Follow our tasty and healthy lunchbox recipes that will keep your kids feeling full and happy all week
Packed with the right amount of fibre, protein and calcium, these lunches will keep your kids' body and minds going
WITH the new school year kicking off, this is a good time to rethink what you put in your child’s lunchbox.
Making sure they have the right food is essential in helping them power through the day.
Their midday meal needs to banish hunger pangs while providing all the vitamins, minerals, protein, carbs, fibre and good fats needed for growth and development.
So how do you make a healthy lunchbox that your little ones will actually want to eat?
Nutritionist AMANDA URSELL reveals five very different balanced meals and our two taste testers – SAMMY AXWORTHY, eight, and his sister ANNIE, six from Plymouth – give their thoughts on the lunches and rate each out of five.
Monday
- Salmon, sweetcorn and chopped tomato mixed with reduced fat salad cream in a pitta (Carbs, Protein, Veg)
- Plain yoghurt with grapes (Dairy, Fruit)
- Skimmed milk (Drink, Dairy, Protein)
- Fruit scone (Added Extra: Carbs)
Sammy says: “The salmon is a bit smelly for school – no one likes people with pongy lunchboxes. If it was ham or chicken instead I think I’d like it more.
“The fruit scone was my favourite but I’d like it with butter.”
Rating: 3/5
Annie says: “I love milk and would love it in my packed lunch.
“I really, really liked the pitta, it was yummy.
“But I’d have preferred to have some different fruit with the yoghurt – and also it didn’t taste as nice as the yoghurts I usually have.”
Rating: 3/5
Tuesday
- Chicken slice and cucumber in granary bread sandwich (Protein, Veg, Carbs)
- Rice pudding with sultanas (Dairy, Fruit)
- 150ml diluted pure ruby red grapefruit or orange juice with water (Drink, Fruit)
- Malt loaf (Added Extra: Carbs)
Sammy says: “The juice tasted quite watery but other than that this was the best of them all. It’s my favourite sandwich filling anyway.
“The fruit loaf was really tasty and filling and I love rice pudding. I’d love Mum to make this for me every day.”
Rating: 5/5
Annie says: “I liked the malt loaf, but I’d rather have a chicken wrap than a sandwich and I prefer different fruit to sultanas. I knew this one would be Sammy’s favourite.”
Rating: 3/5
Wednesday
- Pasta salad with peas, chopped cooked ham and red pepper sticks (Carbs, Veg, Protein)
- Plain Greek yoghurt with apple or two satsumas (Dairy, Fruit)
- Water (Drink)
- Sugar-free fruit jelly with canned peaches (Added Extra: Fruit)
Sammy says: “I liked the yoghurt and satsumas but I’m not a huge jelly fan and I’d prefer bread rather than a pasta salad. I knew Annie would love this as it’s got her favourite foods in it.”
Rating: 3/5
Annie says: “The salad was yummy. I usually have pasta hot but I’ve asked Mummy to make me this for school.
“I really loved the jelly and fruit. Jelly’s my favourite pudding in the whole world.”
Rating: 5/5
Thursday
- Hummus in a wrap with grated carrot (Protein, Carbs, Veg)
- Skimmed milk banana smoothie (Drink: Dairy, Protein, Fruit)
- Fruited tea bread (Added Extra: Carbs, Fruit)
Sammy says: “This didn’t look as nice as the others but it was really tasty. The carrots made the hummus taste a bit nicer. The smoothie was filling too, but I was still hungry when I finished it all.”
Rating: 4/5
Annie says: “I love wraps but Mummy cuts them into little pinwheels and I’d have liked them like that. Carrots are my favourite vegetable. I’ve never had them in a wrap before but they were delicious.
“The smoothie was yummy but I didn’t like the fruit bread.”
Rating: 3.5/5
Friday
- Sweet potato salad with chickpeas and chopped tomato (Carbs, Protein, Veg)
- Water (Drink)
- Plain fromage frais and grapes (Dairy, Fruit)
- Popcorn with pieces of dried apple (Added Extra: Carbs, Fruit)
Sammy says: “I really liked the popcorn and apple, but the salad wasn’t very nice at all.
