Wondering how can you feed your children healthy delicious lunches at school when you don’t have much time? Scroll down for my quick and easy lunchbox ideas for kids.
When it comes to filling my kid’s lunch boxes I aim to keep things as simple as possible whilst being mindful of nutrition. I don’t have a lot of time to spend on this task but I do want to keep my children happy and fed and get at least a few vitamins and minerals into them.
So what to put in the lunch box? Well, number one – try to think about including something from each of the main food groups. Here’s my secret formula…
CHOOSE FROM…
CARBS: Sliced bread / Bagels / Sandwich thins / wraps / Crackers / Pitta bread / English muffins / Bread rolls / Cold cooked pasta / Couscous / Breadsticks / Rice cakes
PROTEIN: Chicken / Turkey / Beef / Mini sausages / ham / Hard boiled eggs / Hummus or chickpeas / Tinned tuna / Tinned salmon / Nuts (if allowed in school)
DAIRY: Cheese / Yoghurt / Milk / Custard / Fromage Frais
FRUIT & VEG: Bananas / Apples / Berries / Pineapple / Grapes / Kiwi / Easy peel oranges / Fruit pots / Cucumber / Carrot sticks / Cherry tomatoes / Peppers / Sugar Snap peas / Celery / sweetcorn / dried fruit such as prunes, dates, sultanas and apricot
LUNCHBOX IDEAS FOR KIDS – MY KIDS TOP 5 FAVOURITE COMBOS
1. PINWHEEL WRAPS, YOGHURT, BERRIES AND POPCORN
I use wholemeal wraps as they have more fibre. Use any wrap fillings your children like such as:
turkey / grated carrot / red pesto
Hummus / red pepper / cucumber
tuna / sweetcorn / mayo
beef / chopped tomato / butter
Cream cheese / sweet chilli sauce / cucumber
Spread the filling in an even, thin layer over the entire wrap. Roll it up and slice into 6 pieces.
Spoon some greek yoghurt into a pot and top with a little honey add a few frozen or fresh berries in a pot on the side.
A small portion of popcorn adds another vegetable portion with plenty of fibre.
2. PITTAS WITH CREAM CHEESE AND HAM, CUCUMBER, FRUIT SALAD AND MALT LOAF
Children are more likely to eat chopped and bite size pieces of fruit than a whole piece, so here I’ve chopped up kiwi, strawberries and added tinned pineapple but any combination of fruit is good. If chopping up apples you’ll need to add a splash of lemon juice to prevent browning.
3. PASTA SALAD, BANANA AND CHOCOLATE CUSTARD
If you have pasta for dinner the night before then cook a little extra for the kids lunch box. A pasta salad doesn’t have to be complicated. Throw together some cold pasta with any of these combinations below…
Tuna / Sweetcorn
Chicken / Grated Carrot / Cherry Tomatoes
Ham / peas / Sweetcorn
Grated Cheese / Cherry Tomatoes / Cucumber
Boiled Egg / Cucumber
Mini Sausages / diced pepper
Dressings – I keep it simple by mixing a few things i have in the fridge or cupboard:
Plain Vinaigrette – 3tsp olive oil to 1tsp white wine vinegar
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette – As above but add ½ tsp honey and ¼ tsp dijon mustard
Garlic Mayo – 1tbs mayo, 1tbs greek yoghurt, a splash of vinegar, ½ tbp olive oil, ¼ tsp garlic powder
Pesto Mayo – mix equal quantities of green or red pesto with mayo
Curry Mayo – 1tbs mayo, 1tbs greek yoghurt, ¼ tsp curry powder
4. BREAD STICKS WITH HUMMUS, VEGGIE STICKS, RICE PUDDING AND PEACHES
The hummus can be shop bought or homemade. My kids love crunchy breadsticks and they’re great for scooping up the hummus. I use tinned peaches which are just as nutritious as fresh.
