If you have kids, you’ll likely know that sometimes it can be a big challenge to get them to eat during school. Most of the time a boring ham sandwich, a bag of crisps and juice just don’t cut it for kids, and they will either leave the food or throw it away during the day. But don’t fret parents: there are many different meals you can add to your child’s lunchbox which will make them more interesting and much more tasty, and here are just a few easy recipes and tricks for you to try this week.
Bento box
If you want to try and use cool lunch boxes as a lure for the kids to eat their dinner this week, there are some great choices out there for them to use. One of the best out there right now is known as a Bento Box and this is a lunchbox which is filled with several compartments as well as a dip tub to keep things like salads and fruit from getting soggy in the run up to lunch. You can separate out a snack, a main lunch and a sweet treat and this can be a great thing for those picky eaters out there.
Pasta salad
Pasta is the ultimate comfort food for kids and it can be a great option for lunchtime to give them a boost of energy before the end of the day. A simple pasta salad can be an amazing option for all kids and they will be able to enjoy a meal which is fun and filling. This is an example of a simple chicken pasta salad:
· 1 breast chicken, grilled and sliced
· 70g pasta
· 1 tbsp pesto
· 6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
· 50g spinach
· 1 tbsp cheese for sprinkling
Cook off the chicken and a pasta of your choice. Add spinach into the chicken pan just before it finishes cooking to allow it to wilt. Combine all ingredients apart from cheese in a bowl. Place cheese into a small dip contained so that your child can add this at lunchtime.
Fruit animals
If you have a particularly young child who you are packing lunch for, you might want to lure them into eating more fruit by creating pieces of artwork with them. For example a fun idea would be to use half a Satsuma and use a toothpick to place a grape to act as a head. You can then add more grapes to act as arms and legs and you immediately have a cute fruit turtle to add to their lunchbox! Take a look online for more fruit animal ideas and you should be able to come across plenty of fun ideas.
Easy pizza pocket
Something which will never fail to be popular with children is pizza, whether it be a homemade one or a pizza delivery, and although you likely can’t pack a whole slice of pizza into your child’s lunchbox, you can make a less messy option for them to enjoy. All you will need for this is a tortilla wrap, marinara sauce, pepperoni (or any other topping) and mozzarella cheese.
Start off by cutting the tortilla wrap in half. You can then fold the half into a cone and use a mix of flour and water to seal the edges. Fill with a small amount of sauce, cheese and topping and seal the top to form a triangle. Place in a toastie bag in the toaster for 3-4 minutes until done, pack it up and let your child take it to school!
