Great 'cheap but nutritious packed lunches' hunt

alison6692

I would love some tips - I have a 3yr old who is dairy intolerant and not a fan of sandwichs. She isn't a fussy eater and will eat most things but I am at a loss as what to send in her lunch box for pre-school.

I send a lot of shop bought sausage rolls, pork pies with fruit and veg. I have also done pitta bread and hummous. I know that the sausage rolls and pork pies have a high fat cotent so am trying to think of ideas. This week I have bought these ready cooked chicken pieces from Tesco and plan to send a pot that in with some cous cous and salad stuff. However not sure a preschool environment is the best place to eat cous cous.

nictrinwyn

I make homemade jellies for my DD. I buy the powdered packets of hartleys sugar free. I use raspberry first with some cut up tinned pineapple, I think fresh pineapple won't let the jelly set? I let that set. Then make orange flavour and add more pineapple..let that set. Then finally lemon and lime flavour with pineapple again. This way they have traffic light jelly with pineapple spread out in the tub. For this I purchased some 4oz tubs with lids from ebay. The calories in these are hardly anything and they eat a bit of fruit. Cheaper, nicer and healthier than the dole fruit in jelly.

Zara_Mari

When I was still at school, i love grilled meat, it's healthy. And instead of buying chips, my mom would provide us a pack of different types and shapes of cereals in case we starve our selves while traveling going to and from the school.

RosieWoo

alison6692 wrote: »

I would love some tips - I have a 3yr old who is dairy intolerant and not a fan of sandwichs. She isn't a fussy eater and will eat most things but I am at a loss as what to send in her lunch box for pre-school.

I send a lot of shop bought sausage rolls, pork pies with fruit and veg. I have also done pitta bread and hummous. I know that the sausage rolls and pork pies have a high fat cotent so am trying to think of ideas. This week I have bought these ready cooked chicken pieces from Tesco and plan to send a pot that in with some cous cous and salad stuff. However not sure a preschool environment is the best place to eat cous cous.

My little on is also 3, his typical packed lunch is:

Sandwich/crackers/pitta bread
Pom bear crisps
5 or 6 slices of cucumber
4 cherry tomatoes or 1 big tomato
carrot sticks
satsuma
apple
Homemade biscuit

I think cous cous is fine to send to pre-school, as is pasta, I have sent pasta salad to nursesry with LO before, it's absolutely fine. Our pre-school also allows you to send food to be heated up e.g beans on toast.

Just think what would she normally eat when she's at home for lunch and send something similar

natmummy

My son is a fussy eater but loves chocolate cake as a treat/dessert pudding in his lunchbox, so I make chocolate brownies with stewed fruit or baked and mashed sweet potato added in them, He thinks they;re great and only I know what's in them but it's all good,,,not a lot of sugar either because of the sweetness from the fruit or sweet potato

KazLA

Natmummy - that's a brilliant idea, my daughters not too fussy, but love the idea that a chocolate dessert can even be a bit healthy-could you please post the recipe, thanks!

mumof2luvvlies

daughter starts school in september so any ideas like these are really helpful

chrissiesmoney

Hi, I often cook cous cous with chicken stock or veg stock an then add cooked chicken and salad or veggies. If I make a pasta dish fpor dinner i also cook a little extra for their lunch boxes. Also my girls tend to love making their own pitta pizzas for their lunch boxes.

Kitty_Ears

I bet someone has said this already but I always have soup in a thermos or pasta & sauce. My lectures in Uni last all day and I have to have something to keep me going, this does the trick!

fishooX

what about keeping it SIMPLE???
Sandwiches with cheese or ham, apples, carrot sticks?
It won't get simpler and cheaper than that, will it?