Lunch Box Ideas

Children prefer to use minimum effort when eating lunch, especially when it is food they are not keen on such as fruit and vegetables. Plenty of preparation or having children participate in making their own lunch will both have a positive effect.

Wraps

Children can get fed up of the same sandwiches every day. Wraps are a healthy and fun alternative to sandwiches. A different route to encourage children to eat their dinner is to give them the contents of the wrap to make up themselves at lunch. This way they will be putting in what they like and are more likely to eat it.

Sandwich cutters

A great way of encouraging children to eat their sandwiches, particularly if they don’t like crusts, is to cut them out with shaped cutters. They can then have star, circle or heart-shaped sandwiches making their lunch look exciting and appealing.

Pastas

Cold pasta at lunch is a great source for giving children the carbohydrates they need to continue through the rest of the day. Better still it is a fantastic way of sneaking vegetables into their diet. Tomato pasta with sauce created from tinned plum tomatoes with garlic, onions and herbs can count towards their 5 a day, particularly if chopped peppers and courgettes are added.

Rice

A cold rice salad is a fantastic way of getting children to have a balanced lunch. Rice with chicken or scrambled eggs, peas and sweet corn means they will be getting a balance of the key food groups while the contrasting colours will liven up their lunch box. Adding in a small pitta bread allows them to create their own sandwich, making lunchtime more of a fun experience. 

Desserts

Natural yoghurts and fruit can make a great alternative to sugary biscuits for desserts.

Fruit kebabs

Small pieces of fruit on cocktail sticks make lunchboxes more varied and colourful.