Lunchboxes and healthy snacks
We have lots of tips below to help lunchboxes get eaten.
Say goodbye to soggy sandwiches
Give your child the parts to build their own sandwiches like:
- cooked chicken
- grated cheese
- hummus
- some vegetables like cucumber or tomato slices.
The bread will be fresh and your child gets the fun of building their own sandwich just the way they like.
Add variety to school lunches
Try something different like pasta or couscous salad with plenty of veg and some protein like cooked meat or beans. It’s a great way to use up leftovers.
Stop your children from getting bored by theming their lunchbox
You do not need to go crazy but add a few fruit and veg of the same colour each day, such as:
- for red - red pepper strips, tomatoes and a red apple
- for green - cucumber, peas in a pasta salad and a pear
- for yellow - yellow pepper, tuna sweetcorn sandwich and banana.
Watch our rainbow lunchboxes video on YouTube.
Get your child involved
Your child is much more likely to eat what is in their lunchbox if they have been involved in getting it ready.
Healthy school snacks and lunchbox sides
Sometimes snacks and sides in school lunchboxes have lots of added sugar.
For healthy alternatives, try:
- half a tea cake or a scone rather than a cake
- plain popcorn rather than crisps
- a piece of fruit (if you use a lunch box with sections, this will help stop fruit from getting bruised or bashed)
- lower-fat, lower-sugar fromage frais (some flavours include strawberry, raspberry, banana, and apricot)
- fresh or tinned fruit salad
- chopped vegetables and lower-fat hummus
- plain rice cakes or crackers with lower-fat cheese
- sugar-free jelly
- one crumpet
- one scotch pancake.
You can also make simple banana and chocolate oat biscuits. Combine mashed ripe banana, enough oats to make a firm dough and a sprinkling of chocolate chips, and bake at 180C for 15 minutes or until firm and slightly golden.