School lunches cause so much tension in families with school aged children. Will they eat this? Is it allergy friendly? Wrapper free Wednesday? Will the kids actually eat it? There is no need to pull your hair out; With a little preparation, school lunch boxes are easy!
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My formula: 1 main + 1 vegetable + 1 fruit + 1 snack + water.
Have a tub of pre-prepared, frozen, refrigerated and pantry items for your children to chose from the afternoon before which could be prepackaged a week or two (even a month if you have the space) before, by parents and children. Mostly I package the food in small plastic tubs, but zip-lock freezer bags are easiest. They can be washed and reused, and now that they are biodegradable, I feel better about using them.
I am not a nutritionist or child behaviorist, nor am I an un-fun mum. I’m just busy and I’ve got better things to do with my time than prepare bespoke, gourmet lunches for lunchboxes that get kicked around at school 🙂
Mains – From the freezer
- 2 sausages (plus a little sauce dipping tub)
- Vegemite sandwich
- Jam sandwich
- Nutella sandwich
- Ham & cheese sandwich
- Chicken, spinach and mayo
- Zucchini slice
Mains – From the fridge
- Ravioli in tomato pasta sauce
- Steamed gyoza
- Chicken, grape tomatoes and cucumber slices
- Store bought sushi (needs to be eaten within a couple of days)
- Antipasti – a few slices of salami, cheese cubes, semi dried tomatoes, olives
- A container of baked beans
- A container of Tinned spaghetti
- A small container of tuna with a splash of mayo and a packet of rice crackers
- A boiled egg (can be refrigerated peeled or unpeeled for up to a week)
Vegetable – From the freezer
- Edamame
Vegetable – From the fridge
(If your child needs help eating vegetables, include a small container of hummus or cream cheese)
- A whole baby carrot
- Sliced capsicum (can be sliced in bulk and kept in fridge for up to a week)
- Baby cucumbers
- Grape tomatoes
- Tin corn with a bit of salt and pepper
Fruit – From the freezer
- Pineapple slices fresh or tinned
- Orange segments
- Grapes
- Frozen berries
Fruit – From the bowl/fridge
- Whole apple (if they don’t eat it unsliced, they’re not hungry enough. Best not to waste good food)
- Tinned apple puree or pie apples
- Tinned peaches
- Banana
- Whole pear
- Kiwi fruit sliced in half eaten with a spoon
Snacks – From the Freezer
- Yoghurt with pureed apple
- Custard with pureed apple
- A slice of cake
Snacks – From the fridge
- Yoghurt
- Jelly
- Rice crackers with hummus
- Cheese cubes
- Olives
Snacks – From the pantry
- A couple of sweet biscuits
- Small bag of chips
- Small container of cereal
- Rice cracker snacks
Happy lunchbox preparation!
Amy