The summer holidays are nearly over. Boo. And the kids are heading back to school. Yay!

If the thought of lunch box preparation for your kids does not provoke the above ‘yay’, but echoes Amanda Whitley’s sentiment of “making cheese sandwiches every single day is kicking my arse” then read on. I’ve compiled a list of lunch box ideas to get you inspired and prepared for when your kids head back to school.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents gives us a breakdown of food groups that our children should be eating each day. You can use this breakdown as your idea bank for packing your children’s lunches.

Here are some lunch box ideas from each of the food groups that your child needs for optimum health and development. These ideas are from lots of parents just like you, so please share your ideas in the comments sections below!

Vegetables

• carrot, celery or capsicum sticks with hummus, tzatziki dip or tomato salsa
• fill a snack cup with frozen peas, corn and carrots – by the time recess or lunch comes around they are great little sweet bites to nibble on
• a cold rice, couscous, quinoa or pasta salad  – add grated carrot, cubed tomato, drained corn kernels, chopped capsicum, peas, finely shredded baby spinach or whatever other vegetables your children will eat. Try this pasta salad recipe.
• fill sandwiches with shredded lettuce, sprouts, sliced tomato, cucumber and capsicum
• vegetable frittata
• potato cakes with grated vegetables
• 4 bean mix with tuna or salmon
• lentil and vegetable soups and stews stored in a thermos to keep warm. Try this lamb and vegetable soup or my hearty pumpkin soup
• lettuce cups filled with chopped vegetables

Fruit

• cut up an apple, pear or orange and then put it back together and wrap it in foil to stop it from going brown
• a whole banana, apple or pear
• a snack cup of dried fruit – apricots, sultanas, apple, goji berries, blueberries etc
• a container of watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, rock melon or grapes
• apple slices with peanut butter or cheese

Check out this post 20 Ways to Eat More Fruit for more ideas.

Whole grains and Legumes

• wholemeal sandwich spread with Vegemite and Philadelphia cream cheese.
• soy and linseed bread with ham and cheese
• wholemeal pasta salad with chopped fresh vegetables, chicken and mayonnaise
• brown rice or whole wheat couscous with a tin of flavoured tuna or salmon
• quinoa salad – add a little chicken stock to the water whilst cooking the quinoa (1 part quinoa to 2 parts water, cook until the water disappears) and then add some dried herbs and a little bit of lemon juice to flavour. Add corn kernels, chopped red capsicum, spiced cucumber and any other vegetables.
• baked beans from the tin
• chick pea or lentil salad

Dairy

• a small tub of yoghurt
• a small container of cubed tasty cheese or sliced cheese with whole grain crackers
• spread crackers or a wrap with cottage or ricotta cheese, add grated vegetables and ham
• cottage cheese with strawberries or blueberries
• mountain bread wraps with Vegemite and grated cheese
• yoghurt with frozen berries

Lean meat, fish, poultry and eggs

• ham, shaved breast chicken or shaved roast beef sandwiches or wraps
• boiled eggs in their shells (teach the kids how to peel them)
• curried egg and salad sandwiches or wraps
• add BBQ’d chicken to salads
• tinned fish to put on whole grain crackers or a sandwich
• mini pizzas with ham or chicken with cheese, pineapple, capsicum, mushrooms etc

Drinks

Water is best!

Fruit juices, soft drinks and flavoured milks are not suitable replacements for water. Getting them in the habit of drinking only water is an important habit they will bring into adulthood.

If you would like some tips on staying organised for school lunches you can check out the Healthy School Lunches post over on my website.