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Make-ahead burritos, easy chickpea salad, baked chicken meatballs and more tasty lunch ideas for little bodies with long days. <\/p>\n
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Michelle Gatton.<\/span><\/p>\n Published Aug. 12, 2025<\/span>Updated Aug. 12, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n When my two girls are grown, I\u2019ll probably find myself weeping in the lunchbox aisle, reminiscing about how fun it was, packing school lunches for all those years, but currently, it\u2019s one of my least favorite tasks. Trying to come up with packable, nutritious meals that they\u2019ll actually eat makes me feel like Oedipus trying to solve the Riddle of the Sphinx. <\/p>\n Because their days are long and activity-filled, they need food with staying power. Most days, I try to pack a lunch that\u2019s fairly balanced in terms of protein, carbs and fiber. (And some days, they get buttered fusilli and an apple.) They love bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables, so carbs and fiber are easy. But I often struggle with working a little protein into their bento boxes, as I know many parents do. The other day, I scrolled through New York Times Cooking looking for higher-protein, lunchbox-friendly ideas that my kids might eat, and I\u2019m sharing them with you here. Good luck. <\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n These excellent burritos from Ali Slagle are always a winner. Make them ahead, wrap in foil and freeze, then heat up and pop into a Thermos. I make ours with ground turkey or chicken. <\/p>\n Recipe: Easy Burritos<\/strong><\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n These simple chicken meatballs from Lidey Heuck can be piled into a container or tucked into a squishy hoagie. I toss in a few packets of ketchup left over from takeout. <\/p>\n Recipe: Baked Chicken Meatballs<\/strong><\/p>\n David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n Cozy and soul warming, this 10-minute, 5-ingredient red lentil dal from Priya Krishna gets better over time, so it\u2019s the perfect thing to make on a Sunday to have for lunches all week. <\/p>\n Recipe: Everyday Dal<\/strong><\/p>\n Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.<\/span><\/p>\n My big kid loves to take a Caprese salad in her school lunch. This one from Colu Henry adds white beans for extra oomph, so my oldest can make it through a school day and two hours of dance class. <\/p>\n Recipe: White Bean Caprese Salad<\/strong><\/p>\n Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.<\/span><\/p>\n My 13-year-old kept stealing bites when I made myself this clever salad from Hetty Lui McKinnon, so I\u2019m taking the hint and packing it in her lunch. Hetty calls for vegetarian dumplings, but I make it with chicken.<\/p>\n Recipe: Dumpling and Smashed Cucumber Salad With Peanut Sauce<\/strong><\/p>\n Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.<\/span><\/p>\n Salty, sweet and crunchy, these homemade energy bars from Genevieve Ko happily straddle the line between a dessert and snack. <\/p>\n Recipe: Homemade Protein Bars<\/strong><\/p>\n Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a perimenopausal mom, you probably have cottage cheese in the fridge. So use it in these surprisingly light egg muffins from Naz Deravian for you and your kiddos. <\/p>\n Recipe: Cottage Egg Cheese Bites<\/strong><\/p>\n Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.<\/span><\/p>\n I love making cheese quesadillas for breakfast, but these chicken quesadillas from Ali Slagle are a great heartier option for lunch. Ali smartly suggests mixing together the chicken and cheese for even melting and distribution. It\u2019s the little things. <\/p>\n Recipe: Chicken Quesadillas<\/strong><\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n My kids are dubious about tofu, but these crunchy cubes might change their minds. Kristina Felix coats tofu in a savory mixture of tamari, garlic and onion powders, and cornstarch, then bakes them until crispy. <\/p>\n Recipe: Baked Tofu<\/strong><\/p>\n Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Michelle Gatton.<\/span><\/p>\n Cheese tortellini and salami give this reader-favorite pasta salad from Ali Slagle a bit more staying power. Because delicate arugula will become soggy in a lunchbox, I\u2019ll sub in roughly chopped broccoli that will soften as it sits. <\/p>\n Recipe: Tortellini Pasta Salad<\/strong><\/p>\n Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne.<\/span><\/p>\n Afghan murgh kebab, grilled spiced chicken kebabs that are served with a garlicky white sauce, inspired this not-boring, creamy-spicy chicken salad from Zaynab Issa. A mix of Greek yogurt and mayo keeps it out of gloopy territory.<\/p>\n Recipe: Lemon Turmeric Chicken Salad<\/strong><\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n A well-made egg salad is sublime, and this one from Lidey Heuck does not disappoint. To guard against sogginess if you\u2019re making a sandwich: Toast the bread a bit first, lightly butter it, then put a piece of lettuce on each slice before adding the egg salad. <\/p>\n Recipe: Egg Salad<\/strong><\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ll almost always find chickpeas in my cabinet because they\u2019re great in so many things. In a pinch, I add a small container of plain chickpeas to my kids\u2019 lunches, but this recipe from Kristina Felix is something special. <\/p>\n Recipe: Easy Chickpea Salad<\/strong><\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n As a pseudo-Southerner, I am thrilled to announce that one of my kids loves pimento cheese, so this is already a lunchbox go-to in our house. She likes this one from Matt and Ted Lee with Ritz crackers and cucumbers.<\/p>\n Recipe: Pimento Cheese<\/strong><\/p>\n Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.<\/span><\/p>\n This superfast hummus from Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook of the Philadelphia restaurant Zahav calls for an entire 16-ounce jar of tahini so it\u2019s incredibly flavorful (and also packed with good fats that will keep my girl going through soccer practice). <\/p>\n Recipe: 5-Minute Hummus<\/strong><\/p>\n Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.<\/span><\/p>\n Carolina Gelen adds browned butter and protein-rich lentils to classic tomato soup resulting in a stick-to-your-ribs version that will keep beautifully in a Thermos. <\/p>\n Recipe: Lentil Tomato Soup<\/strong> <\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n J. Kenji Lop\u00e9z-Alt\u2019s technique for steaming eggs in a little bit of water \u2014 not a whole potful \u2014 is the best way I know of to get truly perfect hard-boiled eggs. (No weird gray rim.) My kid eats only the whites. Fine. I scoop out the yellows and make myself a batch of Eli Zabar\u2019s egg salad.<\/p>\n Recipe: Perfect Boiled Eggs<\/strong><\/p>\n David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.<\/span><\/p>\n Another household favorite is cowboy caviar, also known as Texas caviar, which I adapted from Helen Corbitt, a dietitian from New York, who came up with it in the 1930s after moving to Texas. Black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper and scallions are dressed in a lightly sweet dressing. I pile it into a bento box and send them with a resealable bag of Fritos Scoops. <\/p>\n Recipe: Cowboy Caviar<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow <\/em>New York Times Cooking on Instagram<\/em>, <\/em>Facebook<\/em>, <\/em>YouTube<\/em>, <\/em>TikTok<\/em> and <\/em>Pinterest<\/em>. <\/em>Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n