10 Thermos Ideas For A Healthy Lunch

Get fresh ideas (both hot and cold!) to pack in your kids’ thermos for a nutritious take-along lunch.

As much as we love sandwiches for lunch, they can get a little boring! Enter the thermos. It opens up so many options for fresh and exciting healthy lunches! We find it much easier to pack their lunches with fruits and veggies when we utilize a thermos for lunch. We’ve gathered up lots of hot and cold options for your kids’ lunchboxes!

Mac & Cheese

Kids love mac and cheese! Our homemade version makes it a much healthier meal option- plus you can add veggies to boost the nutrition! The best part is that it is quick and easy to throw together on the stovetop.

Veggie Stuffed Chow Mein

The kids will love this Veggie Stuffed Chow Mein because it’s yummy noodles and veggies with a delicious sauce! How can you go wrong with that? Plus it’s crazy fast to throw together and super customizable.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic combination. You can mix things up by packing this creamy, flavorful soup up with a side of croutons, crackers, or even quesadillas (which tend to travel better than grilled cheese).

Chicken Curry

Curry is one of those foods that is almost tastier as leftovers! My kids love when I pack up leftover curry in their lunchbox. Sometimes we skip the rice and pack some naan triangles for dipping. Yum!

Oatmeal

We’ve all had breakfast for dinner.. why not breakfast for lunch? We love this recipe that can be made in the Instant Pot (super fast and easy on busy mornings!) and also has eggs making it a hearty, protein-rich lunch. Pack dried fruit, berries, coconut, granola, or whatever toppings your kids like on the side. You can also send them with regular oats, cream of wheat, or whatever hot breakfast cereal your kiddos like!

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Heat up leftover Sloppy Joe mix and keep it nice and warm in the thermos until lunchtime. Pack bread or a hamburger buns on the side for them to assemble when it’s time to eat! Try other hot sandwich fillings like barbeque pork or hot turkey.

Smoothies

Smoothies are great, nutrition-packed lunch option for kids who tend to leave their fruits and veggies uneaten! Whip up a smoothie in the morning and pack it in a thermos where it will stay fresh and frosty until lunchtime.

Pasta Salad

These cold pasta salads make such great lunches! With veggies, carbs, and protein all packed in one dish it’s a quick and easy lunch option. Just add a fruit to round it all out.

Yogurt Parfaits

It’s easy to throw a yogurt tube into the lunchbox.. but much more economical to buy a large tub. And much healthier if you make your own! Pack the yogurt and fruit in the thermos and add granola or nuts on the side so that your kids can assemble their parfaits at school.

Dips

Kids love to dip! Try packing warm dips, like this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip, queso, or bean dip. Or cold dips like yogurt ranch or hummus! Serve with plenty of veggies and bread or crackers for dipping. Yum! My kids love sugar snap peas, mini bell peppers, cucumber, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, and mini naan bread or wheat crackers.