Top 10 Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
With the kids back at school, that means we are up early, making breakfast and then throwing the same old sandwich and apple pieces into the kids lunch boxes. Only to find that they come up either untouched, or half eaten. I always thought I would be super creative when it came to my kids lunches, but it took my daughter having an intolerance to gluten and dairy that has made me think outside the box. We are super lucky as my daughters school allows nuts. So I can be more adventurous with recipes.
I use the YUMbox lunch box for the kids my lunches. They come with 6 little compartments. This allows me to get a variety of food into each section and cover all the food groups necessary to keep her thriving throughout the day. Biome Eco Store have a variety of lunch boxes in different colours, shapes and compartment ratios. Be sure to check them out if your on the hunt for a new lunchbox. Click here Biome Eco Store.
Here are my top 10 lunch box filler ideas for kids:
These are all easy batch prepped on a Sunday and you can just throw them in the lunch box each morning:
These are a simple kids lunch box recipe ideas to make and only require few ingredients. You can put in whatever your kids like on their pizza. They make 10-12 so they will easily last you the whole week. You can freeze them and take them out as you require. Click for the recipe here.
2. Nut Free, Apricot and Dark Chocolate Muesli Bar
This is a sweet treat without the mum guilt. It is filled with oats and dried apricots that the kids will love it. You can make it dairy free but using dairy free chocolate. I make this at the start of the week and then store it in the fridge. It is super delicious and the kids will never leave this behind in their lunch box. Click for the recipe here.
3. Chocolate, Date, Vegan Energy Balls
These are all made by just throwing them in a blender and rolling them together. My kids actually love to help make these ones. They store well in the fridge and will be a good energy kick that your child will need at morning tea time. Click for the recipe here.
So you can substitute the tofu for egg if you like. But to be honest, my partner is traumatised from having egg in his school lunches and being teased for the smell. So we do not put egg in the school lunches for that reason. Therefore, I use tofu. You can always use ham or chicken if this suits you better. Super simple to make and I like to hold it together with an elastic band. Click for the recipe here.
I love this recipe from Lazy Cat Kitchen. It is super versatile and you can put in there whatever you like. I like to add tofu, spinach, mayonnaise and a sprinkle of fried shallots. Super delicious and not too messy for the young kids! Click for the recipe here.
6. Banana Oatmeal Muffins (no flour)
So these are some of my favourite muffins to whip up and freeze so I always have some on hand. They are super simple as you just throw it all in the blender and it is naturally sweetened with fruit. This is one that gets rotated into the school lunch boxes. Click for the recipe here.
What kid does not like to dip and eat… My two would live off this if they could. This recipe is created by Natashas Kitchen and allows you to alter the dip depending on your preferences (and kids preferences). I also like to use hummus. Check out the recipe here.
Chocolate covered strawberries anyone? I love this recipe from Super Healthy Kids. This hummus recipe taste exactly like chocolate yet it is much better for you. You can leave out the peanut butter if you childs school is nut free and just add some coconut oil. Click for the recipe here.
These pancakes are super simple to make and will taste just as good cold, as they do when they are warm. Be sure to have some maple syrup on the side for dipping. Otherwise you can put some jam on there and roll them up! Super easy and will keep you children full till they get home from school. Click for the recipe here.
10. Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich
This recipe is created by the Minimalist Baker. Now this one may look different, but don’t knock it till you try it. The chickpeas taste amazing and the mayonnaise makes it very creamy. I use gluten free bread for my daughter so you can use what works best for your family. This is super filling as the chickpeas are high in fiber. Click for the recipe here.
On the look out for a new lunch box? Check out these YUMbox compartment lunch boxes for kids from Biome Eco Store. I lov ethem as they have cute little pictures on the bottom of each section and they are leak proof. You can choose how many compartments you would like from 4-6 and they come in a variety of colours. Check them out here.
Let me know how you go with your kids lunches. I would love to hear from you.
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