“I’d have preferred it with normal potatoes or pasta instead of the sweet potato. I loved grapes though and the fromage frais was tasty.”
Rating: 4/5
Annie says: “I’m with Sammy, the salad wasn’t great. I’d have liked pasta instead of sweet potato.
“The popcorn was really yummy and so was the apple, but the fromage frais was plain even with the grapes.”
Rating: 3/5
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Mum's verdict
Mum Clare Axworthy, 38, says:
"I first thought there would be loads of prep for each lunch, which seemed unrealistic given the time constraints in the morning of getting them ready for school and out the door.
"But it only took a little bit of planning and it was easier than assembling their normal packed lunch.
"If the kids got their way they’d have Nutella sandwiches, Frazzles, chocolate and all sorts of junk food.
"I usually use wholemeal bread and wraps but they always have crisps and a chocolate bar like a KitKat too.
"I’ve tried moving towards healthier crisps like baked ones, but they prefer Hula Hoops.
"After seeing how well these lunches have gone down with them, I’ll definitely be making more salads.
"Making a job lot of it and keeping it in the fridge for a few days is easier than making them a sandwich every day.
"The same goes for the sugar-free jelly – switching the fruit every day would be easy and jelly is Annie’s favourite so I’ll do that more.
"I’m a bit of a “sandwich, piece of fruit, pack of crisps” packed lunch maker but substituting little things and using different breads and salads hasn’t been any harder than normal and it’ll mean they’ll have a diverse week of lunches rather than the same boring old stuff every day.
"I thought they’d be sniffy about a lot of things – they’ve never had salmon like that before, or carrots on a sandwich – but they’ve really impressed me.
"I’ll definitely plan more in advance now and get job lots of things done that are easy to use 7 all week."
How to know what to pack
WHEN it comes to preparing a lunchbox, having a template to follow will save you time while ensuring your little ones get all the vitamins and minerals they need.
Take into account your child’s age and activity level, as portion sizes will vary depending on their needs. Here are the essential lunch building blocks:
1. CARBS
THESE provide energy necessary for children and are essential to keep them going physically and their brains working optimally.
Wholegrain options boost fibre, which is filling and good for the digestion.
Try wholemeal bread, pitta and wraps, brown pasta and rice, sweet potatoes and oat cakes.
Ideal quantities: Two slices of wholemeal bread, one pitta or 60g uncooked weight pasta or rice, or half a sweet potato.
2. PROTEIN
THIS is crucial for children’s bodies to grow optimally.
It is also filling, helping to keep tummies from rumbling in the afternoon.
Many protein-rich foods such as lean red meat and oily fish also provide useful minerals like iron for energy and zinc for immunity.
Eggs, chicken, ham, Quorn, pulses like baked beans, milk and tofu also count.
Ideal quantities: Around 80g of chicken, salmon or other meats or fish.
3. CALCIUM
THESE foods are important for growing bones along with helping teeth to remain strong.
Low-fat milks, almond milk and fortified soya, oat and rice milks all count. So do yoghurts and fromage frais.
Ideal quantities: A 125g yoghurt, 150ml milk, 30g cheddar cheese.
4. FRUIT AND VEG
VEGGIES and fruit give children extra taste, colour and texture to their lunchbox as well as boosting hydration and packing in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C for wound healing and immunity, and potassium for healthy blood pressure.
Go for ones they enjoy and experiment with the unfamiliar too. Fresh, dried and canned versions count.
Ideal quantities: 60-80g per portions.
5. DRINKS
EVEN being slightly dehydrated can affect the way children’s brains behave, making it harder for them to concentrate.
Low-fat milk, almond milk, fortified soya milk and water all make great drinks for packed lunches.
If your kids want fruit juice, give them 150ml of pure fruit juice mixed with water and encourage them to drink it at lunchtime to help reduce the impact on tooth health.
Ideal quantities: Enough to keep their urine a pale yellow colour.
6. A TREAT
CHILDREN, like all of us, enjoy a treat.
Getting clever by adding ones that taste sweet but are not overloaded with sugar is important.
Fruit scones, malt loaf, fruit buns and fruit bread along with sugar-free jellies all make good options.
Ideal quantities: One slice of fruit or malt loaf for youngest can be doubled for bigger children.