Lunchbox tips for getting back to school

If you need some inspiration for the Back to School lunches, here are some top tips for healthy, cost effective lunch boxes that the kids will love.

Use carbs as a base

Base the main item of your lunchbox on foods that are high in carbohydrate like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. These items slowly release energy which will keep their minds active and will also keep them fuller for longer. If you can use wholegrain foods – even better! If your child does not like wholegrain, try easing them in by using one slice of white bread and one slice of brown with their sandwiches.

By utilising your freezer, you can also save money on lots of different items by batch cooking and buying new bread items with every shop and storing them for later, that way you will always have a variety of options, like bagels, pittas and wraps as well as sliced bread on hand.

Get the kids involved

Food is always more exciting if you can get involved. Wraps and pots of filling are a hit for kids that like to build their own lunches and food they can eat with a dip will make a nice change from having sandwiches every day and will allow you to use items like breadsticks and crackers, which are low in cost. Similarly, if the kids are allowed to choose things for their lunchboxes, they will be more inclined to eat them!

Keep it healthy

Always add salad to sandwiches and wraps – it counts towards your five a day and adds interesting textures and flavours. Always make a point of adding veg to your lunchboxes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and sticks of carrot, pepper and celery are all ways of getting healthy snacks into their diet. Bite-sized pieces of fruit are also a good way to help them get a sugar fix without including cereal bars or chocolate – tinned fruit and fruit pots are good options too!

Cut down crisps and fat

If your child is a bit of a crisp fiend, don’t take them away completely, just cut down on the amount of days that crisps feature in their lunchboxes, instead why not swap them out for popcorn or rice cakes or even have a go at making your own crisps out of apples or potatoes for a fun activity together.

Variety is the spice of life

The main thing to remember is that no one wants their lunch to be boring – be adventurous and mix it up a bit, maybe set up a rota so you can make sure that there are different items each day.