0 LUNCH BOX IDEAS for the kids

Sandwich – but to mix it up, cut off crusts and use a ROLLING PIN to flatten the bread and then once you have added filling, roll the sandwich like a wrap and hold closed by tying a piece of chive around it.

Don’t just make sandwiches every day, mix it up with wraps, rolls, different breads or even dried biscuits like cruskits, saladas and premium biscuits where can add your spread in between.

Vege sticks with dip – cut carrots, cucumber, celery and capsicum into small thin strips. If they like hummus, you can add a little in a small container as a dip. Or try mashing an avocado and mixing in some lemon juice to stop it going brown; this can be a yummy dip also.

Yoghurt – tub, drinking yoghurt.

Cheese – Slices, cubes, string cheese, pods.

Fruit – Apple cubes, orange cubes, pear slices, pineapples pieces, kiwi fruit, sliced banana, peaches, cherries, grapes and passion fruit. Fresh is best, but canned can be just as good sometimes, especially for things like pears and peaches. 

Dried fruit - Sultanas, currants, prunes, cranberries, apricots, dried apple.

Left over dinner - When making dinner, you can put aside a small plastic container for their lunch the next day with a spoon or fork. Obviously don’t choose messy, hard to eat foods as they are going to be busy chatting with friends and possibly eating off their lap.

If you have had a BBQ for dinner, pop in a sausage or a rissole cut into quarters.

Mini quiches are great. A simple egg and bacon quiche is so easy to prepare and cook. Try adding other veges to mix it up and make different shape quiches. Variety keeps children interested.

If your children like dried biscuits, you can add half a dozen like clix or jatz in a small container as a snack.

TIPS

When cutting fruit up, try pushing it all back together into its original shape then put an elastic band around it, this helps keep it fresher for longer. An ‘apple peeler, corer, slicer’ is always fun as you can make springy curly apples.

If you child doesn’t like a certain food, DON’T GIVE UP TRYING it again in a few days, weeks or even a month later. Their taste buds change as they grow, so what they turn their nose up at today, they may enjoy a few weeks later.

Adding it into other foods can also help children acquire a taste for it. So when you’re making casseroles, pasta dishes, stir-fry’s, salads or even cake mixes… try adding the food they aren’t sure about or dislike, into a bigger mix and it won’t be so strong in flavour.