When I was little, all I wanted for my lunch were jam sandwiches on white bread, with the crusts cut off, every single day. My mum had it pretty easy as I was a fussy eater.
Here are some ideas for the kids who like a bit of variety.
MAN TOOLS YOU WILL NEED:
- chopping board
- loaf of bread
- teaspoon, butter knife, cutting knife
- plastic box
- sandwich bags or reusable sandwich bag
- snacks for you and your child
- put everything away in the fridge after making the pack lunch or it will all go off for tomorrow by the time you get home after dropping off the kids.
EXTRA TIPS:
- they need a main meal, some snacks and something to drink.
- try using a cookie cutter to shape the sandwiches for kids who don't like crusts. You can make breadcrumbs for home-made cooking from the crusts. Or chuck them in the compost for your man-garden.
- prep as much as you can the night before and leave it in the fridge.
- keep it proportionate, if there has to be sugary stuff in there, limit how much there is and balance it with something healthy too.
- don't use the no-more-nails to seal the lunch box shut, your wee one has to be able to get into the box at school.
1. Sandwiches
Cheap and cheerful, you can change the type of bread, use rolls instead, you can stack 'em high to make double-decker sandwiches and change the fillings. A loaf of bread will do a few days and if you've got room you can freeze a loaf for later in the week. Have you tried wraps? You could leave the ingredients out of the wrap and your child can fill it themselves at lunchtime.
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| Image from: BBC Good Food |
2. Yoghurts
Don't forget to pack a teaspoon (see List of Man Tools). 'Fat-free' means filled with sugar instead so its not a healthier option when buying.
3. Chopped Veg Sticks
Got a carrot or cucumber in that fridge? Chop them into small crunchable lengths and you've got a healthy snack. You can do this with cheese too. Or pop a Babybel in there if you're super rushed and have no time for chopping cheese. We use pre-packed grated cheese in our house, saves time and washing the grater.
4. Fruit
Small tangerines are always a winner, not too tricky or messy to peel. Apples are tough to bite into, so slice them up and remove the inner core section first, that way the kids can take as much apple as they can manage without wasting the rest. Bananas are a great filler but take up a bit of space in that lunch box and don't stay fresh long so aren't great for cutting up in the morning first. Watermelon is good for slicing and really refreshing. Watch grapes as they are notorious as a choking hazard.
5. Boiled Egg
Good as a source of protein, quite filling, but takes about 8 minutes to boil in a pan of hot water. Can mash it up and use as a sandwich filler too.
6. Rice Cakes
A healthy alternative to crisps and biscuits, rice cakes come in small packets or big rounds and the basic supermarket ones are under £1.00 (at time of writing) and will do for a week. You can find oatcakes usually down the same aisle but they are tough going on their own without a bit of cheese or something.
7. Pasta Salad
You can make a big batch of pasta and store it in the fridge, with a range of mixers to choose from like mayonnaise, tuna, sweetcorn, grated carrot, cold chicken and more.
8. Home Baking
Do some home baking on a Sunday afternoon with the kids, and hey presto, you have their pack lunch snack home made!
If you're feeling really adventurous, check out easylunchboxes.com for hundreds of ideas
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