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Lunch Ideas for Kids & Cute Food Shapes

by Katie Wallace | Updated: March 3, 2017

Looking for easy lunch ideas for kids? You can strike a good balance by giving your kids a healthy sandwich or wrap along with strawberry roses or fruit shapes.

It’s easy to make meals healthy and fun with a few creative lunch ideas for kids. For snack time, it can be tempting to feed kids crackers and fruit snacks, but some healthy snack choices go a long way towards boosting your child’s immunity.

These easy kids lunch ideas are simple to make to inspire your child to enjoy healthy foods.

Cute lunch ideas for kids strawberry roses

Yummy Strawberry Roses

Kids love to eat food that looks fun. Strawberry roses are super easy to make and these colorful lunch ideas for kids are healthy too!ย Strawberries are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium and are a good source of Folate, Potassium and Vitamin C.

To make strawberry roses, cut slices around a strawberry and bend each petal down using your knife. The thinner you cut the strawberry slices, the more detailed your strawberry roses will be. Cut down to just above the strawberry base so the rose petals remain intact.

Yummy Strawberry Roses cute kids snacks

These cute fruit treats will delight your kids and their friends, and encourage them to choose healthy snacks.

Cute lunch ideas for kids! Make these easy DIY strawberry roses

Cute lunch ideas for kids easy DIY strawberry roses

Orange Hearts –ย Lunch Ideas for Kids with Vitamin C

Orange hearts are easy to create by cutting one end off an orange slice and arranging the pieces to make a heart.

Tuck a few of these orange hearts into your kids’ lunch boxes as a fun way to encourage kids to love fruit! Who wouldn’t love to eat this adorable snack?

Vitamin C is important for kids to have, whether through fresh fruit or a multi-vitamin. We also give ourย kids a probiotic supplementย to help their growing bodies stay healthy and strong.

Lunch ideas for kids orange hearts

Easy DIY Sandwich Shapes

Easily make sandwich shapes for your kids by using a cookie cutter to cut a typical sandwich into a crust-free shape.

You can also jazz up any lunch with a lunch punch to make fun shaped sandwiches. These oversized cookie cutters transform a sandwich into a unique shape with a stamped design on top. The cupcake lunch punch cuts out a cherry and top of the cupcake, and the cake lunch punch creates a 3 layered cake design. To use, simply press the lunch punch down on the top of your sandwich and remove the extra edges.

Easy DIY Sandwich Shapes Cute Lunch Ideas for Kids

Colorful Kids Mealtime Sets

Serve your creative lunch ideas for kids on colorfulย Re-Play mealtime sets. These divided kids plates and utensils are made from recycled, FDA approved and food safe plastic. You can choose from divided plates, spoons, forks, drinking cups and snack cups. My girls always choose their favorite colors, purple and blue!

Cute lunch ideas for kids Re-play divided plates

Re-play mealtime sets are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and the solid colors hold up well throughout regular use. You can fit a good amount of food for your kids on the divided plates. The forks and spoons are sized perfectly for toddlers and kids.

Lunch ideas for kids - orange hearts and strawberry roses

How do you make lunch and snack time healthy and fun for your kids?

Katie Wallace
Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!

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Ayana
Ayana
8 years ago

What a fancy strawberry! Love these ideas and I love those plates!

Reply
Elizabeth Brico
Elizabeth Brico
8 years ago

Oh these are super cute! I made strawberry roses like that for cupcake toppers for my daughter’s birthday, but never tried it just for regular eating. Good idea!

Reply
Katie Wallace
Author
Katie Wallace
8 years ago
Reply to  Elizabeth Brico

Strawberry roses would make amazing cake toppers! Great idea! Most of the time I’m just trying to make mommy life a bit more creative. ๐Ÿ™‚

Reply
Kristy
Kristy
8 years ago

Those plates look awesome. I’m not sure my boys would appreciate the fancy food though ๐Ÿ™‚ Great job, I wish I had the patience to do that!

Reply
Katie Wallace
Author
Katie Wallace
8 years ago
Reply to  Kristy

Thank you! I’m sure boys are quite different! My girls love everything fancy.

Reply
Justine
Justine
8 years ago

HOW CUTE IS THIS!? can you make my snack plate please?! luckily my kids are vacuums and will eat anything i put in front of them. once they begin getting picky, i’m getting sandwich cutters like you suggested!

Reply
Jasmine Hewitt
Jasmine Hewitt
8 years ago

these are so cute! I should try making them but they probably wont look as good as yours

Reply
Katie Wallace
Author
Katie Wallace
8 years ago
Reply to  Jasmine Hewitt

These strawberry roses and orange hearts were sooo easy! No talent required!

Reply
Evonne
Evonne
8 years ago

That cupcake sandwich looks so good… I want one now!

Reply
Becca
Becca
8 years ago

Aww, the strawberry roses as super cute

Reply
Darcy Koch
Darcy Koch
8 years ago

I think by making the food look interesting in different shapes, etc. will entice your child to eat more. And the addition of brightly colored plates, bowls, and cups is surely going to help.

