35 Celebrity Chef-Inspired School Lunch Ideas

Dad of Sebastian, 12, and Isabella, 15; host of Cooking Channel's United Tastes of America; and author of Jeffrey Saad's Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders

Apples & PB (core a small apple, spoon 2 Tbs. peanut butter in middle)

Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers

Leftover broccoli

Leftover ham (or low-salt deli ham) in whole-wheat pita with shredded carrot and zucchini tossed in vinaigrette

Blueberries

Surf Sweets natural Gummy Bears

Creamy shells (leftover pasta with milk, butter, and juice from canned tomatoes microwaved until hot; put in thermos)

Cucumber slices

Peach

Half a BLT: lettuce, tomato, and leftover turkey bacon on whole-wheat bread (bit of mayo with a dash of smoked paprika for flavor)

Baby carrots and ranch dip

Clementine

Egg-salad wrap (chopped leftover hard-boiled egg and chopped

bell peppers tossed in vinaigrette; roll up in an 8-inch tortilla)

Sliced pears with lemon juice

Terra Sweet Potato Chips

Dad of David, 10, and Henry, 12; host of PBS cooking show Simply Ming; author of four cookbooks; and owner of Blue Ginger restaurant, in Wellesley, Massachusetts

Turkey Sloppy Joe on slider bun (keep meat warm in a thermos)

Apple wedges

Cucumber slices

Ramen noodles (minus the seasoning pack) in chicken broth with veggies

Rice crackers

Plum

Turkey (Parents’ editors like Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast), lettuce, and Dijon mustard pinwheels on a whole-grain tortilla

Baby carrots

Vegetable chips

Lettuce wraps with grilled teriyaki chicken and carrots

Air-popped popcorn

Mandarin orange

Dad of Amanda, 6, and Max, 3; guest judge on Food Network's Chopped; and executive chef of Lure Fishbar and B&B Winepub, in New York

PB&J heart-shaped sandwich on whole-wheat bread

Baby carrots

Banana with silly sticker

String-cheese stick

Rolled-up turkey lunch meat

Fruit kabob (cut off pointy end)

Whole-grain crackers

Tuna-fish sandwich stars

Blueberries

Edamame in shells (more fun to pop!)

Oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon

Green-bean letters

Applesauce cup

Mom of Fausto, 8, and host of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy

DIY tostada: shredded chicken, cheddar cheese and refried beans, and 2 corn tortillas

Grilled-chicken sandwich with mayo

Guacamole for dipping sliced cucumbers, jicama, and carrots

Veggie and black-bean burrito on whole-wheat tortilla with salsa

Watermelon wedges

Half an egg-salad sandwich on whole-wheat bread

Roasted cherry-tomato and mozzarella salad in olive oil-balsamic vinaigrette

Melon slice

Dad of Dorothy, 4, and Hayden, 5; host of Tyler's Ultimate on Food Network; and creator of Sprout, a line of organic baby and toddler foods

LUNCH MENU

Tortellini salad (cook pasta; add peas in last 2 minutes; toss with pesto)

Peach

Small tossed salad

Goat cheese and grape jelly sandwich on a small cinnamon-raisin bagel

Nectarine

Raw sugar snap peas

Half a sunflower-butter and banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread

Low-fat fruit yogurt

Grape tomatoes

Soup (heat rotisserie chicken, broth, pasta, and veggies for 15 minutes)

Animal crackers

Raspberries

Rice balls (cook short-grain rice; roll with chopped cooked veggies into 1-inch balls)

Pineapple

Raisins

Chicken-salad sandwich with grapes, scallions, and celery on roll

Cheese stick

Dried peaches

Chili in a thermos

Mini corn muffin

Pineapple chunks

Leftover meat loaf on a roll

Santa Cruz Organic applesauce cup

Leftover steamed asparagus