Kids’ packed lunches… sometimes by getting the smaller things in life right, we can start to feel more on top of the bigger things! Do you struggle to vary your child’s school-packed lunches? Do you want to make sure they eat enough in quantity, enjoy their lunch AND get in some healthy nutrients? We think that this would likely apply to most of you Mums out there, however, this seemingly small task can provide more stress than you might expect. Sometimes getting the quantity/enjoyment/health combination correct can be easier said than done, not to mention the time it takes you to get it all ready in the morning. Our children’s ‘discerning’ tastes can be difficult to manage but we are here to help with a few suggestions to help to make your life easier.
What you’ll need:
- Some reusable lunch containers in different sizes
- A food flask to keep food warm – we love our Thermos food flask – sometimes on sale in Sainsbury’s!
- A super stylish lunch bag to encourage your child to be positive about their lunchtime. View our Hype lunch bags here
- A little bit of time in the morning. Although we have aimed to suggest ideas that require little prep on the morning of the school day.
Packed Lunch Ideas
Houmous, pitta, olives and vegetable crudites
This is one of our go-to’s! A huge dollop of houmous in a reusable plastic container, some sliced carrots, cucumber and peppers (mix up vegetables according to taste) and 1 or 2 sliced wholemeal pittas. On colder days we recommend toasting your pitta before slicing, cover with a little foil and place into your food flask for delicious, comforting and warm pitta for your child to enjoy at lunchtime.
Sweet potatoes with Heinz baked beans and cheese
Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat, the longer you live? (see here for more detail on this theory).
Did you invest in an air-fryer during Covid times? We managed to get a great value version in ‘middle Lidl’ a couple of years ago! You could, of course, roast your sweet potato pieces in the oven but the air fryer can be quicker and more energy efficient. When your chopped sweet potatoes are pillowy on the inside and crispy on the outside, place them inside your food flask with half a tin of warmed baked beans and a small handful of grated cheese. Job’s a goodun… just don’t forget the spoon!
Broccoli and cauli cheese
A healthier take on Mac ‘n’ cheese, we find that the kids love this one just as much the real thing. It’s made exactly the same way as the ‘Mac’ version but using broccoli and cauliflower instead. This is a better one to prep the night before and heat in the oven for 15/20 mins in the morning before school. Keep warm in your food flask and your child will be full until the end of the day!
Cous Cous and salmon salad
Perhaps more of a spring or summer go-to, cous cous is quick and easy and you can even prep this the night before to grab out of the fridge in the morning. Heat up your cous cous with a teaspoon of cumin and a little stock, mix with peas, shredded mint leaves and cooked salmon and hey presto – you have a delicious and nutritious lunch for your child! Ours enjoy this with a big dollop of greek yoghurt on the side. Want to get really fancy? Finish off with a pinch of sumac sprinkled over the top! 🙂
Good old cheese and biscuits
You can’t usually go wrong with this and usually even the most fussy child likes cheese and biscuits, so long as you let them pick their own crackers from the box! Simply slice up some cheddar cheese with a bunch of grapes (of course sliced for younger children) or a handful of olives and show your younger child how to build themselves at lunch time. We tend to use this on one of those crazy, don’t have time mornings – it’s so easy just to grab a few crackers, slice up a bit of cheese and shove in the lunchbox with a cereal bar and a piece of fruit.
Homemade pizza
This is something that’s quite new to us as previously we’ve shop bought our pizzas, but kids love to get involved with dough! Please allow a little more time for this the day before as dough does take time to prove. Here’s a good recipe. Furthermore, you can choose your toppings AND the homemade version is healthier than processed pizzas. Offer black olives, pepper slices, torn basil, peas and sweetcorn to really increase the nutritional value and taste on this. It can all be ready to warm up in the morning – just 7 or 8 minutes with the oven on full blast.
Vegetable samosas
Of course you can make your own (these ones are pretty delicious if you have time)but we often just buy ours and warm up quickly in the air fryer in the morning. Then chop into two, wrap in foil and pop into the warm pot. Alongside some fruit and perhaps a cereal bar, this varies things up a bit from regular cheese or ham sandwiches.
Hype lunch bags
Here at Kids Life Clothing, we sell a wide range of brightly-coloured Hype lunch bags, all imbued with liveliness and many of them with matching pencil cases and backpacks. Hype is HUGE in popularity with youngsters aged 8-13 and these lunch bags not only look super-stylish, they’re also pretty durable as well. The perfect party gift or replacement for your current lunchbox.
View Hype lunchbags here