Easy lunch recipes for kids

Do your kids love cooking? Take a look at these easy lunch recipes for kids to cook including jacket potatoes, soup and lots of tasty sandwiches. We've got plenty of recipes to improve your child's cooking skills whatever their age...

Cheesy pasta salad
(Image credit: Future)

Do your kids love cooking? Take a look at these easy lunch recipes for kids to cook including jacket potatoes, soup and lots of tasty sandwiches. We've got plenty of recipes to improve your child's cooking skills whatever their age...

Do your kids love cooking? Take a look at these easy lunch recipes for kids to cook including jacket potatoes, soup and lots of tasty sandwiches. We've got plenty of recipes to improve your child's cooking skills whatever their age.

Lunch is a great chance to experiment in the kitchen with your kids teaching them all sorts - from preparing sandwich fillings to cutting veggies for a lunch time omelette. You can teach them plenty of new skills - and show them all the do's and don'ts of cooking lunch with our round-up of child friendly lunch recipes.

Click through our easy lunch recipes for kids to see our best recipes...

First up, this recipe is a great one for pushing your child's skills to the next level - bread making! And with our simple step-by-step picture recipe your child can complete pretty much every stage with hardly any help!

Tasks for the kids

  • Mixing all the ingredients together

  • Kneading the dough

  • Cutting the dough into pieces, with supervision

  • Baking the dough in the oven, with supervision

Get the recipe: How to make soft brown rolls

Carrot and butternut squash soup

Carrot and butternut squash soup

Why not have soup for lunch today and cook it with your kids? This creamy carrot and butternut squash soup serves 6 people and can be frozen so they'll be no waste! The perfect bonding recipe!

Tasks for the kids

  • Chopping and preparing the veggies, with supervision
  • Frying the ingredients, with supervision
  • Blending all the ingredients together
  • Dividing into bowls

Get the recipe: Carrot and butternut squash soup

Scrambled egg and tomato salsa wrap

Scrambled-egg-and-tomato-salsa-wrap

These scrambled egg wraps are a perfect sandwich alternative to make for lunch plus they're healthy too - you can teach your kids cooking and healthy eating all in one!

Tasks for the kids

  • Chopping and preparing the veggies, with supervision
  • Mixing all the ingredients together for the salsa
  • Beating the egg and milk together
  • Scrambling the egg, with supervision
  • Assembling the wraps

Get the recipe: Scrambled egg and tomato salsa wrap

Tuna lime and coriander jacket

Tuna lime and coriander jacket

Mmm... jacket potato for lunch? Oh go on then! These delicious jackets can be filled with all kinds of delicious fillings but this tuna filling is the simplest and perfect for beginners.

Tasks for the kids

  • Scrubbing, preparing and cooking the potatoes, with supervision
  • Mixing the ingredients together to make the filling
  • Filling the jacket potatoes
  • Serving with salad

Get the recipe: Tuna lime and coriander jacket

Annabel Karmel ratatouille omelette

Annabel Karmel ratatouille omelette

You can't beat an omelette especially when it's as tasty as this recipe! Perfect for the whole family for weekend brunches or lunch, your little masterchef can learn lots of skills following this video recipe - from cracking eggs to cooking the omelette.

Tasks for the kids

  • Cutting and preparing the veggies, with supervision
  • Frying the veggies, with supervision
  • Cracking the eggs and mixing together with milk
  • Cooking on the hob, with supervision, and grilling to finish

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel ratatouille omelette

Sticky roast chicken salad

Sticky roast chicken salad

This light, Oriental-style lunch is sure to become a family favourite, especially once your chef in the making has perfected the recipe. There's lots of chopping and cooking in this recipe so we'd recommend this recipe for older kids or with supervision throughout!

Tasks for the kids

  • Chopping and preparing the chicken and veggies, with supervision (don't forget to wash your hands!)
  • Cooking the chicken, with supervision
  • Mixing ingredients together to make the dressing
  • Mixing the chicken with the veggies
  • Serving and dishing up into bowls

Get the recipe: Sticky roast chicken salad

Teddy bear tortilla

Teddy bear tortilla

Have a teddy bear's picnic without going outside by making these fun tortillas together with your little ones. The bear's ears are actually cheese sarnies!

Tasks for the kids

  • Mixing the eggs with the milk and Parmesan
  • Using a cutter to make the round cheese sandwiches
  • Making the bear's ears by stacking the sandwiches

Get the recipe: Teddy bear tortilla

Rainbow vegetable pizza

Rainbow vegetable pizza

Give pizza a healthy makeover by topping it with lots of colourful veggies. The kids will love arranging the tomatoes, corn and other veg on the homemade base.

Tasks for the kids

  • Mixing the pizza dough
  • Rolling out the dough
  • Spreading passata on the base
  • Arranging the veggies
  • Sprinkling on the cheese

Get the recipe: Rainbow vegetable pizza

Stuffed baguette sandwich

Stuffed baguette sandwich

For a fun twist on sarnies, stuff a baguette with cream cheese and veggies. It needs to be chilled for a few hours so make it after breakfast and it'll be ready for lunch.

Tasks for the kids

  • Mixing the cream cheese and veggies 
  • Stuffing the baguette slices

Get the recipe: Stuffed baguette sandwich

Bagel snake

bagel, snake, kids food,

Not only do these bagel snakes look good, they taste good too! Your kids can top their bagel snake with all of their favourite sandwich fillers. All you have to do is supervise when they get cutting!

Tasks for the kids

  • Slicing the bagels, with supervision
  • Mixing the ingredients together to make the tuna filling
  • Mixing the ingredients together to make the egg filling
  • Assembling and decorating the snake

Get the recipe: Bagel snake

Cheesy pasta salad

Cheesy pasta salad

This cheesy pasta salad is ideal for your child's lunch. With a light cheese sauce and veggies, this salad is the perfect packed lunch filler that can be made with your little one the night before.

Tasks for the kids

  • Measuring the pasta
  • Preparing the vegetables
  • Stiring the pasta
  • Mixing together

Get the recipe: Cheesy pasta salad

Sweetcorn fritters

Sweetcorn fritters

The kids are going to love these sweetcorn fritters for lunch. Serve with potatoes and salad for a light and healthy lunch - that even mummy and daddy can enjoy too!

Tasks for the kids

  • Measuring the ingredients
  • Mixing and mashing the ingredients
  • Making shapes

Get the recipe: Sweetcorn fritters

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies