If you choose to give your child a packed lunch please choose healthy options.  This school minimises the use of nuts in school.  Please can you refrain from providing lunches containing peanuts in any form including Nutella.

Whether squeezing it in before the school run in the morning or before bed on busy midweek evenings, preparing your child's lunchbox can seem like just another thing on the list.

School meals are a great choice, but if you do make a packed lunch for your child then we've got you covered with our range of quick, easy, healthier lunchbox ideas.

 

Keep them fuller for longer

Base the lunchbox on foods like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Choose wholegrain where you can.

 

Freeze your bread

Keep a small selection of bread in the freezer. Make lunchboxes more interesting by using different shapes, like bagels, pittas and wraps, and different types of bread, such as granary, wholemeal and multi-grain.

DIY lunches

Wraps and pots of fillings can be more exciting for kids when they get to put them together. Dipping foods are also fun and make a change from a sandwich each day.

 

Ever green

Always add salad to sandwiches – it all counts towards your child's 5 A DAY.

 

Always add veg

Cherry tomatoes, or sticks of carrot, cucumber, celery and peppers all count towards their 5 A DAY. Adding a small pot of reduced-fat hummus or other dips may help with getting kids to eat vegetables.

Cut down on crisps

If your child really likes their crisps try reducing the number of times you include them in their lunchbox and swap for homemade plain popcorn or plain rice cakes instead.

 

Add bite-size fruit

Try chopped apple, peeled satsuma segments, strawberries, blueberries, halved grapes or melon slices to make it easier for them to eat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to stop it from going brown.

Swap the sweets

Swap cakes, chocolate, cereal bars and biscuits for malt loaf, fruited teacakes, fruit breads or fruit (fresh, dried or tinned – in juice not syrup).

 

Get them involved

Get your kids involved in preparing and choosing what goes in their lunchbox. They are more likely to eat it if they helped make it.

 

Variety is the spice of lunchboxes!

Be adventurous and get creative to mix up what goes in their lunchbox.

For loads more easy-to-prepare ideas your kids will love, as well as tips on what else to put in their lunchbox please visit https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes