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 mac & cheese (cook pasta—we recommend using Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cauliflower to sneak in a ¼ serving of veggies—and put it in a 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, 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