Reply

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Hi, I'm Katie and we are the Wallace family! We homeschool, go on adventures, and travel internationally with our four kids. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas on Create. Play. Travel.

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Travel with kids tips & inspo ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŒบ Creative family ideas ๐ŸŒŸ Saved by grace โžก๏ธ Follow our adventures!

๐Ÿ’ก Essential tips for traveling with our 4 kids! ๐Ÿ’ก Essential tips for traveling with our 4 kids!

๐Ÿงณ Pack light with items that do more

We bring clothes that mix and match, quick-dry layers, fold-flat totes, and activities that encourage creativity. Think art supplies and travel board games. The less we carry, the more we can explore.

๐Ÿฅช Eat often and try new flavors
We use snack stops and meals to experience local culture. Bakeries, fruit stands, and small cafรฉs become our favorite spots. 

๐Ÿž๏ธ Choose simple adventures over packed days
We go on kid-friendly hikes, stop at playgrounds, and tour cultural centers. We visit great houses, historic workhouses, and local museums.

๐Ÿ“ฑ Use screens sparingly
Ideally our kids only use screens on travel days, and with a time limit. Shows and multi-player games can help turn dull afternoons into family fun!

๐Ÿ”ฆ Encourage curiosity
We explore as much as we can with our four kids, shopping at markets, using public transportation, and visiting immersive attractions. We find many free activities, and budget for must-see destinations. 

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๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

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For us, itโ€™s snacksโ€ฆ lots of them. ๐Ÿ˜„ Snacks For us, itโ€™s snacksโ€ฆ lots of them. ๐Ÿ˜„ Snacks save the day on long travel days, unexpected detours, and those regular afternoons when everyone needs a boost. โœจ

Come join our adventure-loving crew! Follow @createplaytravel for family travel tips, kid-friendly ideas, and creative inspo for exploring the world with your crew. ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ’›

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Giveaway! Enter to win a one-year HomeExchange mem Giveaway! Enter to win a one-year HomeExchange membership for 2026!ย ย โœจย ย Weโ€™ve stayed in some incredible homes through HomeExchange, each one giving our family an authentic travel experience! ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ 

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HomeExchange allowed us to stay in cozy homes and explore France like a local. We canโ€™t wait to share the experience with one of you!ย ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ’›

In Paris, we stayed in a comfy urban apartment just steps away from our favorite boulangeries and the Eiffel Tower.ย ๐Ÿฅ๐ŸŒ‡

In Lyon our cozy home had beautiful living spaces and a swimming pool that our kids absolutely loved.ย ๐Ÿ’ฆโ˜€๏ธ

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Where would you go? ๐Ÿ‘€ Come join our adventure-l Where would you go? ๐Ÿ‘€ Come join our adventure-loving crew! โœจ

We explore, homeschool, and live a creative family life with our four kids. ๐Ÿฉต 

Follow @createplaytravel for family-friendly destinations, travel tips, and creative ways to travel with kids!

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Our kids are our biggest fans ๐Ÿ™Œ๐ŸŽฌ Making YouT Our kids are our biggest fans ๐Ÿ™Œ๐ŸŽฌ
Making YouTube videos of our family adventures has been such a great way to share and save our family memories. We watch our vids all the time, which take us right back to the special moments. Our audience is growing slowly, but itโ€™s really not about that at all!

Because we travel with our kids, our children are brave and adventurous โ€” willing to try new things and eager to problem solve. Adventurous kids are resourceful kids! 

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We visited the Trevi Fountain in Rome during Easte We visited the Trevi Fountain in Rome during Easter weekend. โ›ฒ๏ธโœจ Even though the streets of Rome were packed, this site had crowd control security, who only let a few people down in front of the fountain at a time.

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๐ŸŒ‰ Destination Highlight: Tower Bridge, London! ๐ŸŒ‰ Destination Highlight: Tower Bridge, London! ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง

Tower Bridge ended up being such a memorable stop! The walkways offer amazing views of the River Thames and the city skyline.

โœจ Fun facts:

Tower Bridge opened in 1894 after eight years of construction.

Itโ€™s a bascule bridge, meaning the roadway lifts up for tall ships to pass through.

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Would you be brave enough to walk across the glass floor? ๐Ÿ˜„

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A day exploring London with four kids! โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง

Here are a few of our favorite family-friendly spots ๐Ÿ‘‡

โœจ Big Ben & the London Eye โ€“ Iconic landmarks and amazing views around Westminster.

๐ŸŒ‰ Tower Bridge โ€“ An interactive, educational stop that our kids absolutely loved!

๐Ÿ›๏ธ British Museum โ€“ We explored Egyptian and Assyrian exhibits and even saw the Rosetta Stone! ๐Ÿคฏ

๐Ÿ›๏ธ Liberty London โ€“ A fun and colorful stop for unique souvenirs and creative inspiration.

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โžก๏ธ Have you explored London with your kids yet? What was your favorite part?

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