Packing a school lunch shouldn’t feel like a daily episode of MasterChef… but when you’re bleary-eyed at 7am with a child who claims they no longer like sandwiches, yoghurt or bananas, it can feel like the pressure is on.

If you’ve ever stared into the fridge wondering what to pack for school lunch that your child will actually eat (and maybe even enjoy), you’re in the right place.

Here’s the good news: lunchboxes don’t have to be complicated. With the right system, a few go-to options, and a sprinkle of nutrition know-how, you can take the mental load way down and still pack a lunch you feel good about.

First, Let’s Ditch the “Perfect Lunchbox” Pressure

Not every lunch needs to be Pinterest-worthy. In fact, the best lunches are the ones that:

• Cover the basics: protein, healthy fats, carbs, colour, crunch

• Are familiar and safe, but with a bit of variety across the week

• Actually get eaten (novel idea, right?)

This is exactly the formula I share in my Lunchboix Guide — a simple but smart breakdown of what goes into a well-balanced lunch without overcomplicating things. (Spoiler: I even include a printable template so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every week.)

What to Pack for School Lunch: 5 Go-To Ideas

If you’re stuck in a sandwich rut, here are a few easy and nourishing options that are lunchbox-tested and kid-approved:

1. Mini savoury muffins – Think hidden veg + cheese + wholemeal goodness

2. Fruit + protein combo – Apple slices with seed butter or strawberries with Greek yoghurt dip

3. DIY snack box – Crackers, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, and hummus

4. Pasta salad pots – Cooked pasta + peas + shredded chicken + olive oil dressing

5. Leftover magic – Dinner’s roasted veg or meatballs can become tomorrow’s star lunch

Want more? The Lunchbox Lifesaver guide has you covered

Inside my Lunchbox Guide, you’ll find:

• A copy-and-paste library of lunchbox combos (no thinking required)

• My top supermarket lunchbox fillers that save time and still tick the nutrition boxes

• A smart guide to batch prepping snacks (so you’re not scrambling each morning)

• The lunchbox checklist to help you pack it RIGHT every time

• Plus: discount codes for some of our fave wholefood lunchbox goodies!

If you’ve ever asked yourself what to pack for school lunch, and wished someone could just tell you what works — this is it.

Let ME do the thinking for YOU

Because you don’t need more mental load.
You need a guide that’s practical, real-life tested, and gives you ideas you can actually use.

👉 [Grab the Lunchbox Guide here] and make school lunches one less thing to stress about.