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Healthy and fun? How to create the perfect lunchbox
Spare a thought for children facing the highs and lows of the lunchbox experience. The
excitement of opening up their plastic box to find out what's for lunch only to be faced
with soggy cheese and tomato sandwiches. They look longingly over at their mate's lunch -
it's packed with brightly coloured plastic wrappings housing cheese you can tear into strings,
crisps, white bread with chocolate spread and bright purple juice in a plastic squeezy bottle.
In the playground, packaging pays. And sadly, the higher the e-numbers, the greater the glory.
How do you get your child's lunchbox to become an object of envy yet still be nutritious?
- Key rule: it's all in the packaging.
- Let's start with the sandwich. Try out different bread types - a variety of rolls,
mini pittas, wraps - instead of just plain old bread. The bread is the packaging for the
sandwich - so the more interesting it looks, the greater the chance it will be eaten. Also
try using biscuit cutters to cut the sandwiches into fun shapes.
- Fillings: Consider letting your child make their own sandwich at school by providing the
fillings separately - particularly if you're using pittas or wraps. This is where brightly
coloured tupperware comes into its own. A small tub of boiled egg and mayonnaise, with some
fresh parsley. Tinned tuna mixed with finely chopped tomato, avocado and light mayonnaise.
Strips of cheese, ham, cucumber or bell pepper batons with a tub of homemade guacamole. A tub
of mashed roasted butternut with chicken strips. Add in a groovy looking plastic knife and
fork set featuring the latest character hero, and voila! A fun eating experience
- Sides and treats: Make your own hummus and put it in a brightly coloured tub or buy one of
the mini packs of hummus now available. Add some brightly coloured vegetable batons - like
carrots, red peppers, cucumber, celery sticks. Boxes of raisins - they look more like junk
food that way. A bag of home made popcorn. A tub of berries with a yogurt for dipping into. A
home made muffin (use brightly coloured muffin cases to add appeal) or 3 mini muffins of
differing flavours. A bag of trail mix. Fresh fruit. Bags of dried fruit.
- Alternatives: Get a compartmentalised plate with a fitted lid - make up a picnic platter,
like pasta or potato salad, slices of cold meat or grilled chicken strips, cherry tomatoes and
mini bell peppers, a wedge of pre-wrapped cheese. You can get small bags that are kept in the
freezer/fridge, which then keep food cold. In winter, consider some home made soup in a cool
looking thermos, with a bag of crunchy croutons for popping on top.
- Drinks: pack water, fresh fruit juice or smoothies (and these do come in cool packaging!)
- Get the kids to help make up their lunchboxes - they'll feel more bought into the process
and will be more willing to eat what's in it.
- Most of the ideas above are suitable lunch ideas for toddlers and pre-schoolers too!
And after a long school day, your child will be ready for some belly warming, nutritious comfort
food, like this potato topped fish pie - which you can either make yourself using the recipe below,
or buy it ready made from Kiddylicious:
Potato Topped Tuna and Sweetcorn Pie
Makes two servings
Ingredients
Tuna Sauce
Slither of unsalted butter
Small slice of finely chopped onion
Hint of mustard
Splash of single cream
1 cup of whole milk
Handful of grated cheddar cheese
Sprinkle of chopped parsley
Handful of sweetcorn kernels
Small teaspoon of cornflour
1 small tin of tuna flakes (ideally in spring water, drained)
Mashed Potato
1 large peeled potato,
Spoonful of single cream or whole milk
Pinch of white pepper
How to make the Tuna Sauce
Add a slither of butter and finely chopped onions to the saucepan cover with a little water and
cook until tender. Add a hint of mustard powder, a splash of single cream and a cup of whole
milk and stir. Add a handful of grated cheddar cheese, a sprinkle of parsley and handful of
sweetcorn to the sauce. Mix cornflour with a splash of cold water and add to the saucepan whilst
stirring. Add the drained tuna flakes to the sauce and cook for min 10 minutes.
How to make the Mashed Potato
Cook cubes of peeled potato in boiling water until soft. Drain, then mash potato with a spoonful
of single cream or milk and pepper.
Finally place mashed potato on top of tuna sauce and place in oven for 10 minutes for a crispy top.
Competition
We're offering Mini Matters' readers the chance to win free Babylicious and Kiddylicious food to
the value of £30. Now you can get your little one eating great tasting, healthy food right from their
first bite. Simply click here and
fill in the form.
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