Childrens Packed Lunch Ideas...

D&DD

I have only gone and volunteered (I so should know better) to join our new shiny healthy eating group at school.We are focusing first on packed lunches and I already have a list of ideas we are taking forward to the parents but I would appreciate some help from you wonderful old stylers!!
The school is on your typical council estate.Most parents are on low incomes/benefits and sadly not many cook!!:eek:
We are trying to encourage the kids by cooking lessons,healthy eating lessons etc and plan to send home a little booklet for each family showing a healthy packed lunch is not necessarily expensive or time consuming.
I told them about the colour coded laptop lunchboxes and they think for our kids and parents this is a great way to go as it makes it fun for them to choose different things to go into the compartments and they also learn about why the different food groups are needed.
What I need from you is a list all in one place that I can take in with cheap healthy ideas pretty please
I saw penny pinchers great meal plans thread and although I have searched for a similar kids lunchbox one I haven't found one with it all in one place!(point me in the right direction Squeaky if I'm wrong )
So can anyone help?? Ideally I need a weeks plan of lunches that I can cost out please, Thanks in advance :T

Pink.

Hi D&DD,

They aren't all in one place, but there are lots of tips for healthy packed lunches on these threads:

back to school packed lunch os ideas?

Cheap healthy playground snacks

advice about kids lunch boxes


There are a few more in the Mega Index thread, if you check under cooking and recipes, there is a section on lunches.

Pink

Strepsy

Bit obvious but fruit salads. My kids will try so many more different fruits when they're chopped up in a fruit salad, and what they won't eat then, they'll eat with a dollop of yoghurt or fromage frais on top. I often send a small fromage frais when they have a fruit salad and then they can pour it on or leave it separate.

Potato salad - boil a couple of extra potatoes with evening meal then when they're cool mix with a bit of salad cream or mayo and spring onions. Can really be designed to suit. Also if there was a spare sausage or bit of bacon, then that can be chucked in too.

For crunchy snacks I've started buying a big bag of stuff rather than 6-packs for example. I'll buy pretzels or cheddars, pistachios or crisps and then just provide a small portion in a bag or tub. Much cheaper and you control the portion size.

Cakes/scones etc can be made at the weekend then frozen into individual bags, then all kid/parent needs to do is grab one in the morning and pop it in, it'll also help keep the drink cool.

Homemade coleslaw is good, that can made to suit too, doesn't have to be carrots, cabbage and onion. My kids will also eat any salad if you chuck a few croutons on it. They can be wrapped in a small amount of tinfoil for them to sprinkle on.

Grated cheese is good with a little grated carrot (or I've heard apple) into it and it makes the cheese go further too.

CLARABEL

dd loves breadsticks and a creamy chive dip with other veg crudites like carrot sticks, cucumber, celery etc...

and chunks of cheese in cling rather than pre packed ones, i do them all at once from a block, then leave them in fridge door to grab as needed

frozen boxes of real juice keep lunches cool and give kids a 'slushy' at lunch too!

stuffed half pittas good for easy eating

dried fruit mixes in little pots

errrr.....errrrrmmmmmm....
that's all for now.

Clara.x:A

LJM

hi my little girl takes home made bread rolls to school,various fillings and she loves things such as dried fruits,normal fruit,yoghurts,bit of cheese,carrots,juice,homemade sweet biscuits/flapjacks and cheese biscuits,most of her lunchbox is homemade baking

twink

i am going to try these for our xmas buffet for the children, they might do a packed lunch too
pizza puff pinwheels

375g pkt ready rolled puff pastry
6 tbsps pasta sauce, not too chunky
4oz wafer thin ham
4oz mature cheddar
1 beaten egg
1 tsp mixed herbs

unroll pastry to 40x32 cms
spread a layer of sauce, leaving a 1 cm border all round
lay on ham then cheese
start at short end and roll up tightly
chill about 10mins
cut into 12 slices, put on a nonstick tray, brush with egg
sprinkle on herbs
12-15 minutes at 200oc stand for 5 mins before eating

emg

It might be worth looking at cheap and healthy ideas of the typical shop-bought stuff. If parents arent turned on by the healthy aspect they might appreciate the saving money side of things.

Things like home-made 'lunchables' breadsticks and soft cheese, mini pittas or crackers with ham and cheese, etc.

Im sure lots of OSers will have more ideas on this theme...

Rachel021967

There was a good programme on Worldtalk radio on children's pack lunches. The show is Simply Savings (based on an Australian Website) and the show was either in August or September. One tip she recommended was to add a note or a small non-food treat when you start to sell healthier lunchboxes to the kids. I added a "I love you" note in my daughter's lunchbox and it made her day.

Becles

My two are into tortilla wraps with different fillings in at the moment.

If we have pasta or rice, I sometimes cook a bit extra and make them pasta/rice salad.

Due to the time of year, they keep asking for sweet mince pies too.

Becles

Rachel021967 wrote:

I added a "I love you" note in my daughter's lunchbox and it made her day.

I did that to my son once and all his friends laughed at him

LJM

hi i do that note thing to i write on post its i love you and pop them at the bottom of her lunch box,im a soppy mum but she loves it