Sandwich Lunch Ideas
Sandwiches are one of the go-to lunches around because they are easy. They can be very quickly become boring and it can take time for little kids to learn how to manage the mix of textures, so for all of those reasons, this post is here. You’ll find over a dozen easy sandwich ideas for lunch that you can pack for daycare, preschool, or elementary school—or that you can pack for yourself for work. (Why not make everyone lunch at once, right?!) There are a mix of filling options here and types of bread to give you lots of examples so you can use these ideas as you like. (You can also freeze sandwiches to get ahead for busy mornings and use them as easy toddler lunch ideas, kindergarten lunches, or cold lunch ideas.)
Lunch Sandwich Ideas for Work
I’m a huge proponent of making sure that we parents feed ourselves, too, so know that you can enjoy these ideas for yourself at home or as lunches for work. You may prefer different condiments or sauces, or prefer more crunchy vegetables, greens, or onions in your sandwich recipes, but you can start with the same basic ideas. Pack them in a kids lunch box or bento lunch box with some simple lunch snacks for a meal to fuel your busy day. Plus, being able to eat a real sandwich is a milestone that never gets mentioned in any of the baby books, but which is exciting nonetheless—it opens up so many easy meal options! For any of these ideas, you can dice them up into smaller pieces for easier eating as needed (12/14+ months), you can cut them into sticks (great for 16/18+ months), or you can even serve them open faced with just one piece of bread.
DIY Uncrustables
Learn how to make a batch of healthy, homemade Uncrustables to stash into the freezer for fast sandwich lunch ideas. I love this method so much because you can decide exactly what to put inside, they’re crazy fast, AND they freeze beautifully. (Plus, you can adjust for allergies as needed and easily make them dairy-free and vegan.)
Sandwich Roll-Ups
Transform a basic sandwich into a super fun Sandwich Roll-Up with a simple method anyone can do. This works with a variety of fillings and can be served at home or packed for school lunch. It’s an easy school lunch recipe to have in the kids lunch mix!
Turkey Wrap
Roll up a few simple ingredients to make this delicious Turkey Wrap recipe in minutes. It’s a great lunch wrap for kids to use at home or school, and you can easily adjust the ingredients to suit the preferences of your child. Win! I usually make this with mayonnaise, but you can use mustard or even hummus if you prefer.
Hummus Wrap
Roll up just a few ingredients for satisfying (and really versatile) Vegetarian Hummus Wraps. This no-cook meal is an easy lunch for school or for work or home for you. And you can make as a 5 minute homemade lunch idea! Try it with cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or even a little arugula and thinly sliced red onion for yourself.
Tea Sandwiches
These finger sandwich lunch ideas are both easy and fun to make. And it’s so simple to change up the fillings according to what your kids like. These are fun at home as a special lunch or as a kids lunchbox idea. Filling options include cream cheese and vegetables, tuna salad, peanut butter and jelly, jelly, chickpeas blended into hummus, egg salad sandwiches, and more.
Veggie Grilled Cheese
This grilled cheese sandwich is a favorite option to serve up a little mashed sweet potato smack in the middle of a classic gooey sandwich. I love the added flavor, how it adds some moisture to the filling, and how easy it is to make for any age while ensuring that it tastes delicious. You can even pack it in a kids thermos.
Banana Sushi
The basic idea of this is that you spread nut butter (or seed butter) onto a tortilla, add a banana, and roll it up into a lunch wrap. You can either serve it like that—like you’d eat a taquito!—or slice it into round with a serrated knife. So good.
Ham and Cheese Wrap
This one is inspired by a snack they used to make at our daycare where tortilla and ham were rolled around a cheese stick. This works really well to slice into bite-size rolls (and the cheese stick works better than a slice of cheese shape-wise) as a sandwich lunch idea.
Salmon Salad Sandwich
Offering beneficial fats to kids is easy when you keep a can of wild salmon on hand to make a simple open-face Salmon Salad Sandwich. The process is easy and doesn’t require any fancy tools—and a yummy meal can be ready in about 5 minutes. (Take this up a notch for yourself by making on a toasted baguette.)
Chicken Caesar Salad Sticks
Bake up frozen chicken tenders (store bought from a brand like Applegate or homemade chicken tenders) and place onto lollipop sticks with bread cubes and lettuce for a fun (and still easy) sandwich lunch idea.
Spinach Grilled Cheese
Spinach Grilled Cheese is a veggie-packed variation on the classic sandwich that’s just so delicious. (This favorite kids sandwich is equally appealing to adults too!) It’s also easy to make and packed with iron…which is a nice bonus.
Best Tips for Success
If making a sandwich for an adult packed lunch, be sure to sandwich any moist ingredients (such as sliced tomatoes) between deli meat or lettuce to protect the bread and prevent sogginess. Add simple lunch snacks to each sandwich lunch idea to round out the meal. Add a kids drink or drink for yourself as desired. Use a cookie cutter to make a simple shape in a sandwich (or in just the top of the bread as shown above). Using healthy meatballs to make meatball sandwiches is always a good idea, too. For more kids lunches, check out my full list of sandwiches for kids, toddler lunches and school lunch recipes.
This post was first published August 2022.
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