Feeding your children can be a thankless and frustrating task at the best of times, but never more so than when it comes to packed lunches.
While their focus is on foods that are healthy, filling, and nutritious, they prefer to eat a bag of chips and a soda, which are not only bad for them but also expensive.
So how can you make a week’s worth of healthy packed lunches that you’ll actually want to eat, without breaking the bank?
London nutritionist Lily Soutter says a well-stocked lunch box should contain five key components: starchy carbohydrates, protein, dairy, fruit and vegetables, as well as a bottle of water.
“A healthy and nutritious lunch is essential to nourish children throughout the day and provide them with the right nutrients for learning and development,” he adds. Here, food writer Sarah Rainey offers suggestions for cheap and tasty lunchbox fillers, guaranteed to make school days easier for everyone…
Turn Sunday roast chicken into a tasty pasta salad by shredding leftovers (this would also work with beef, pork or ham) and tossing them into the cooked pasta.
Make lunchtime fun by serving dips with raw vegetables—anything you have in the refrigerator, like carrot and celery sticks, sugar snap peas, or baby tomatoes.
MONDAY: Leftover roast pasta from Sunday
Turn Sunday roast chicken into a tasty pasta salad by shredding leftovers (this would also work with beef, pork or ham) and tossing them into the cooked pasta.
If you can, swap white pasta for whole grains to increase your fiber intake – it’s packed with manganese, a mineral essential for calcium absorption and vital for bone health. Chop any leftover roasted vegetables, such as carrots, and stir them in as well; and if there is any sauce left in the jar, use it as a sauce for pasta with meat.
Don’t forget to bring a fork so they can eat!
Snack suggestions: A handful of grapes, a few small pieces of cheddar cheese (or any other hard cheese).
TUESDAY: Hummus and dippers
Make lunchtime fun by serving dips with raw vegetables—anything you have in the refrigerator, like carrot and celery sticks, sugar snap peas, or baby tomatoes.
Save on store-bought hummus and make your own: simply mix together a cup of cooked chickpeas, a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, and the juice of 1 lemon.
Buy dried chickpeas, rather than canned: you can get 500g for less than £2 in most supermarkets, a real saving on canned.
Serve with homemade tortilla chips: Cut a tortilla into pizza-like pieces and grill for five minutes until crispy. These will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
Snack suggestions: A handful of nuts, such as apricots, or try rice cakes spread with nut butter.
WEDNESDAY: Odds and Ends Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are an easy and inexpensive lunchbox filler, and you can make them with whatever you have in the refrigerator.
Mix two eggs with three tablespoons of flour, a clove of crushed garlic and half a cup of milk.
Egg muffins are an easy and inexpensive lunchbox filler, and you can make them with whatever you have in the refrigerator.
Now add any or all of the following: a handful of grated cheese (any variety will do), a teaspoon of chopped fresh or dried herbs, some sliced cherry tomatoes or peppers, salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into 4-6 muffin tins and bake at 170c for 15 minutes until golden. Serve with cucumber slices on the side.
Snack suggestions: Chopped melon or pineapple, unsalted popcorn.
THURSDAY: Pitta Pizza Pockets
Pittas, especially whole grains, are an easy way to get your kids fiber and are perfect for mess-free eating. You can buy a pack of six for 50p in most stores.
Don’t splurge on fancy pizza toppings or tomato sauce—just use some tomato puree or low-fat tomato sauce to spread on the inside.
Then, fill your pittas with sliced tomato, grated cheese, and a protein of your choice, like ham or tuna, for the ultimate healthy “pizza.”
If you use tuna, a source of brain-boosting omega-3s, make sure it’s in spring water, not salty brine or fatty oil. Drain it well.
Snack suggestions: A small box of raisins, apple slices with cream cheese.
Pittas, especially whole grains, are an easy way to get your kids fiber and are perfect for mess-free eating. You can buy a pack of six for 50p in most stores.
FRIDAY: Sandwich stars and banana flapjacks
Inject some fun into Friday lunchtime by cutting your usual sandwiches into stars (or use whatever cookie cutters you have in the cupboard). And don’t waste the trimmings: you can dip them in egg and fry them for breakfast!
Trade expensive sandwich spreads for delicious homemade fillings: grated apple mixed with cheddar cheese, carrot strips with cream cheese, or chicken slices with curry-spiced mayonnaise.
And surprise your kids by making a batch of banana flapjacks that will last all week. Mash three bananas with 200g oats, two tablespoons of honey and half a teaspoon each of vanilla and cinnamon extract, press into a lined tin and bake at 160c for 20 minutes.
Snack suggestions: Babybel cheese, a handful of walnuts.
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