A Week of Easy Keto Lunch Ideas to Pack for School This Year
Here are 5 easy packable keto lunch ideas for kids at school and adults at work!
If you’ll be packing low-carb or keto lunches this year, listen up!
Kids (and adults) can always use a solid lunch no matter the time of year. That’s why we came up with a week’s worth of easy portable keto lunch ideas that are yummy and simple to pack for school or to have prepared for the days at home ahead.
If you’re struggling with the idea of packing keto lunches for your kids, never fear – because it’s probably easier than you think!
My biggest tip is to make school lunches with smaller bites of foods your kids love. Make it bright and visually appealing, too!
Create simple, fun bento style lunches with a few different grab-and-go snacks, meats, and cheeses.
You can even use leftovers from a previous dinner, like using leftover chicken for ideas #1 and #2, and cater everything to your child’s tastes and nutritional needs. I’m a fan of using up odds and ends from the fridge/pantry, and this is a great way to do that.
Tips for making amazing keto school lunches:
- Use a bento-style lunch container as they work perfectly for packing school lunches. Be sure to check out this post for 5 of the best meal prep containers.
- Use paper cupcake liners as dividers. It’s an easy way to keep things separated. Silicone liners also work great and can be reused afterward!
- Get your kids involved by giving them meal options for the week. Then have them pick items that sound yummy, and they’ll be more likely to eat and enjoy them.
- Use up odds and ends in the fridge/pantry. Having lunch with small amounts of foods (bento box style) allows you to use up miscellaneous items in the fridge, like a few remaining fresh veggies and strawberries.
- Customize these lunches with the appropriate portions as older kids will likely eat more than younger kiddos.
- Stash some cold packs in their lunch box or bag to keep these pre-packed lunches fresh until lunchtime.
Check out these 5 easy keto lunch ideas!
1. Chicken salad lettuce cup
Whip up a batch of your favorite chicken salad and serve on a piece of romaine lettuce. On the side, I’ve included strawberries, a hard-boiled egg, and cheese on tomato skewers.
2. Cold chicken pesto with mozzarella cheese
Turn last night’s leftover grilled chicken into a delicious and easy cold lunch! I tossed in a tablespoon of pesto sauce with chopped-up chicken breast, a mozzarella cheese stick, and cherry tomatoes. On the side, add strawberries and a hard-boiled egg.
3. Pepperoni and cheese snack lunch
Keep things simple with a yummy snack lunch! Here I’ve featured pepperoni slices, cheese cubes, nuts, and raspberries. Spread nut butter or cream cheese on celery for a fun addition, too.
4. Meat and cheese roll-ups
Roll up sliced salami and Colby cheese, and secure with a toothpick for a quick lunch. On the side, I added cucumber, feta, and tomato salad. Blueberries and almonds are also great additions to consider.
5. Pickle ham and cheese rolls
These ham, cream cheese, and pickle roll-ups are so YUMMY and luckily easy to make for a quick lunch! I’ve added some fresh broccoli and bell pepper dippers. You can throw in a little separate ranch container along with your lunch. Celery with cream cheese and Everything But the Bagel seasoning is a delicious add-on, too!
Want more? Head here for more low-carb lunch ideas.
I love love love these ideas. My kids are grown, but these things will be perfect for me, for my lunches! (With a few mods, since I do not like feta or bell peppers, lol.) Thanks! :o)
Sure! I agree these can be great for all ages 🙂 Thanks Dawn!
Great ideas for myself. Thank you
For kids? Hmmm. Haven’t seen too many kids eat creamy foods or boiled eggs and nuts aren’t allowed in most schools
You’re very welcome, Cindy! Thanks for the feedback. You could leave out the nuts or replace with another keto option. Hope you enjoy these!
Yea. Don’t think kids should be put on Keto anyway- not while developing!
But giving kids processed and crap simple carbs is a good idea? Keto is safe for children if you are sticking to whole clean foods. Call it something different and people look at it as healthy. Nothing wrong with berries, meat, eats, cheese, veggies, and nuts.
Keto is a necessary diet for some children with medically refractory epilepsy in order to control their seizures.
While we do not do Keto the traditional way , I find that these recipes do work for my daughter (12 yrs old) who has been newly diagnosed with diabetes. We just adjust here and there to make them work for her. Thanks so much for the ideas!!
You’re welcome, CC! So happy to hear that these ideas are helpful for your daughter! ❤️
My oldest son (11) wanted to cut down on sugar and try “keto” (we’re not allowing him to be strictly keto), and LOVED your ham, cream cheese and pickle wraps. He got up and made them all himself. This page inspired him to make all kinds of healthy options for lunch and snack. He’s just picking and choosing the bits he likes. Thanks so much!
Yay! You’re very welcome! SO glad those were a hit, Shannon!❤️ Thanks for letting us know he’s enjoying some of the keto options! 🙌💞