Lunch box ideas for kids
Who is to say that healthy school lunches have to be boring? There are plenty of fun delicious recipes for school lunches that will keep children happy and fed while also helping them concentrate better in school.
Healthy eating starts at home, so here at schooldays.ie we have added our favorite home-made lunch boxes recipes - please tell us yours!
Say it with Fruit! - Fruit Kebabs
Giving a child a single apple along with a sandwich might not be enough to whet their appetite, so how about Fruits Kebabs!Lot’s of big colourful chunks of fruit on a wooden skewer is a fun yet sneaky way to entice children to eat their fruit at lunch time. Use apple pieces, grapes, berries, pineapple, strawberries, kiwis, banana or whatever you have in your fruit bowl. Give them on their own, with raw-veg side or with a tasty sandwich.
Veggies Delight - A side of Raw
Raw vegetables are crunchy, packed full of nutrients and are great additions to lunchboxes. Cut vegetables into kids sized fun bites or matchsticks. Veg like carrots, cucumber, peppers, celery, salad leaves or cherry tomatoes are a great and healthy side kids love.Smooth Smoothies
Store bought smoothies can be very expensive especially if you are buying for a couple of kids every day. By making your own ( think fruit, juice, yogurt) quickly in the morning, or the night before, a quick whiz in the blender can save you time and money. Pour into leak-proof flasks or bottles.Super Sandwiches - Which Sandwich?
There are literally hundreds of variants in which to make your favorite sandwich. What is your child’s favorite? Whether their favorite is plain old ham and cheese or tuna wrap, there are still plenty of ways to make this classic staple healthier: here’s our top favs:
Egg salad - Eggs are a great filler for hungry kids and packed with protein. Add a little mayo to hard-boiled eggs along with a squeeze of lemon and some dijon mustard along with crunchy lettuce. Fill a healthy multi-grain bap, wrap or gluten free bread. Tip: Add a pickle to spice up the egg.
Easy Wraps - Kid’s love wraps so get creative and pack some tortilla wraps with your healthy favorites. Grate some carrot and lettuce, chop some onions, cucumber, peppers and use as the base of your wraps. Add a slice of non-processed cheese, or cooked meat like roast chicken, ham or turkey, with a small dollop of mayo or sugar free (soya or dairy) yogurt.
Terrific Tuna - In a bowl add a can of tuna along with chopped celery, a little chopped onion or scallions, some lemon juice and small dollop of mayo or salad dressing. Add a little salt and pepper. Mix together and serve on brown bread.
Italiano- Try something different with a mozzarella, basil and tomato sarnie. Slice tomato and mozzarella thinly and chop some fresh basil. Serve in either wrap or sandwich with a little oil or spread of pesto. Yum!
Fancy Vegan - If you want to skip the animal fat try sliced ripe avocado, with tomato, onion, cucumber with shredded carrot and crunchy lettuce with some vegan mayo or hummus. Enjoy in a wrap.
For hungry kids pack their lunch boxes with extra healthy options like bananas, yogurts, or chopped veg that will fill them up, helping them concentrate better in class.
Remember convenience store bought foods are often high in salt, sugar and fat which can cause kids bodies to ‘crash’ and become tired, affecting their energy levels and concentration in school.
Got any suggestions for lunch box ideas? Please leave a comment!
Amanda
(04/09/2018 21:48)
Hi,
I’m a soon-to-be Nutrition graduate and was looking for parents opinions on what they would like their children to learn in school as regards food and healthy eating. I know it can be a challenge as you don’t want to give children a food complex but there is so much useful information available that may help in the prevention of chronic diseases.
sal
(09/09/2018 01:21)
Hi Amanda they should be given age appropriate information regarding avoiding processed foods like lunchable products, processed cheese and hams and high sugar products like yogurts with more than 8g of sugar per 100g. These types of products are convenience foods sold with children s school lunchboxes as the target market. They are high in salt sugar and preservatives. Kids should be taught about the importance of a balanced diet and encouraged to bring fruit and veg in their lunchboxes, parents too! Food Dudes is used in some primary schools, kids are told of the importance of fresh fruit and veg in their diet and sample packs are sent to the the schoold for the children to taste, kids are rewarded with a Food Dude sticker if they taste or eat the fruit or veg and a Food Dude video is played to the children. Parents are also encouraged to put a 'real' food in the child's lunchbox each day.