Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipes for Kids Lunches
These tuna salad sandwich recipes are easy lunch ideas for kids, family dinners, picnics, road trips, or outings when you have a cooler. Try traditional tuna salad, no-mayo tuna sandwiches, tuna wraps, tuna melts, egg tuna salad, and tuna turnovers.
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Lunch box tip: Pack tuna salad in a sealed container with an ice pack. Pack bread, crackers, pita, or tortillas separately so kids can assemble the sandwich or wrap at lunch.
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Tuna Salad Sandwich Recipes
Traditional Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 cans tuna, drained
- 2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or as much as desired
- Chopped pickles
Directions
Stir all ingredients together and serve on bread, toast, crackers, pita bread, or croissants.
Kid tip: Toasted bread helps tuna salad sandwiches hold up better for lunch.
Try these variations:
No Mayo Tuna Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 1/3 package cream cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Bread
Directions
Mix tuna, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese together. Place on toasted bread and serve.
Apple and Tuna Sandwiches
By Deborah from Newtown, PA
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna, drained
- Chunks of tart apple, such as Granny Smith
- Mayonnaise, as desired
- Pita bread or sandwich bread
Directions
Combine tuna, apple chunks, and mayonnaise. Pack the tuna mixture separately from the pita bread if you are taking it on a hike, picnic, or school lunch. Spoon the tuna salad into the pita when ready to eat.
Egg Tuna Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or as much as desired
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Chop eggs and tuna together in a bowl with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Add to bread, rolls, pita bread, crackers, or croissants.
Nutrition add-in: Add finely chopped celery for extra crunch. If you chop it small, kids may be more likely to try it.
Build Your Own Tuna Sandwich Bar
A tuna sandwich bar is a fun lunch activity for families, homeschool groups, cooking classes, camps, and kids cooking clubs. Start with a simple tuna salad recipe and let kids customize their own sandwiches, wraps, and lunch combinations.
Teaching Tip: A sandwich bar encourages kids to experiment with different ingredients and practice measuring, mixing, assembling, and food presentation skills.
Tuna Lunch Box & School Lunch Ideas
Tuna salad works well for school lunches, field trips, picnics, and family outings. Keep tuna cold with an ice pack and pack bread or crackers separately for the freshest results.
- Tuna Salad + Crackers + Grapes — A simple protein-packed lunch with fruit and crunch.
- Tuna Pita + Cucumber Slices — Easy to eat and perfect for lunch boxes.
- Tuna Wrap + Carrot Sticks — A handheld lunch kids can help prepare.
- Tuna Stuffed Tomato + Fruit Salad — Adds vegetables while keeping lunch colorful.
- Tuna Croissant + Strawberries — A picnic-style lunch that feels special.
- Tuna Cucumber Boats + Cheese Cubes — A lower-carb option with plenty of crunch.
- Tuna Salad + Pretzels + Apple Slices — Great for busy school days.
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare tuna salad the night before and store it in individual containers. In the morning simply add fruit, vegetables, crackers, or bread for a quick lunch.
Tuna Wraps & Lunch Ideas
Tuna Melt Wrap
Ingredients
- 1 tortilla
- Cheese slices
- Tuna salad or plain tuna
- Lettuce
- Cucumber slices
Directions
Layer cheese, tuna, lettuce, and cucumber slices on a tortilla. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds to melt the cheese slightly. Roll up and eat.
More Tuna Lunch Ideas
Try something different: Tuna salad doesn't have to be served on bread. Avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, pita pockets, crackers, lettuce wraps, and bell pepper halves all make fun alternatives for kids lunches.
Tuna Turnovers
Tuna Turnovers
Ingredients
- 2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup chopped pickles
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- Refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/4 cups crushed potato chips
Directions
In a bowl, combine tuna, cheese, mayonnaise, pickles, and lemon pepper seasoning. Flatten each biscuit into a 5-inch circle. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of tuna mixture onto one side of each circle. Fold dough over the filling and press edges with a fork to seal.
Place beaten egg and crushed potato chips in separate bowls. Dip each turnover in egg, then coat with potato chips. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Freezer lunch tip: Let turnovers cool, then place 1 or 2 in freezer bags. Reheat in the microwave or oven for an easy lunch.
Salad Sandwich Recipes
Salad sandwiches are easy lunch ideas that can be made ahead for school lunches, picnics, road trips, and quick family meals. Many of these recipes can be packed in a lunch box with crackers, pita bread, tortillas, or sandwich bread.
Try a sandwich filling bar: Make tuna salad, chicken salad, ham salad, and egg salad ahead of time and let kids choose their favorite filling with bread, pita pockets, crackers, tortillas, or lettuce wraps.
Find more sandwich recipes here.
3 Tuna Salad Lunches
More Lunch Help
Tuna Sandwich FAQ
Can kids help make tuna salad?
Yes. Kids can drain the tuna, measure ingredients, stir the salad, spread fillings onto bread or crackers, and assemble sandwiches or wraps with supervision.
What can I serve with tuna sandwiches?
Fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, crackers, pretzels, fruit salad, pasta salad, snack boards, and cheese cubes all pair well with tuna sandwiches and wraps.
Share Your Best Tuna Salad Recipe
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