Ideas for Filling That School Lunchbox

School lunch ideas that are fast tempting easy to eat and healthy

Sep 3, 2008 Helen McCarthy

It's sometimes hard to get children to eat the fruit, protein and nutritious things they need instead of fast food and sugar-loaded treats. Try some of these lunch ideas.

Easy to Eat

Lunchbox successes are easy to handle and easy to eat - neat finger-food that won't come apart in their hands. Try varying the sandwich routine with tortilla or flatbread wraps, rolled into tightish tubes for easy handling. Lay the wrap flat, spread with mayo or mustard mayo, and layer on sliced ham, spinach or dark Cos lettuce, then roll up. Or spread mayo mixed with a little peanut butter under thinly sliced chicken with crunchy Iceberg lettuce. Vegetarians or chilli-lovers will relish a wrap stuffed with shredded peppers, carrots, green onions and long strips of cucumber on lettuce and mayo made spicy with a spoonful of hot tamale sauce.

Hardboiled eggs are easy to eat, and you can make them fun with designs, messages and faces on the outside for the little ones, or pack them ready shelled if your child hasn't yet mastered the art of egg-peeling. A quartered hardboiled egg mixed with spinach, sliced tomatoes and salad dressing is a refreshing lunch, and a roll or a handful of pasta adds vital carbohydrates to keep their energy levels high.

Small is Beautiful

Look out for small pieces of fruit that won't overwhelm tiny appetites. Some supermarkets pack and sell small fruits especially for lunch boxes, but a local greengrocer will be happy to help you get smaller sized fruit. Older children or ever-hungry teens can always have three or four pieces if you're fixing food for a wide age range. Little apples and bananas, satsumas or bunches of grapes go well with with sticks or squares of cheese. Keep packets of sweet raisins and dried fruit in your store cupboard for when time is short, or favourite fresh fruits are out of season.

Small cold chicken portions, cold meats and cold sausages are easy to handle, When packing potentially messy foods, make sure you include wet wipes in the lunchbag so your child can clean up afterwards.

Seasonal standbys

A vacuum flask with a wide mouth is a useful winter standby. Your child can take warming soups and stews to school and have a hot meal in the middle of a long day. Pack the flask alongside a couple of bread rolls or flatbreads, some fruit and cheese, and your child will be well fed until dinnertime.

In summer, you can use the same flask to pack stewed fruit as well as cold drinks. Maybe your child would enjoy some apples cooked with cinnamon and raisins, or pitted cherries with almond slivers. Or perhaps you'd rather use it to keep a pasta salad cold? Cook and chill your child's favourite pasta shapes and toss in a light tomato sauce or salad dressing with slices of tomato, cooked sliced beans and grated cheese.

The copyright of the article Ideas for Filling That School Lunchbox in Recipes is owned by Helen McCarthy. Permission to republish Ideas for Filling That School Lunchbox in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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