These days you need to fill children’s lunchboxes with inspiration, as well as foods and drinks. You have to think about nutrition and a nice and healthy diet, so you’re not only looking for options that taste good but that are good for them too. And because kids get bored quickly, you also need to think about variety.
To help you, Soreen have consulted some experts and prepared a list of lunchbox ideas for you to experiment with. We’ve included a couple of Soreen products in there too, because a boost of deliciously squidgy energy half way through the school day is always a good idea for any child:
You need to fill them up – so salad and fruit is not enough by itself. Kids need protein, carbohydrates, fibre and vitamins to help their bones grow and keep their brains sharp, so they’ll want a sandwich, wrap, quiche, pasta or similar as a ‘main course.’
Sandwiches are fine, just think a bit more about what goes in them– mix between wholemeal, granary, multi-grain, white and brown breads.
And try wraps occasionally as these often go down great with kids. For fillings, tuna mayo & sweetcorn make a tasty change, whist traditional favourites like chicken salad or wafer thin ham and tomato are always popular. As a tip, just adding a little hummus, marmite or cream cheese to a sandwich can improve the flavour factor and make it more taste bud friendly.
As a change from sandwiches – try a flavour-packed carbohydrate-based salad, made with pasta, rice, or potato. Or maybe a mini quiche, a hard-boiled egg, or a tub of delicious cottage cheese and pineapple with celery sticks to dip in it.
Avoid sugary drinks – go for water, milk, or pure fruit juice. If you’ve time, making and bottling your own smoothies would be a refreshing option.
Add a snack or treat –finding wholesome treats for kids can be a head-scratcher! But kids, big and little, will love Lunchbox Loaves from Soreen. At only 95 calories each, you can choose from two delicious flavours – Original or Banana. Both squidgy in texture, the Original is Soreen’s traditional malt loaf recipe, whilst the Banana is bursting with yummy banana pieces and banana puree. Each pack contains 5 individually wrapped bite sized treats, one for everyday of the school week.
Don’t forget your five-a-day options – by including a small bag of raisins or sultanas, or a seasonal fruit like a Satsuma, apple, banana, pear, peach or plum. Another good lunchbox idea is your own freshly prepared fruit pot, or a tasty salad pot with cucumber, peppers, cherry tomatoes and celery sprinkled with a little lemon juice or garnished with coleslaw.
So there are a few suggestions from Soreen on how to give any lunchbox a healthy mix and a good nutritional balance, whilst still keeping things tasty and appealing. With cooked school meals getting healthier by the day, it’s more important than ever that the contents of your child’s lunchbox are just as well thought out.
