Packed Lunches for School

lindseykim13

I'm hoping to have a healthier new year so i thought i would find new ideas for our weekly lunch.
I'm happy with out main meals of the day but struggling with lunchtime-i was brought up on white bread ham sandwich,crisps,fruit and choc biscuit style lunches. It was only this year at 27 that i first tried a bagel!!

So i would love some cheap and healthy alternitives to that ^ as i'm struggling to offer my children something better for them and i'm a bit bored of the same old rubbish

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

mi_jardin

Soup is always a good choice. You can make it with any veg you have in the fridge. You can bulk them up with pearl barley, lentils and pasta.

Baked beans on toast is another one. You can get away with the basic beans if you put a bit of grated cheese on top.

If its packed lunches you need, then couscous is a winner for me. You can make it at home with salad, or you can make it at work if you have access to a kettle.
When its kids, some people send them with soup in a thermos flask to give them something warm at lunchtime, you could also put any left over dinner in there like stew.

lisa26_2

I'd agree that soup is a winner and its very quick and easy to make enough for a few days.

I also like filled pitta breads, somthing like tuna and salad, ham salad, etc. and I usually take some sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes to have with it.

Pasta, couscous or rice salads are also great. One of my favourites (and a good use for leftover rice!) is boiled rice (cool it under cold running tap to help prevent food poisoning!) mixed with tuna, finely chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and jalapeno chillis, also add some sweetcorn then season and also add some balsamic vinegar. Mix it all together and you have a lovely lunch. I do wenough for 2 days with 1 tin of tuna so quite mse too.

s_glover

As others have suggested I regualrly make salads with cous cous added and maybe tuna or pasta, either make a couple of days worth at a time or use leftovers from the previous night. I especially like pasta and pesto with roasted vegetables.

You could also have something like pitta and vegetable sticks e.g carrot and cucumber with homous or another dip.

Jacket potato with various fillings e.g tuna, cheese, coleslaw (homemade?), beans etc is also filling and relatively cheap and easy.

Linda32

I quite like wraps instead of bread. Obviously you can have whatever filling you fancy and wrap it up. I usually spread mayo on first but that just me.

I buy a packet of 8, sometimes they are on BOGOF, they freeze really well and defrost in minutes.

lushlifesaver

Wraps are always a good choice, cous cous makes for a good lunchtime food, soup...
I used to love foods I could dip when I was younger - carrot batons, cucumber etc and hummus or other dips
I have one of those lunch boxes which is two round containers that you can use separately or together, they keep things hot or cold and can be microwaved so I love using it! I love to take stuff like chile, casserole, spag bol and other leftover type foods

VfM4meplse

Another souper here, cheap and delicious but don't skimp on good quality stock.

lindseykim13 wrote: »

It was only this year at 27 that i first tried a bagel!!

lindseykim13 wrote: »

i'm struggling to offer my children something better for them and i'm a bit bored of the same old rubbish

I can't believe you had children before you had a bagel - get your priorities right woman :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:!!

Cat501

soup here too, when I make lentil soup I live on it for at least 2 days, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks - and after eating that many lentils aren't you glad I'm single?:p

My other favourite healthy lunch is a couple of ryvita topped with a mixture of cheap cottage cheese with chopped red onion/green pepper/tomato.

smitty2702

Hummus with breadsticks / veg sticks.
HM mini pizzas (cold for lunchboxes)
Soup
Couscous / rice - many different variation
Stuffed tomatoes
Pasta or Potato Salad
Wraps or Pitta Breads.
HM Quiche or Pasties

squeaky

Hi

Try:- Healthy, balanced but cheap lunch ideas?


But just eating healthy lunches doesn't always win, so...

cheap/ healthy snacks

The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

Healthy Eating

And while the following thread isn't directly healthy or cheap, many of the recipes do meet the criteria

Packed Lunch for work