Easy Lunchbox Recipes for School: 7 Mild Home Style Dishes

There are plenty of lunchbox ideas online. However, what many parents lack are recipes that are truly simple, use everyday ingredients and get finished by the child. So this guide gathers home style lunchbox recipes you can adjust to your family’s taste. The quantities below are rough amounts for one or two children.

If you want a wider list of ideas first, read our guide to school lunchbox ideas. For really busy days, we also have simple lunchbox ideas.

Before you start: what makes good lunchbox recipes

A packed lunch sits for a few hours before your child eats it. So choose dishes without too much gravy that will not turn soggy. Thick sauces such as kicap travel better than thin soups, unless you use a thermal jar.

Also, go easy on the chilli. Most children prefer mild flavours, and you can pack sambal separately for older kids. In addition, cut ingredients into small pieces so they are easy to chew and quick to finish at recess.

Finally, cook a little extra at dinner. Set one portion aside, keep it in the fridge, and then reheat it until piping hot in the morning.

Rice based lunchbox recipes

Egg and vegetable fried rice

This recipe suits leftover rice that you kept in the fridge overnight.

• Cold cooked rice, 2 cups
• Eggs, 2
• Frozen mixed vegetables, half a cup
• Garlic, 2 cloves (chopped)
• Sweet soy sauce and a pinch of salt

First, fry the garlic in a little oil until fragrant. Next, crack in the eggs and stir until cooked, then add the vegetables. When the vegetables soften, add the rice and mix well. Finally, season with soy sauce and salt, taste, and take it off the heat.

Ayam masak kicap without chilli

• Boneless chicken, 300 g (cut small)
• One onion (sliced)
• Sweet soy sauce, 3 tablespoons
• Oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon
• Water, half a cup

Fry the onion until soft. Then add the chicken and stir until it changes colour. After that, pour in the soy sauce, oyster sauce and water. Let it simmer until the chicken cooks through and the sauce thickens. Serve with white rice and sliced cucumber.

Pasta and noodle lunchbox recipes

Simple vegetable mi goreng

• Yellow noodles, 2 handfuls
• Sawi, a few stalks
• Fish balls, 6 (sliced)
• Garlic, 2 cloves
• Sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce

Rinse the noodles in hot water so they do not stick. Then fry the garlic, add the fish balls and then the sawi. Next, add the noodles and both sauces, and toss well. Keep the noodles fairly dry, because wet noodles go soggy in the box.

Chicken macaroni soup in a thermal jar

For children who like soupy food, macaroni soup works well in a thermal jar. Boil the macaroni until soft and drain it. Meanwhile, in another pot, cook chicken pieces, carrot and potato with garlic, salt and a little white pepper. In the morning, bring the soup to the boil, add the macaroni, and pour it straight into the jar.

Bread and snack ideas

Tuna sandwich

Mix a small drained can of tuna with a little mayonnaise, chopped onion and corn. Spread it on wholemeal bread, add lettuce, and cut it into four. Because mayonnaise needs to stay cold, put an ice pack in the lunch bag.

Banana pancakes (lempeng pisang)

Mash 2 ripe bananas, then mix in half a cup of plain flour, a little sugar and a pinch of salt. Add water bit by bit until the batter is thick. Cook on a flat pan with a little oil. These pancakes suit morning recess or a snack after class.

Vegetable egg roll

Beat 3 eggs with a little milk, salt and grated carrot. Pour a thin layer into the pan, roll it gently while it is half cooked, and then slice it. Small hands can hold the rolls easily, and they go well with rice or bread.

How to pack lunchbox recipes safely

A tasty recipe is not enough if the food spoils before recess. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises keeping hot food at 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees F) or higher. To do this, fill an insulated container with boiling water for a few minutes and then empty it. After that, add the hot food and keep the lid closed until lunch.

For cold food such as sandwiches, the USDA suggests at least two cold sources, for example ice packs, in an insulated lunch bag. Also, you should throw away food that stays between about 4 and 60 degrees Celsius for more than two hours. You can read the full advice in the USDA school lunch safety reminder.

In addition, wash your hands before cooking and clean the lunchbox every day. These small steps keep the lunch clean.

When there is no time to cook: ready meals

Some mornings your child wakes up late, or you have to leave early. On those days, retort food can step in. We cook and seal it in a pouch, so it needs no fridge and lasts 1 to 2 years before opening. Read more in our guide to retort food shelf life.

Warm the pouch in hot water for a few minutes, then move the food into a preheated thermal jar. You can also pair White Rice with a dish from the recipes above, for example ayam masak kicap or egg rolls. Prices start from RM12.90 a pack.

Tips for lunchbox recipes that kids finish

1. Pick two or three base recipes and rotate them with small changes, so menu planning stays easy.
2. Let your child choose next week’s dishes.
3. Prep the night before: cut vegetables, marinate chicken or boil macaroni.
4. Add cut fruit in a small separate container.
5. Pack plain water instead of sweet drinks.
6. Check your school’s rules on banned foods, such as nuts, and follow the teacher’s instructions.

If your child is in the afternoon session, see our afternoon school lunchbox guide. For a full schedule, there is also our monthly lunchbox plan.

FAQ about lunchbox recipes