High protein crunch recipes for returning to school

Make-ahead burritos, simple chickpea salad, grilled chicken meatballs, and more delicious lunch ideas for a small body on long days.

Mark Weinberg from the New York Times. Food stylist: Michel Gutton.

Published August 12, 2025update August 12, 2025

When my two girls grew up, I realized I was probably crying in the aisle of my lunchbox, remembering how much fun it was, stuffing school lunches all year round, but now it's one of my favorite jobs. When I come up with a packable, nutritious meal they actually eat, I feel like an Oedipus trying to solve the mystery of the Sphinx.

Their days are long and full of activity, so they need sustainable food. Most days I'm trying to pack a lunch that's pretty balanced in terms of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. (And one day they get buttered fushiri and apples.) They love bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables, so carbs and fiber are easy. But I often have a hard time getting a small amount of protein to work in their ventbox, as many parents know. The other day I scrolled through the New York Times to find friendly ideas for high protein lunchboxes that kids might eat, and I'm sharing it with you here. Good luck.

Images of two halves of burritos stacked on top of each other can be seen facing the camera. It is a mixture of brown ground meat, beans and melted white cheese.

Ali Slaggle's excellent burritos are always the winner. Make them first, wrap them in foil and freeze them, heat them and jump into the thermos. I make it with ground turkey and chicken.

Recipe: Easy burrito

Overhead image of a white plate filled with brown meatballs on top of white rice with green broccolini and squeezed lemon wedge sides.

These simple chicken meatballs from Lidey Heuck can be stacked in containers or tucked into squeeze hoagies. Throw some packets of ketchup left from takeaway.

Recipe: Grilled chicken meatballs

A large white handle pot with deep golden soup drizzled with a mixture of brown spices.

Cozy soul warming, this 10 minute five iconic red lentil dal of Priyakrishna improves over time, making it a great thing to have lunch all week on Sundays.

Recipe: Daily Dal

Overhead image of a turquoise bowl filled with white beans, white mozzarella cheese bowl, red cherry tomatoes and torn green basil leaves.

My big kid loves to take Caprese salad in her school lunch. Col Henry's this adds white beans for extra vitality, so my oldest can make it through a school day and two hour dance class.

Recipe: White bean caprese salad

Overhead image of a beige bowl filled with dumplings, cucumber chunks and coriander. Everything is sprinkled with light brown peanut sauce, red sauce with chili flakes, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

My 13 year old girl kept stealing bites when I made this clever salad from Hettil Im McKinnon so I take tips for her lunch and pack it. Hetty wants a vegetarian dumpling, but I make it with chicken.

Recipe: Dumpling and crushed cucumber salad and peanut sauce

A stack of brown rectangles, strewn with oats and nuts, are strewn around a white surface.

Salty, sweet and crunchy, these homemade energy bars from Genevieves will happily straddle the line between desserts and snacks.

Recipe: Homemade protein bar

Three yellow muffin-shaped egg bites are found on a pink plate. The egg bite is sliced in half, revealing red, brown and green vegetables.

If you're a mom around you, you'll probably have cottage cheese in the fridge. So, for you and your kids, use it with Naz DeLavian's amazingly light egg muffins.

Recipe: Egg cheese bites in the cottage

Overhead image of three triangles of tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese. One of the triangles of sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

I love making cheese quesadillas for breakfast, but these chicken quesadillas from Ali Slagur are a very pleasant option for lunch. Ali smartly suggests mixing chicken and cheese to melt and distribute. That's a trivial thing.

Recipe: Chicken quesadilla

Overhead image of some cubes of tofu with brown bits and crisp edges.

My kids doubt about tofu, but these crunchy cubes may change your mind. Christina Felix covers the tofu in a delicious mixture of tamari, garlic and onion powder and cornstarch and bakes until crispy.

Recipe: Baked tofu

Overhead image of a white oval serving bowl filled with round tortellini pasta, red chili peppers, chunks of salami and arugula leaves.

Cheese Tortellini and Salami give the power to keep an ant slave salad a little more from this reader's favorite pasta salad. The delicate arugula gets soaked in the lunchbox, so I dive into the almost chopped broccoli that softens when it sits.

Recipe: Tortellini Pasta Salad

White round image topped with sliced tomatoes, green lettuce leaves, slices of red onion and a bowl of fine chicken in creamy yellow sauce.

Afghan Marg Kebab, grilled spice chicken kebab, served with garlic white sauce, inspired Zaynab Issa's boring, creamy spicy chicken salad. A Greek yogurt and mayo mix keeps it away from gloopy's territory.

Recipe: Lemon turmeric chicken salad

Close-up image of half-sided images of two sandwiches stacked on top of each other, filled with egg whites and creamy yellow egg yolks and frilled lettuce leaves.

The well-made egg salad is sublime and this by Lidey Heuck is not disappointing. If you are making sandwiches, to prevent sogging: first toast the bread a little, lightly butter it, and place lettuce on each slice before adding the egg salad.

Recipe: Egg salad

Overhead image of a beige bowl filled with chickpeas, tomatoes, red onions and herbs.

You can mostly find chickpeas in my cabinet. Because they are great in so many things. In a pinch, I add a small container of regular chickpeas to my child's lunch, but this recipe by Christina Felix is something special.

Recipe: Easy Chick Salad

Overhead image of a white bowl filled with creamy orange pimento cheese dip with round golden brown crackers on the sides.

As a pseudo-anaesthetist, I am excited to announce that one of my children loves pimento cheese. She likes this from Matt and Ted Lee with Ritzcrackers and cucumbers.

Recipe: Pimento cheese

Overhead images of a white bowl filled with creamy beige hummus drizzled with olive oil and chopped green parsley. There is a pita wedge next to it, topped with dried herbs and flake-like sea salt.

This super-fast hummus from Zahaf's Michael Solomonov and Stephen Cook at the Philadelphia restaurant calls an entire 16-ounce bottle of Tahini.

Recipe: 5 minutes of hummus

Overhead image of a white bowl filled with creamy red orange soup with lentils, tomatoes and black pepper spots. There is a crusty slice of bread next to it.

Carolina guerene adds brown butter and protein-rich lentils to your classic tomato soup, making it the perfect version for your stick to keep you magically beautiful.

Recipe: Lentil tomato soup

The technique of steaming J. Kenji Lopéz-Alt eggs with a little water is not in the richness of the pot, and is the best way to get a truly perfect, sturdy egg. (There are no strange gray edges.) My kids only eat white. Are you okay. I scoop out the yellow and make a batch of Eli Zabal's egg salad.

Recipe: Perfect boiled egg

Overhead image of a white bowl filled with chopped red tomatoes and red onions, corn kernels, black beans and black-eyed peas, jalapeño and sliced green onions. Corn tortilla chips are located next to it.

Another home favorite is the cowboy caviar, also known as Texas caviar. This was adapted from New York nutritionist Helen Covitt. Black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, tomato, red onion, peppers, green onions, and onions are worn in a light, sweet dressing. I load it into a vent box and send them in a resealable bag of Fritos scoop.

Recipe: Cowboy Caviar

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