Gone are the days when you could rock up to school with a bag of crisps, a sandwich, an apple and a bar of chocolate, with more awareness of allergies and an encouragement to be healthy, packing a lunchbox can be a daunting task. There is the fear of getting it wrong, or that your child will get bored with having the same thing every day. Don’t worry though, here are some easy ways to make lunchboxes healthy without being boring or complicated.
Consider your child’s lunch as an extension of yours
If you’re someone who takes lunch to work with you and enjoys pasta pots, salads and interesting sandwich fillings, make a little extra and give a small portion to your child to take with them. It makes lunchtimes a bit more varied for them and you can be sure that they are getting something nutritious and healthy.
Speaking of healthy…
We don’t have to stick with the usual two slices of bread and a filling, why not use pittas or wraps? You could also give the kids crackers and vegetables/salad items that they can dip into different things like cheese or hummus. These all offer a healthy alternative and are low cost, easily found and definitely aren’t boring.
Use up leftovers to create a nutritious, filling lunchbox alternative.
If you have left overs from meal times such as pasta, cold chicken, sausages or anything else that can be eaten cold and still taste delicious, use them to create a salad or as sandwich fillings. It’s something a little different and will likely be more filling allowing them to feel full all the way until hometime.
