Back To School/Nursery Lunchbox Packing Tips & Ideas – @my.little.food.critic
As the children head back to nursery/school after the break it can feel like quite a cumbersome task to think of 5 lunches to send in!
Lunchbox packing can be tricky as little one’s preference are ever changing and trying to balance what they will enjoy with a nutritious and wholesome lunch can be quite a challenge.
Lunch is a really important meal for little ones, and it fuels them for those busy school days. Packing a healthy lunch doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming.
My basic lunchbox formula is a source of protein, iron, healthy fat and fruit/veg.
Here are my top tips for packing delicious, balanced and nutritious lunches.
TOP TIPS:
1. Make a pack lunch meal plan! This allows you to look at what you already have in the fridge/are planning to cook for dinner during the week – some of it may be able to double up as lunch the next day. For example, if you cook pasta for dinner the night before, leftovers can be served in their lunchbox the next day.
2. Batch cook muffins/fritters and store them in the freezer. You can then just pull out what you need the night before and it’ll defrost in the fridge overnight.
3. Prep your fruit and veg ahead of time! Have everything washed, cut (if possible) and put away in the fridge so all you have to do is pop it into the lunchbox.
4. Make it fun! If your little one is on the picky side making food fun can really spark their interest and encourage them to eat. This could mean using mini cookie cutters for veggies for fun shapes, serving a dip for the veggies, using cookie cutters for sandwiches.
5. If this is their first time taking a packed lunch to school, you may want to have a trial run and practice them having their lunch in their lunchbox at home.
6. It’s also important to include a reusable ice pack to keep food cool.
7. Ensure that they are able to open their lunchbox and any containers used to make the process easier for them!
