Best Packed Lunch Tips For School

Getting the children up and ready before school is enough of a challenge in itself, without the added pressure of making them a tasty lunch to pack! As well as worrying about getting the right balance of health and nutrition, keeping things new and exciting will minimise the chance of your little one coming home with leftovers in their bag and a hungry tummy. To provide you with some inspiration for the next school run, we’ve pulled together some of our top tips, so dig out those biodegradable sandwich bags and get stuck in!

Add a splash of colour

Little ones absolutely adore bright colours so making their packed lunch rainbow-style can be a big hit! A rainbow style salad is a great opportunity to get in their 5 a day as fruit and veggies are filled with bold colours; how about slices of peppers, carrots and cucumber to get every colour of the rainbow involved. For bonus points, using shaped cutters to create mini flowers or fun shapes will make eating their lunch more exciting than ever.

Get them involved

Prepare to get messy and let your children help out in the kitchen, after all, they are more likely to tuck into the lunch that they proudly made themselves! By letting them pick what they want in their lunch box and building up their own sandwich filled with their favourite things, they can look forward to tucking in the next day. If you’ve got some extra time, how about trying your luck with a spot of baking or making a homemade dip for their veggies?

Maintain a bit of variety

We absolutely love lunch boxes with compartments, allowing you to keep foods separate and provide plenty of options. Especially if your child is prone to leaving behind foods they don’t like, offering little portions of different food provides enough variety to choose from. This is a great opportunity to tick off all of the food groups and keep lunchtime exciting. Some great side options include fruit, veggies, yoghurt and nuts.

Keep it nice and fresh

Especially if you make up their lunch box the night before and it then spends all morning at the side of the classroom, keeping the contents well protected will ensure it is eaten in the tastiest condition. Using quality sandwich bags, wax wrap or ice packs to keep things fresh and chilled will give you peace of mind that your child has a delicious lunch to look forward to every day.

Hydration is key

Of course, no meal is complete without plenty of fluids. Plenty of water is essential for keeping them hydrated, healthy and helping them to concentrate during their school day, so ensuring they have plenty of water to last them the day is important. Let them pick out their favourite reusable water bottle which can be topped up and carried around with them all day long, especially to keep them hydrated after playing and exercise.