17 Back-to-School Packable Lunch Ideas for Teens in Recovery

For many teens and their families, September is a busy time of year. If your child is struggling with an active eating disorder, attending treatment sessions and following a meal plan can complicate things. Here at New Paths Nutrition, our mission as eating disorder dietitians is to help folks heal from a funky relationship with food and body, while making nutrition feel simpler.

Packing lunch is one area where we can help with the mental load. This post is packed with 17 ideas for back-to-school lunches to minimize any home arguments and make packing easy. As always, check with your dietitian for your specific portioning and supplementation needs.

1. Classic sandwich + 2 sides Keep it simple with a classic. Try a turkey and cheese, PB & J, tuna, chicken salad, or veggie sandwich with two sides. If opting for a vegetable, make sure there is a plant-based protein (like ‘tofurkey’ or bean spread) and cheese if tolerated. Add a drink for a “nutritious bev” aka milk, juice, a smoothie or whatever sounds good. I would not recommend a probiotic soda like Ollipop or Poppi during initial eating disorder recovery refeeding.. Talk about bloating and discomfort!

2. Greek mezze box Pita + hummus + feta + olives + cucumbers + fruit + something crunchy or sweet. Add a protein (deli meat, more hummus, nuts, etc.) or additional starch as needed to make it meet your meal plan.

3. “Girl dinner” but make it adequate Pepperoni, cheese stick, deli meat, cucumbers, chocolate-covered acai or Tru Fru, crackers or a bag of chips, and applesauce. A grazing-style lunch absolutely counts, but we just need to make sure there is enough food!

4. English muffin PB & J An English muffin with peanut butter and jelly, plus fruit and a vegetable, a cheese stick, and Annie’s Bunnies or another crunchy snack. Another easy choice.

5. Pinwheels + sides Roll up turkey and cheese, chicken salad, hummus and veggies, or another favorite filling in a tortilla. Slice into pinwheels and pair with fruit + vegetable, dip for your fat source, a granola bar, or another side. A nutritious bev will also work well here.

6. Chicken Caesar salad wrap Chicken Caesar salad wrapped in a tortilla makes this classic lunch much easier to pack. Add fruit and a fun snack or dessert on the side.

7. Hummus veggie wrap + sides Hummus + veggies + cheese or another protein source wrapped in a tortilla. Pair with crackers or chips and fruit for a more complete lunch.

8. Leftovers! Was dinner a hit last night? Pack it! Pasta, tacos, stir-fry, pizza, rice bowls, chicken and potatoes… whatever you ate last night was fair game! Leftovers can be one of the easiest school lunches because the decision-making has already been done. Some folks despise leftovers, so if that is you, please skip this option.

9. Overnight oats: breakfast for lunch Who says oats are only for breakfast? Overnight oats with milk or yogurt, nut butter, fruit, granola, chocolate chips, or another favorite topping can make a totally valid lunch. Pair with a savory side if needed.

10. Mason jar salad + sides Layer dressing, veggies, grains, protein, cheese, and greens in a jar for an easy packable salad. Remember: salad alone may not provide enough energy for a teen in recovery, so add sides like bread, crackers, fruit, chips, dessert, or another carbohydrate-rich food.

11. Bento box Bento boxes are perfect for kids who like variety. Think sandwich quarters + fruit + cheese + crackers + something sweet, or mix and match whatever foods your teen actually enjoys.

12. Quesadilla + 2 sides Cheese quesadilla, chicken quesadilla, bean and cheese quesadilla… the options are endless! Add salsa or guacamole and two sides like fruit + chips, veggies + ranch, or a sweet treat. Sour cream and guacamole can both be served if teen prefers them.

13. Dumplings + edamame + rice Mini dumplings, edamame, salad with ginger dressing, and white rice make a fun lunch with lots of different textures and flavors. Add a sauce or extra side if your dietitian recommends it. Vegetable dumplings will require more edamame to be packed.

14. Protein pasta bowl Protein pasta + sauce + mozzarella + peas + spinach. And yes, regular pasta works too! If using regular pasta, add another protein source. Frozen vegetables work well in this dish. Add garlic bread, fruit, and a sweet treat to round things out.

15. DIY nacho box Pack tortilla chips with shredded cheese, seasoned chicken or beans, salsa, and guacamole. Use school microwave if allowed. Keep everything separate while packing so it doesn't get soggy. Add fruit and a sweet treat on the side.

16. Breakfast sandwich + sides An English muffin, bagel, or croissant with egg, cheese, and/or sausage makes an easy lunch. Pair it with fruit, hash browns, yogurt, or another favorite side.

17. Pizza Lunchable vibes Pack naan, mini pitas, or pizza crust with sauce, mozzarella, and pepperonis for a DIY pizza lunch. Add fruit, veggies with dip, chips, and a dessert. And if the store-bought Lunchables are what your teen wants, then go for it! More nutrition can always be added later.

Final reminders from your ED RDs:

The “perfect” lunch is the one your teen can actually eat. During eating disorder recovery, we are not looking for the lowest-calorie option, the highest-protein option, or the lunch with the most vegetables. We are looking for enough food, enough variety, and foods that feel manageable and enjoyable when mealtime still feels scary. Items that are ‘to taste’ but do not meet meal plan requirements are more than welcome to be included for satisfaction and normalization.

An easy formula to come back to: When packing lunch for your teen in recovery, think an entree (sandwich, quesadilla) + 2 sides minimum. Or if it's a variety of items, consider if it would fill up an entire dinner plate. If not, add some more sides until it would in order to make sure they're getting enough.

If your teen has a meal plan, use these ideas as inspiration and work with their dietitian to determine what portions, exchanges, supplements, or additional sides are needed to meet their individual needs. As always, ask and use feedback from your teen to guide future meals. If they're coming home ravenous, even if you feel lunch looked like "enough," their body likely needs some more! Lean on their dietitian if you need more guidance on portioning to meet their needs or just a space to talk through it all together.

Thanks for reading!