No matter whether it's the first day back to school after a long break or you're nearly halfway through the school year, coming up with fresh lunch ideas for kids to take to school every day may be difficult. For ideas on how to create great, nutritious packed lunches that your children will like and that are also simple to make, we've put up six delicious recommendations as well as some helpful hints to get you started.
1. Lunch tray
Create a simple finger food lunchbox for your children by filling it with dips and crudités that you prepare yourself. Allowing them to choose their favourite vegetables and crackers will help them feel more involved and excited about their lunch; you could try oatcakes or rice crackers, cherry tomatoes, sugar snaps, or celery, and you could even make your own homemade dip if you have the time if you have the resources.
2. Quesadilla with rainbow salad and melted cheese
Although quesadillas are often eaten hot, they are also delicious cold in a lunchbox since the tortillas retain their form nicely and the cheese helps everything stay together. Cheddar and spring onions are the main ingredients in this cheesy quesadilla recipe, but you may experiment with various types of cheese and finely chopped vegetables, or by adding cooked ham or chicken.
3. Salad de pasta avec viande de poulet
Instead of a heavy, creamy dressing, this simple chicken pasta salad dish calls for a light tomato and basil sauce that is studded with peas for extra vegetables and nutrition. We like it best with farfalle bow-shaped pasta, but kids may make it their own by choosing their favourite form from a variety of options.
4. The turkey sandwich
The use of cookie cutters to stamp out different-shaped sandwiches is a fun and creative approach to making plain sandwiches a little more appealing. These turkey sandwiches work well because the cheese spread helps the stars hold together after they've been sliced, but you can experiment with other spreads and thin-cut meats or cheese to see what you like best. Additionally, you may experiment with using different cutters each time so that the kids are surprised when they open their lunchboxes.
5. Muffins with tomato and bacon
Muffins are excellent packed lunches because they have the appearance of being a special treat. In fact, baking them in large batches may even be a fun baking activity for the kids themselves on an afternoon on Sunday - this way, numerous lunches for the week can be prepared in one go, or they can be frozen for later use. Simple and colourful, this tomato and bacon muffin dish is quick and easy to prepare. You could simply turn it vegetarian by substituting the bacon with some crumbled feta or strips of capsicum.
6. Pitta with tuna and mayonnaise
Pitta pockets are simple to prepare, simple to handle, and even simpler to consume, making them perfect for a quick lunch that can be assembled in minutes. Simple tuna mayo pittas are hard to go wrong with; the idea is to break up the creamy tuna with crunchy sweetcorn and colourful lettuce for crunch and colour.
7. Extras that are delicious
A sweet treat is something that most children like, but you wouldn't want them to be eating chocolate bars and biscuits every day, would you? For those who desire sweets, consider carrying a fruit choice in your bag. This may be anything from a little banana to berries or grapes to sliced melon or pineapple to clementine segments coated in chocolate for something a little more decadent. If you do use dried fruit, keep the amount you use to a bare minimum since it has a more concentrated sweetness than fresh fruit (about 30g or one heaped tablespoon).
In the event that you decide to add a treat bake, these carrot cake squares and apricot flapjack recipes are both filled with fruit instead of the typically processed sweets, making them an excellent alternative to try creating at home.
All of the recipes above serve one person, but you may easily double or triple the quantities if you're preparing lunches for a large group of children. Get ahead the night before so you're ready to go in the morning — prepare as described above and store in the fridge overnight, then put in an insulated lunch box or bag with an ice pack to keep everything cool. It might be beneficial to stock up on a range of various sized containers so that you can separate out dips, salads, crackers, fruit, and vegetables; this will ensure that everything stays as crisp and fresh as possible when on the road or at home. If you prefer to use baking paper, you may practise your sandwich-wrapping talents.
We hope you are inspired by the ideas shown above; nevertheless, they are just a starting point for the many creative lunchboxes you may create to keep your children healthy and happy.
The trick is to keep things new - this doesn't always entail using a variety of different components or recipes, but rather just changing up how they are presented and being inventive with shapes and textures.
Try carrot sticks with a dip one day, then sliced into a bean salad the next, shredded into a cream cheese sandwich the next, peeled into ribbons as a crunchy snack the next, or even baked into muffins the next.
