Let’s be real: these days, it’s hard enough feeding ourselves, not to mention a gaggle of high-energy kiddos. Enter the lunch kebab, a kid-friendly meal on a stick that’s fun to assemble (get the kids involved, even!) and entertaining to eat. Make them ahead of time and stash them in the fridge so your little ones can help themselves whenever the nibbles strike. Here, eleven easy recipes to get you started.

Easy Snack Skewers (above)

This recipe contains nothing but the good stuff: thick-cut salami, roasted red peppers, cheese tortellini, mini mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes. Plus, the ingredients hold up well for several days in the fridge (hellooo, meal prep!). Pair the skewers with homemade creamy Italian dip, which you should stash in a storage container nearby, so your kid remembers to dunk away.

Lunch Kiddie Kebab

Thin banana slices and blackberries are sandwiched between miniature peanut butter and jelly stacks like hidden jewels. Your kids might not even latch onto the fact that they’re there, although they’ll certainly appreciate the jammy flavor.

Portable Veggie Kabobs with Tangy Veggie Dip

These sturdy raw veggie skewers are lunchbox-approved. Pro tip: using a rainbow of vegetable colors on the skewer will increase the chances that your child will gobble them up. Pro tip number two: if your kids don’t gobble them up, smother them in the tangy veggie dip for almost-guaranteed results.

Salad on a Stick

Salad, schmalad, right? But wait. Put it on a stick and it’ll transform into an entirely new food group in your kid’s eyes. Mild iceberg lettuce and mild cheddar cheese help the other veggies go down easy. Thanks for inspo, Ree.

Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs

Looking to make a hot but speedy lunch? These sweet and tangy kebabs cook in seven minutes under the broiler, so you can totally make them in a free mid-day window of time — now matter how small. They’re also delicious cold, served straight out of the fridge.

Tropical Fruit Kebabs with Orange Maple Coconut Dipping Sauce

All you need is just a few ingredients to make this simple, sweet lunch, which can really pull triple duty as breakfast, lunch or dessert. A flurry of shredded unsweetened coconut makes the dish feel special without any extra work.

Grilled Cheeseburger Kabobs

Save this adorable mini cheeseburger and grilled cheese stack for the weekend, when you have time to fire up the grill. Although they’ll probably disappear from your kid’s plate in two minutes flat, any leftovers keep well in the fridge for lunch the next day.

Pasta Salad on a Stick

For the mom who’s crunched for time (which, let’s be real, might be most moms), this kebab mainly involves assembling lovely store-bought nibbles, including canned artichoke hearts, packaged pasta, salami and prepared Italian dressing.

Chicken Kebabs with Greek Yogurt Pesto Dipping Sauce

Simple chicken breast, black olives, tomatoes and — get this — mozzarella string cheese sticks cut into bite-sized pieces make a kebab your kid won’t be able to reject. A pesto-y Greek yogurt dipping sauce ups the protein factor so everyone will stay fuller, longer.

Dinner Kiddie Kebab

As the name suggests, you could totally serve these for dinner … but, since we’re on the topic of lunch, they’re totally midday-appropriate too. How could you go wrong with hot dog pieces, broccoli florets and (frozen, cooked) soft pretzel nuggets?

Dessert Kiddie Kebabs

Let’s not forget about dessert! Here, a recipe that the kids can make all by themselves from start to finish. The best part? There’s no supervision or cleanup required on your end.

Related Links:

30+ Kid-Approved Lunches

Lunch Skewers, 10 Ways

Healthy Recipes Kids Can Make