Thinking of healthy and exciting packed lunch fillings can be a daily challenge – especially if you can’t envisage your child happily trotting off to school with a box of sprouting mung beans, and you’re not bowing to the crisp and chocolate demands. Here are some simple, fast and scrumptious ideas to bring new life to the dreaded lunchbox – and remember, the power of novelty is not to be underestimated.
Healthy and happy
According to NHS choices a balanced lunchbox should contain:
- Starchy foods like bread, rice, potatoes or pasta
- Protein foods like meat, fish, eggs or beans
- A dairy item, like cheese or yogurt
- Vegetables or salad and a portion of fruit
Try something new
Cheese and pickle is not to be knocked, but if your kids are tired with the same old sandwich fillings then why not try something new?
Omelette in a bun
You’re a star sarnies
Use a star-shaped cutter to stamp out six bread stars from the wholemeal bread (freeze the off-cuts to make breadcrumbs). Swirl the red pesto through the cream cheese and spread onto both sides of the stars. Close the sandwich, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge if making the night before.
Green club sandwich
Double decking bread just makes sandwiches more exciting – fact. But it also gives you license to squeeze in extra good stuff. This green club sandwich is high on energy, so kids should feel extra alert all the way through double maths. Lesley Water’s sandwich filler ideas are also a great way of adding extra variety by getting creative with simple ingredients.
Super salad wraps
For more tasty tortillas, try our carrot & hummus roll-ups or chicken roll-ups.
Cheese and apple
Mix their favourite grated hard cheese with grated apple, chopped spring onions, a squeeze of lemon and a little mayonnaise. Delicious with wholemeal bread or rolls.
Creamy smoked mackerel
Skin and flake smoked mackerel fillets, then mix with a little mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Spread onto thick wholemeal bread and top with crisp lettuce leaves.
Marmite, cheese and cucumber
Try Marmite, grated cheddar and sliced cucumber in a crusty baguette or ciabatta roll. They’ll either love it or hate it.
Sandwich swap
Want to bin the sandwich altogether? There are plenty of carby options that kids should love and that can help add a bit of variety into your child’s diet.
Pasta perfection
For more pasta inspiration, follow the ‘make it for kids’ swap on the store cupboard pasta salad; whip up a speedy Mediterranean-style tortellini with pesto & broccoli; or try this flavourful BLT pasta salad for a lighter version of a classic British sarnie.
Healthy bites
Our chicken taco salad and two-bean tuna salad also work really well in the summer months. If you’re worried about keeping your child’s lunchbox cool, why not freeze an extra bottle of water overnight to work as a cooler – it’ll give them a refreshing afternoon drink, too.
Discover plenty more healthy lunchbox ideas for kids.
Feasts in a flask
Big-batch chicken soup
Creamy lentil & veggie curry
Super-verstatile meatballs
Crisp and chocolate swaps
Cutting out foods that are high in salt and sugar is a huge step to creating a healthy lunch for your child. Simply swapping crisps, sweet biscuits and chocolate bars for foods like unsalted nuts, dried fruit, chunks of cheese or a low-sugar yogurt is a huge step forward. But if you want to get creative, we have plenty of interesting ideas for lunchbox snacks that kids should fall in love with…
Fruity sundae
Seeded oatcakes
These super easy and moreish oatmeal bites are not only bursting with wholesome flavour, but also only take 30 minutes to prep and bake. Your kids might never ask for shop-bought versions again…
Choco-dipped tangerines
Sweet potato crisps
This super-simple veggie snack takes no time to make. Thinly slice a sweet potato and roast in olive oil – no added salt is needed.
Spiced apple crisps
These spiced apple crisps take a bit of time to bake, but couldn’t be simpler to make. Try packing them in a paper bag to make them look more like sweets.
Chocolate-drizzled popcorn
Melon & crunchy bran pots
Fibre, yogurt and fruit make a winning combination in these scrumptious crunchy melon pots.
Welsh rarebit muffins
Get the kids to help make up these yummy muffins, and they can show off the results to their friends at lunchtime.
Rhubarb & custard crunch
Chocolate flapjacks
These bars are packed full of slow-burning carbs that will happily see kids through an afternoon of running around the playground.
New ways with fruit and veg
Creating a pick-and-mix effect can make fruit look much more attractive to kids, even if all it involves is a few extra minutes peeling and dicing an apple or adding in a couple of grapes. It sounds ridiculous, but securing fruit and cheese on a stick can really work wonders when it comes to getting kids to eat their 5-a-day, and it takes just minutes to prepare. Whizzing up healthy dips or homemade hummus to accompany vegetable sticks is another great trick, and so much easier than you might think. Here are some ideas…
Rainbow fruit skewers
Cheese & fruit sticks
Smashed bean dip
Frozen fruit sticks with passion fruit drizzle
Red lentil & sweet potato dip
Discover more lunchbox ideas for kids…
5 easy lunchbox mains
Healthy lunchbox ideas for kids
10 budget ideas of kids’ lunchboxes
Quick lunchbox ideas for kids
Kids’ lunchbox recipe collection
10 snacks under 100 calories
Best kids’ lunchboxes review
If you’ve got any ideas on what to pack in your child’s lunchbox we’d love to hear them – or let us know how you got on with our lunchbox recipes…
