Put a Little Love in your Lunchbox …

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When I talk to other Mums, lunchboxes is a subject that has everyone sighing in despair about the frustration and monotony that comes with preparing the humble lunchbox.  Lack of time and lack of ideas are common reasons that are quoted.  I’m hoping to change that by sharing loads of tips, ideas and suggestions but the most important part of creating healthy, nutritious and interesting lunchboxes is the planning.

 

Lunchbox planning will help you get organised, save money, eliminate waste and most importantly lower your stress levels.  It’s really not hard and in the coming weeks, I’m going to show you how.

 

Here on the blog I’ll be sharing photos of actual lunchboxes that I prepare for my daughter, tips on how to choose a great lunchbox, loads of recipes for sandwich fillings and wraps, savoury ideas as well as fun and creative ideas for lunchbox presentation.  There will also be lots of recipes for muffins, cakes, biscuits and other yummy treats.  I’m even going to share with you what containers I use, where I buy them and how I store them.

 

I’ve created a fantastic Lunchbox Planner for you to download, print and use each week to help plan those lunches.  And the best news of all, it’s free, so pop back tomorrow for that one!

 

So, to get the ball rolling, here is a photo of one of my daughter’s lunchboxes this week … simple, fresh, healthy food that looks good and tastes great.

 

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In her lunchbox was:

    • Risotto with Chicken, Mushrooms and Brocolli
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Carrot sticks
    • Green Beans
    • Capsicum pieces (yellow)
    • Cheese (cut into star shapes) with Wholemeal Rice Crackers
    • Apple
    • Grapes
    • Moo Chocolate Milk
    • Water (not in the photo)

 

All of this food was prepared the night before with very little effort and just a little bit of planning.

  • Risotto was leftover from dinner.  When cooking, I always think about lunchtime the next day and cook the appropriate quantities.
  • The cherry tomatoes were simply washed, dried and placed whole in the container.
  • The capsicum, green beans and carrot sticks only took a couple of minutes to chop but look great and are healthy, fresh and crunchy.
  • To create the cheese stars, I simply cut a thick slice of cheese (maybe ½ centimetre thick) and punched out the shapes with a miniature cookie cutter.  The left over offcuts I simply grated into a small dish to be used at another time, so there was no waste.
  • The grapes were removed from the stem, washed, dried and placed in a container and the apple was also washed and dried.
  • The Moo Chocolate Milk and water needed no preparation at all.  In the morning, I simply removed everything from the fridge, placed it in her lunchbox with two ice bricks and there you have it, lunch is ready!

 

Now, you may be surprised by the size of her lunch (it is pretty big) but she’s a typical, active 15 year old with the appetite of a horse (despite the fact that she’s as thin as a rake)!

 

So starting this week, please feel free to share your most creative lunchbox.  You can find me on instagram:  applebeelane and don’t forget to hashtag your photo:  #lunchboxcreations.

 

I hope you’re excited … I know I am … so jump on board and let’s start a revolution!  So tell me, what are the most common things you send for your kids in their lunchboxes?

Comments

  1. I make hubby’s lunchbox from Monday to Thursday and I love making it! Ok I’ll admit that I always have a sweet there so it’s not quite as healthy as yours! But he is tall and fit and cycles so I figure it’s ok 🙂

    • I make hubby’s lunch as well when I make lunch for the girls and, please don’t let me mislead you, the girls get treats as well … this just happened to be a particularly healthy day when I took this photo. I think a little sweet/treat is nice most days.

  2. LollyAddict says:

    My kids are are 10 and 12 and I just found that my kids take heaps of food in their lunchbox!! Apparently other kids only have 3 things – Sandwich, fruit and something else. Woah my kids eat like horses too (but are active and lean). A typical lunchbox consists of:
    – a Sandwich (which hubby makes every morning while making his),
    – 1 or 2 pieces of fruit, Cheese and Ritz,
    – cupcake uniced or something homebacked (anzac cookie, choc chip cookie, slice, leftover B’Day cake etc.)
    – Woolworths brand little boxes of sultanas or Almonds and Sultanas (yum)
    – AND there’s more!!! I think a small container of rice crackers or Jumpies.
    Is this too much?? Mind you they often have to come back to work with me after school and they always eat their leftovers for after noon….

    • Hey … your kids sound just like mine! My girls seem to eat all the time but I don’t mind because they are so active … they all play sport several times a week and the older two girls go to the gym and sometimes run or go for long walks as well! I focus more on what they are eating rather than how much. I think as long as they are eating loads of fruit and veggies, lean meat and generally healthy food and limit the junk food, you can’t go too far wrong. Sounds like you’re doing a great job!