If my calculations are correct, by the time my three boys have finished primary school, I’ll have prepared thousands of lunchboxes.
Day after day, week after week. And I’ll be honest, by the end of last year, inspiration was waning.
I was tired. The lunch boxes were boring. A sandwich. A muesli bar. An apple. The boys would complain, but I was stuck.
Fast forward to a new school year, and I’m here with fresh ideas. Because none of us wants to eat the same food every day – variety is the spice of school lunchbox life.
So here are my seven tips on healthy and delicious ways to keep lunchboxes interesting for Term 1 (and beyond).
1. Change up the lunchbox
Lunchboxes have changed since we were kids. These days, they come with multiple compartments, liquid-tight containers and durable fastenings.
Bento-style boxes are ideal for my four-year-old – he loves having lots of different bits and pieces to choose from. My bigger boys love the ones with a separate section for their sandwiches, plus places to keep snacks, fruit and whatever else they might find in there.
A good lunchbox is half the battle won, trust me.
2. Refresh the snack roster
Mini Rice Cakes from Table of Plenty are on high rotation in our lunchboxes (and weekend snack bags, and my handbag). They’re the unicorn of snacks – the kids love them, they’re made with wholegrain rice, and are 100 per cent natural with no artificial colours or flavours. They're also the perfect to snack to bring along when we're visiting our coeliac friend as they are gluten free.
My kids love the Salted Caramel and Triple Berry flavours, while Dark Chocolate is my favourite when I need an afternoon pick-me-up. Surely the best kids’ snacks are the ones adults get to enjoy, too?
Image: Supplied.
3. Sometimes, ditch the sandwich
Why is it that everything tastes better in a wrap? My kids love finding wraps in their lunchboxes, and even with the most simple of fillings, they’re a hit. With so many flavours and quick-to-make options out there, try experimenting to find your favourites.
For speedy and simple, hommus and grated carrot still seems to please my boys. Or, for something heftier we like shop-bought falafels with hommus, avocado and baby spinach. Whatever you wrap up, you can cut the wrap into bite-size pieces, for easy eating.
Because apparently the faster you eat your lunch, the more time you can spend playing. Kids have got their priorities right.
Image: Supplied.
4. Fruit, but make it fun
Yes, fruit is standard, but let’s go beyond the usual bananas, apples and pears. Fresh pineapple, melon and mango are always a hit, so are colourful berries when they’re in season. Or surprise your kids with fruit off their radar –lychees, passionfruit, fresh figs, papaya or dragon fruit.
Explore what’s available in the exotic fruits section of your local supermarket. Short on time? Draw a goofy face or write a silly message on their banana’s skin with a felt tip marker – minimum effort for maximum smiles.
5. The freezer is your friend
Future you will thank past you for thinking to make and freeze lunchbox fillers ahead of time. Homemade muffins, lunchbox-friendly bliss balls, even store-bought savoury snacks like cheese and bacon rolls and pizza scrolls.
Keep your freezer stocked with lunchbox saviours, so you can fill up lunchboxes with ease, knowing the food will be perfectly defrosted by recess.
You can even plan ahead and freeze sandwiches – one of my friend’s kids loves Vegemite and cheese sandwiches so she makes a stack at a time, freezes them, and then grabs one out each day. Speedy.
6. Very good veg
My kids go through phases of being veg-resistant, but we all know how good vegetables are, so I include them time and again. It’s like vegetable exposure therapy. Eventually, they get so used to seeing colourful veg in their lunchboxes, they give in and eat them.
Carrot batons, celery sticks and capsicum are all great, and including a little pot of hommus to dip them in makes them more appealing. Cooked corn on the cob is also a hit, easy to eat and delicious.
My eldest boy loves avocados, so half an avocado with a spoon in his lunchbox is guaranteed to be eaten. Change it up and see what works with your kids – cooked or raw cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cold roast potatoes, sugar snap peas, pop it in and see what sticks.
7. Think outside the box
If your child is happy to eat the same sandwich every day in their lunchbox, more power to you. But my kids get booooooored. So changing it up with something other than a sandwich helps to keep things interesting.
Homemade or shop-bought sushi, or a deconstructed sushi of cold rice, tinned tuna and crispy seaweed is a winner. Or turn your leftovers into lovely lunchboxes: last night’s meatballs, chicken kebabs or slices of quiche are all ideal.
Give your leftovers a second life, with recipes like these spag bol muffins. My kids also love cooked cold tortellini or ravioli in their lunchbox, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of cheese. Seriously, anything but a sandwich and they’re happy little campers.
One last thing
A total game changer for me? Making my lunch at the same time I make the kids’ lunches. Even when I’m working from home, it makes my day so much easier knowing lunch is already done and dusted, and saves me messing up the kitchen again.
Table of Plenty offer nourishing on-the-go snacks available from your local Woolies, Coles and independent supermarkets.
Feature Image: Supplied.
