Kids Lunchbox ideas

LooniesMum

Hi
I have a 6 year old and a 4 year old, both boys. Their school encourages healthy lunches but my two are always telling me which children get chocolate with their lunch! I've never given them crisps and they only get a light chocolate wafer bar as a very rare treat. If I put anything unhealthy in their lunch then they will eat that first and never get round to the sandwich! They are hungry, energetic, tall boys and I find I have to make sure they get enough carbohydrate (bread, oat cakes etc) and some protein (cheese, ham, tuna) or they just end up tired and grumpy. School provides fruit as a healthy snack and I include fruit and salad (tomatoes, cucumber etc). Although they would eat more fruit than I put in, I find they then fill up on fruit, leave some sandwich and come out so weary and cross that I can't get them out the school gate without giving them something unhealthy as a snack!!

They also have yoghurts (packed separately from their sandwiches) and the eldest one will also eat cold pasta. If your 4 year old would happily eat rice, I would let him take it; he'll soon tell you if he can't manage to eat it within the time allowed. Chopped dried apricots is nice in cold rice and would provide some extra nutrients like iron.:j

I find if I vary the bread (brown, white, 'tiger bread' muffins) and have one day that's something else instead (dips, pasta, rice), they don't get too fed up.

My youngest will eat an apple with his lunch but only if I've chopped it up for him - I do it in the morning and he doesn't mind if it's gone a bit brown!

I tell mine that chocolate and crisps don't contain the vitamins they need to fight off all the school germs or the energy they need to do really good work!!

GeordieJim_2

Hi - I shop at Heron's Foods - I know they're in Scotland and North of England - not sure about South. You can get great deals - eg 6 bags of Cadbury's fruit clusters for a £1, or 4 or more yoghurts for a £1. Best buys are usually drinks - eg cartons of Del Monte fresh orange juice 4 for £1. Also brilliant for good quality meat (eg lunchbox ham or chicken) at cheap prices, and they sell the mini boxes of raisins really cheap too. Also buy "after school" snacks (eg Rustler burgers or ready meals) for usually about 89p.

My son is teenager, and doesn't take a lunch box. Prefers a carrier bag, so he can put all the rubbish in and throw away in school bin. Not very eco-friendly but saves on washing up, mess, and risks to schoolbooks!

archiesdad

Thanks all, I wish my son ate as healthy as your kids! the only fruit I can get him to eat is bananas and raisins and the occasional apple if cut up. He won't eat salad of any description.

I suppose its my fault as I eat very little fruit myself, I just don't want to get in the rut of sandwich, bag of crisps and a chocolate biscuit. Just trying to be a better mum.

LJM

thats good though,not alot of schools now allow crisps/chocolate etc and they tend to let you know that things such as the yoghurt coated raisins and the fruit sticks are full of sugar.our school doesnt stop the kids bringing it in but they do healthy lunch box meetings and checks just to let peeps know,as some as i found out actually dont

Chell

Someone mentioned Twinks hobnobs, I make those with half the quantity of sugar but add some raisins or sultanas.

Once a week we have a tomato/veg pasta for dinner, both children (4 and 6yrs) take a small pot to eat cold for their packed lunch the next day.

Humzingers or School bars go down well but can be expensive. Morrisons sometimes reduces School bars so I stock up then.

Pizza whirls - bread dough rolled out into a big rectangle. Spread over tomato puree and herbs or a HM tomato sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and pizza toppings. Roll it up like a big swiss roll and slice. Lay the slices down on an oven tray (remember they will raise so leave a gap) and bake in the oven. I then freeze these and defrost one each day as needed.

Samphire

DS1 has just started school full time too. He likes a hard boiled egg in his lunchbox, and a tub of cold pasta (I just put some olive oil on it to stop it sticking together). Cucumber, tomato, carrot sticks or bit of pepper generally go down well too. I'm trying to vary things so he doesn't get bored. Yesterday I put in a "ham kebab" which went down really well - rolled up bits of ham with a drinking straw stuck through the middle of them. I was going to alternate cubes of cheese with the bits of ham, but when I tried to put the straw through the cheese it split - I may try that again if I can find something a bit sharper to make a hole in the cheese with first, of maybe use less crumbly cheese.

I've tried him on cold fritata without sucess, but may try that again next time I've got some in the fridge. I tried a cold cheese toastie (he eats them cold at home), but that didn't get eaten either - think it may have gone a bit hard in the fridge overnight. Cold pizza sometimes gets eaten, but my beautiful hm breadsticks were rejected (he likes the tescos ones though). I think hm popcorn would go down well - may try putting parmesan on it as a savoury snack, though I'll see if he likes this at home before I send him to school with it! I did think of cold chicken, but I haven't given him any meat on the bone yet so I'll have to introduce him to drumsticks at home first or he'll try to eat the lot!!

happymummy24-7

hi guys.....have a look at this thread on kids lunch ideas....but beware its adictive ( i have just had new kitchen fitted and have 2 cupboards dedicated to bento,lol) even if you dont like the bento idea it does help with ideas of things to feed the little'uns!!!
xxx laura.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=483525&highlight=bento

lougarry

This is my favourite brownies recipe for kids, which my 4 year old enjoys cooking and eating. Uses sunflower marg instead of butter for less saturated fat, cocoa powder and plain chocolate for iron, and chopped hazelnuts (optional) for essential fatty acids and minerals.

100g plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
2 tbsps milk
125g sunflower margarine
200g unrefined caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
50g unsweetened cocoa powder (Green & Black's organis fairtrade is good)
75g SR flour
50g chopped hazelnuts

You'll also need an 18 cm square baking tin, lightly greased and completely lined with non-stick baking parchment

The recipe says this makes 9 squares, but I get 16 out of it - it's quite rich so that's more than enough for a child's lunchbox. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week or wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C (325 degrees F, gas mark 3).

Break the chocolate into small pieces & put in a heavy based saucepan. Add the milk and heat gently, stirring until the choc is melted & smooth. Remove the pan from the heat & cool slightly.

Put the marg & sugar in a large bowl and beat with a hand-held eletric mixer or wooden spoon till the mixture is light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, till blended. Sift the cocoa powder into the egg mixture & stir gently till mixed. Pour in the melted chocolate & stir well.

Gently stir in the flour and hazelnuts (if using - they are the best bit for me, but beware of nut allergies) - don't beat or overmix or the brownies will be dry. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin & smooth the top. Bake for around 25 mins (20 mins if using a fan oven like mine). To test if they are cooked, insert a skewer into the centre; it should come out almost clean with a slightly sticky feel.

Remove from the oven & cool before marking into squares.

Hope you like them too!