Easy Frugal Lunch Ideas for Kids

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It’s that time of year, back-to-school season! Planning on packing their lunches but not sure where to start? There are a ton of easy frugal lunch ideas for kids that you can do on a budget and to save money too! Give them what you know they will eat and enjoy! Make lunch fun again!

Back to School Lunch Supplies:

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Here are some grocery basics for most of these frugal lunch ideas:

  • lunch meat
  • fruit
  • veggies
  • tortillas
  • bread
  • pretzels (or cracker of choice)

1. Pepperoni Pizzadilla

These are super easy to make and can be eaten warm or cold! You only need six ingredients to make them and you can pair it with other fruits and snacks to complete a lunchbox meal!

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2. Street Tacos

Everyone loves tacos! This is an easy way to use leftovers and change it up from the classics. Mix it up with their favorite taco toppings and it becomes a full meal!

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3.Tuna Pinwheels

This easy-to-make main course can be made with canned tuna and canned chickpeas to cut down on costs. There are only seven ingredients needed for these and you can make 14 pinwheels from one batch of ingredients, perfect for multiple kids.

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4. PB&J Box

If you have younger kids (or older) that still love their PB&Js then this is perfect. You can combine other fruits and veggies they love with their classic favorite sandwich. (This is where you can use the silicone cupcake liners to keep everything separate). These are actually a big seller for Starbucks and you can make your own for just $1.80 per serving!

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5. Protein Snack Packs

If you give your kids healthy choices they are more likely to make those choices on their own too! These easy meal prep protein snack packs are also a great frugal lunch idea you can make on a budget. You can mix and match all the items including your meat, eggs, and more to match their taste buds!

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6. Homemade Lunchables

Skip paying for the premade lunchables that the kids only eat a few things from. You can make your own lunchables as a much more frugal lunch idea with items they actually love! You can buy different items once they start to burn out on some of the foods and keep it fresh and tasty!

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7. Grilled Cheese Roll-ups

Every kid has gone through their grilled cheese phase, right? Now they can take them to school too! What’s even better is this is a quick and super frugal lunch idea too! If they like tomato soup with their grilled cheese you can even send a small bowl of that as well!

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8. Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Another super easy and quick one to make, these mini corn dog muffins are super cheap to make and you can make a bunch at one time with minimum supplies. (You can also buy the cheese hotdogs or other flavors to mix it up)

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9. Pickle Beef Roll-ups

Do you have kids that love pickles? They’re going to love this new roll-up idea that includes pickles and lunchmeat. You can use their favorite lunchmeat including roast beef, turkey, ham, and more! Great last-minute and quick lunch idea.

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10. Ham & Cheese Muffins

I am loving all these frugal lunch ideas including these easy-to-make ham & cheese muffins. You can make these ahead and freeze them and just thaw 1-2 days before packing them for lunches. You only need 3 ingredients to make them and all the ingredients are super low cost!

mac & cheese mixed with ham in muffin form for frugal lunch idea
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Shannon-Author-Test

hi! I'm shannon

I’m a wife, mom of three, doctor, and blogger! In 2018, I decided to turn my mom blog, into a personal finance blog so others could follow along on our journey to pay off over HALF a MILLION dollars in student loan and practice start up debt. I hope you enjoy following along, and maybe even find some inspiration along the way.