5. COUSCOUS SALAD, ORANGE AND FROMAGE FRAIS DIP
Couscous is very easy to prepare. You’ll want to cook it the night before so it has time to chill before going into the lunchbox. Simply measure out ½ cup of dry couscous and place in a bowl. Stir in a teaspoon of olive or vegetable oil to coat the couscous (‘this stops it from sticking together). Add ½ cup of hot chicken or veg stock and ¼ tsp of italian seasoning dried herbs. Cover the bowl and leave for 10 mins, then fluff up with a fork. Add your favourite combos such as:
Chicken / spring onions / tomatoes
Ham / peas / grated carrot
Cut up mini sausages / sweetcorn / peppers
Add any dressing – here’s my favourite: 1tbs white wine vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbs olive oil
Place in the fridge to chill. You’ll probably have enough for 2 portions.
To make the dip just add some honey and cinnamon to plain fromage frais.
LUNCHBOX IDEAS FOR KIDS -TOP TIPS
- Most parents have a limited amount of time to prepare lunchboxes. Remember to be realistic. You’re not a bad parent if you don’t have time to produce instagrammable lunchboxes or if you throw in the occasional cheese string….
- I keep a small stash of different kinds of bread in the freezer so I have a variety of options. Wraps, pittas, bagels, rolls, sliced bread can all be quickly defrosted.
- Let your child choose their lunch box contents but do it the clever way – for example give them the choice of a banana or an apple. They feel they have had some say in the matter but either way they’re having some fruit.
- Try to think about presentation. We tend to “eat with our eyes”, but remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated. When I cut a cucumber “on the diagonal” my kids are thrilled.
LUNCHBOX IDEAS FOR KIDS – THE NUTRITION BIT
Like I said at the beginning, lunch boxes are a way of getting some vitamins into the kids so I try to be mindful that the foods are nutritious whilst being as low in salt and sugar as possible. I don’t think anything should be banned from a diet and considered a “bad” food. It’s all about how often you have a food and the portion size. Here’s my approach to some foods that would be considered less healthy as they are high in sugar, fat and salt:
Cheese and meat high in salt
Cured salami style meats, cheese strings and cheese spread triangles are very high in salt so it’s not a good idea to give them regularly and are best kept as a “once in a while” item. A better option would be a cream cheese or sliced turkey or beef.
Crisps
I’m not sure I’ve ever found a child who doesn’t like crisps and there’s no harm in the occasional packet in their lunchboxes. But there’s sooo much choice in the supermarket, choosing a healthier option can be a minefield. I tend to go with the baked varieties, ones that are under 100kcal per pack and reduced salt where possible. Alternatives to crisps would be popcorn, rice cakes or pretzels. Check the nutrition info on the labels and look for the lowest salt options.
Flavoured yoghurts
If your kids will only eat flavoured yoghurt, try to compare different brands and look for the ones with lower sugar content per 100g. I prefer to use plain greek yoghurt and add some frozen berries and a little sugar or honey – yes I am adding sugar but I’m in control of the sugar content and can keep it to a minimum.
Fruit juice
Fruit juice is often seen as a healthy drink full of goodness and is frequently given freely to children. It’s true that fruit juice provides plenty of nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium. But the juicing process removes all of the fibre and leaves behind a drink high in sugar and calories – 150ml of orange juice contains the equivalent of just over 3 teaspoons of sugar. Drinking too much fruit juice (more than 150ml a day) may mean the kids are taking on too many calories.
Cakes and biscuits
Cakes and biscuits are not an everyday food but we do eat plenty of them in our house and they are part of making a house a home. If I bake at home I try to do something with fruit or veg added. For example, banana muffins, carrot cake, fruity flapjack or welsh cakes with sultanas. These go in lunchboxes (if there are any left). If you want something cakey but not too unhealthy for lunch boxes try malt loaf, fruit loaf or toasted teacake.
For more ideas for feeding kids why not check out some of my other articles:
Healthy and Tempting Finger Food for Picky Eaters
Kids Meals: Healthy Eating on the Go!
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