!💫 

I’ve been a dietitian for 22 years now (but who’s counting!?) Over the years, I have learned that health is about more than nutrition and that nutrition is about more than the food that you eat. Yes, nutrition is important but so are the other reasons that we choose food, such as culture, family, celebration, preference, accessibility, and availability. 💫

These days I take a I take a non-diet, intuitive eating approach in my work. I help people let go of diet culture, improve their relationship with food, (re)discover the joy of eating, get inspired in the kitchen, and feel confident in the choices they make. 💗

Here’s to my fellow RD/RDN’s! I feel grateful to be part of this smart, supportive, and inspiring community. ✨

📷pic of me in my sun-filled ☀️office this afternoon, taken by my 12-year old before he borrowed my phone to film a science project! 😁

#RDNday #rdday #dietitiansofinstagram #nationalregistereddietitianday #intuitiveeating #intuitiveeatingRD #nondietdietitian #antidietculture #registereddietitiannutritionist #halsanutrition
Happy Tuesday my friends! Took a little two week h Happy Tuesday my friends! Took a little two week hiatus from IG to rest and refresh (and grade papers!), but I am back at it. ❤️Excited to bring you more nourishing family food recipes, non-diet tips, and positive inspiration. 

The weather here in New England is warming up ☀️but there is still a chill in the air. I have been making chili, soups, and stews to have on hand for quick and satisfying lunches. Pictured here is a turkey, kale, and  barley soup that is delicious and easy to vary based on the ingredients you have on hand. Recipe coming to the blog soon. 💫

#turkeysoup #kalesoup#barleysoup #halsanutrition #nondietapproach
So I tried to make an impromptu video on how to ma So I tried to make an impromptu video on how to make a chocolate banana smoothie. As you can see it did not go too well. 🤣Seriously, there are several takes like these. My 14-year old was manning the camera and couldn’t keep himself from laughing, which meant that I could not stay serious either. 😂(So then I tried filming myself, but holding your phone with one hand and trying to pour a smoothie into a glass with the other is not so easy.) It might be time to invest in a phone stand. (Or stick to photos!)

In case you are curious about how to make this smoothie, here is the recipe:

Chocolate Banana Smoothie 🍌🍫

1 cup milk
1 banana (frozen for a thicker and colder smoothie) 
1 tablespoon cocoa or cacao powder (we love @flavanaturals which is delicious and extra high in antioxidants )

(Optional add in: 1 tablespoon peanut butter)

Simply combine everything in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass & enjoy! It’s perfect snack for hungry, growing tweens and teens....and hungry, busy mamas too! It’s especially great for refueling post-exercise. 

#videobloopers #chocolatebanana #chocolatebananasmoothie #snackideas #familynutrition #halsanutrition
Mix up your usual breakfast or snack by adding a v Mix up your usual breakfast or snack by adding a veggie or two. 🌱Sure, eggs on toast are delicious alone, but they really make you pause and slow down when they are presented in as colorful of a way as here.⁠⁠ 💛
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Veggies not only add beauty, but they also add flavor, texture, and, of course, nutrients. ⁠(Microgreens are one of my favorite additions. I also love radishes and need to remember to buy them more often!)⁠⁠
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It's easy to get in a rut with our meals. It's also easy to mindlessly eat while scrolling or typing away on our devices. ⁠⁠
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Put the screen away and carve out a little extra time to make your meal. Add a little extra color to your plate in the form of veggies or fruit and then give your food the full attention it deserves.⁠⁠ 🌈
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Sure, it takes a little more work to wash and slice up some produce, but the effort is well worth it. ⁠⁠💫
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#halfplateveggies #moreveggies #eggsontoast #satisfyingsnack #nourishingsnack #mindfuleating #mindfulsnacking #colorfulplate #halsanutrition #snacktime #familynutrition #momnutrition #spiceupyoursnack #mixupyoursnack #nourishingfood #nondietapproach #intuitiveeating #registereddietitian
Happy Weekend! 💫It’s snowing here again, but Happy Weekend! 💫It’s snowing here again, but it’s winter after all. ❄️ I find it absolutely beautiful but that said, I admit I am also looking forward to warmer days and being outside without my fingers & toes getting cold so easily! (hello #reynauds)

I did get my boys out for a dog walk in the snow this afternoon. Grateful for these moments. ❤️ Also grateful for our dog who gets us out of the house even when it’s cold out. 

Hoping we get enough fresh snow for cross-country skiing this weekend. And perhaps an outdoor fika. ☕️What are your weekend plans? 

#stillwinter #marblehead #weekendmood #getoutside #snowflakes #halsanutrition
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Printables

Menu Plan and Shopping List Template

lunch ideas

Solutions to the Lunch Dilemma

how to make smoothies

Make Your Own Smoothie Guide

50+ Plus Lunch Ideas for Teens

50+ Lunch Ideas for Teens (Printable Guide)

Swedish Inspiration

21 Ways to Add Hygge and Mys to Your Day

Swedish chocolate cookies (chokladsnittar) plus a cup of coffee

Swedish Chocolate Cookies (Chokladsnittar)

Cardamom Rolls

Swedish Cardamom Buns

benefits of a mindful coffee or tea break with friends

The Swedish Tradition of Fika

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Meet Maria!

I'm a Swedish-born, New England-raised dietitian with a love for good food and baking. Follow my blog for nourishing recipes, non-diet nutrition advice, and a touch of Swedish inspiration. Read More…

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