Fast and Snappy Lunch Box Options
10 Tricks of the trade with it comes to packing lunch boxes
- I start thinking about the lunch box snacks on the weekend before by purchasing the necessary groceries and making a batch of muffins, cakes or biscuits all flavours negotiated of course by the little bosses.
- Have everything ready to go for the week is optimal for a smooth flowing week. E.g. Wrap the home-made snacks into serving sizes
- Plan to make Sunday or Monday night roast night so that you have some cold meat for the week. This is much cheaper than the deli meats and you can avoid the preservatives.
- Start the procedure of packing the lunch box the night before by popping in the snacks and fruit into the box. Encourage the children to do this because if the little ones are involved in the process of choosing and packing their own food, they are much more likely to eat the food.
- Buy your yoghurt in large tubs and down size into well sealed containers. Throw in some choc chips if that’s what it takes for them to eat it.
- Chop fruit into bite size pieces. This makes it easier and faster to eat at their meal break times, so they can get onto more important things like play.
- Make more at dinnertime and use the left over’s to fill lunch boxes. Eg. Rissoles, curries, fried rice, taco mince, homemade pizza, patties, pasta dishes.
- Get children to eat what is in their lunch box before they eat afternoon tea when they get home. Talk about why they didn’t eat anything left over and what would be a better choice.
- Don’t worry about changing the choices in the box too much. As adults we enjoy variety but children I have found not so much.
- Tuck-shop day, pre-organise with your tuck-shop coordinator’s the option of providing specific food to be served to your child if they have multiple allergies, this is a great way to take the pressure off the tuck-shop but keep the child inclusive.
For recipes, tips and more suggestions go to Whatcanieat.com.au or contact the What Can I Eat Team.
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