10 Game-Changing Packed Lunch Ideas for Teens That Boost Energy and Crush Afternoon Slumps

Ever opened your teen’s lunchbox only to find… a half-eaten sandwich staring back at you? Yeah, been there. It turns out, teens don’t just want snacks or simple bagels — they crave real meals that fuel their big, busy lives. Between dance rehearsals, homework marathons, and everything in between, packing lunches that actually get eaten can feel like a full-on mission. So, what’s a parent to do? I’ve been experimenting, listening to my daughter’s lunchbox confessions, and turning quick prep into satisfying, hearty meals that don’t break the bank or sacrifice quality. If you’re ready to upgrade from the usual PB&J grind and want lunch ideas teens actually dig, keep reading — because I’ve got you covered with tasty, nutritious options that scream “packed with love” (and practicality). LEARN MORE

Sharing some of my favorite lunchbox ideas for teens!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a lovely morning so far. I’ve packed this week with podcast interviews and client calls – here we goooooo – because the Pilot is home and can take over homeschool duties.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some lunchbox ideas for teenagers. I make the girls’ lunches every day, and I love putting them together. Liv’s school offers hot lunch, which is takeout from different fast food restaurants, but it’s super expensive (like $20 for Chick-Fil-A) and they don’t even keep the food warm before serving it to the kids. So for quality and cost reasons, I keep making their food here at home.

Last year, I would sometimes open Liv’s lunchbox to wash it, and quite a bit of it would still be sitting in here.

“Why didn’t you eat lunch? Aren’t you hungry at lunchtime?”

“I’m a little hungry but sometimes I don’t really want a bagel or a sandwich… I’d love a meal.”

“A meal? Like what do you mean?”

“Like ramen, or chicken, or salad or something like that.”

This blew my mind. I was still kind of packing her “little kid lunches.” Don’t get me wrong, they still looked good and had lots of tasty and healthy components, but she wanted an actual meal instead of a bagel or PB&J. It was a huge lightbulb moment for me because I’d feel the same way. I don’t like eating the same cold things every day, and for lunch, I often prefer a *meal* instead of a bagel or PB&J.

[And for the friends out there who might be wondering why she didn’t pack her own lunch, she was dancing 10+ hours a week last year across town and had hours of homework each night. It’s also one of those things that I’m happy to do for them – I enjoy it!]

I started asking her for lunch ideas, and taking her to Costco and Whole Foods with me to pick out things that look good to her. Now I make her *meals* for lunch that are still just as fast as making a PB&J or bagel, but they’re more satisfying and enjoyable.

Here are some of the things that are in the rotation:

Packed lunch ideas for teen

Main course:

Pasta salad

This is the best pasta salad in the world and you can make it in advance to enjoy throughout the week.

Chopped salad with homemade dressing

Liv loves a chopped salad and I’ll usually add different types of greens, a protein (like leftover chicken or sliced deli turkey), garbanzo beans, edamame, poshi artichokes or asparagus, grated cheese, olives, veggies, and a homemade dressing.

Jennifer Aniston salad

We all LOVE this salad and it’s so easy to pack for lunch with grilled chicken on top.

Egg bites

These can also be made in advance and frozen. We all love these Mediterranean Egg Bites or these Starbucks copycat egg bites.

Ramen or Buldok

She loves ramen and doesn’t mind eating it cold/room temperature, so I’ll make it the night before and keep it in a glass container.

Sliced grilled chicken with dipping sauces and rice

I’ll often meal prep chicken or meatballs and pack these in her lunch with ranch or BBQ sauce to dip.

Ravioli with olive oil and grated cheese on top

Pre-cook the ravioli, drizzle olive oil on top and grated parmegiano reggiano.

Pizza

It’s so easy to wrap up and pack a couple of pieces of pizza

Leftovers

It’s funny because I used to hate leftovers as a kid, but the girls love them. Sometimes after dinner I’ll ask Liv what I can pack her for lunch and she’ll ask if we have leftovers from our meal. If we do, I just pack them up to go. Things like lasagna, enchiladas, papusas, chili or ground beef, and stir fries are all options that she’s wanted to pack up and take for lunch.

Greek bowls with pita bread

Rice, chicken, hummus, Greek salad, grape leaves, and pita

Sides:

Homemade energy balls

Fruit

I’ll wash, chop up, and prep a ton of fruit for the week since we all love snacking on it. I usually buy what’s in season, so lately it’s been berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), grapes, a few types of melon, and a pineapple. I soak the berries in vinegar and water for 2-5 minutes and let them dry completely before storing in glass containers. I also chop the melon and pineapple and store in glass containers.

Jerky

Chips – Boulder, Siete, or Jackson’s are the go-tos but she also loves Taki’s on occasion or the Trader Joe’s copycat Taki’s

Dried fruit or fruit strips

Poshi veggie packs

Sliced veggies with hummus

Cheese

Yogurt with fruit on top

Homemade cookies, brownies, bars, or some chocolate for dessert

I’m trying to reduce the amount of pacakged snacks we buy, but we still get snacky things and pantry staples at Thrive Market < — my link saves you 40% on your first order.

So, tell me, friends: what do your teens like to eat for lunch? What’s the hot lunch situtaion like at your school?

At Liv’s preschool in San Diego, they had the BEST hot lunch options. You could order sushi (!), acai bowls, Caesar salads, soups, sandwiches, it was ridiculous.

xo

Gina