More School Lunch Ideas

Sandwiches — A Timeless Solution

Tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves — caprese salad is a timeless, classic salad that goes well with any Italian meal. It can also be turned into a great caprese sandwich that tastes even better if you toast it and cut it into little bits. Use ciabatta bread for the best results. 

Egg and cress sandwiches are popular in the United Kingdom. They're tasty and will give your child a perfect mix of carbohydrates and protein that will allow him to keep on working. 

The classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are now shunned in many schools because peanuts have become associated with adverse effects. If your child isn't allergic, peanuts aren't banned at her school, and you can count on your kid not to share her lunch with others, PB&J sandwiches are still a great option because peanuts are a wonderful source of monounsaturated fats that are heart-healthy. They also offer plenty of antioxidants and have a high protein content.

Vary the breads you use as well, and try to opt for wholegrain at least some of the time. A small container with blueberries, strawberries, a kiwi or some other fruit will make a sandwich lunch even better. 

Tortilla Mexicana

Like sandwiches, (wholewheat) tortillas provide carbs, but in a new form. Tortilla fillings can can include legumes like kidney beans or chickpeas, are great with corn, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and other veggies and are fantastic with chicken or pumpkin bits. To make a tortilla lunch extra healthy, make sure to include a side of guacamole, that avocado dip that goes with most Mexican foods. Avocado is rich in vitamins B6, C and A and has plenty of magnesium as well as some iron.  

Many kids love the look of tortillas — if you place tortilla wraps in your child's lunch, other kids are going to want to swap! 

Vegetable Or Fruit Muffins

Muffins are really easy to whip up and are also rather versatile. You can use white flour but can also choose to go for wholegrain or corn flour instead. Savory muffins with some fresh fruit like an apple or orange for desert are a great option, but you can also make blueberry and chocolate muffins, or some other sweet variation, as a treat. Some ingredients you may want to put in your savory lunch muffins are:

• Cheddar and leek

• Sun-dried tomatoes and olives

• Spinach and feta

• Carrot, walnut and apple

• Zucchini and blue cheese

A batch of muffins can serve as lunch for the whole family, and making these healthy treats is surprisingly addictive!

Sushi

Making sushi yourself isn't that difficult, and let's face it — there are going to be days when you do not have the time to prepare a healthy packed lunch from scratch, but you still want to make sure your child doesn't eat junk food for lunch. Sushi might be the perfect solution here.

You can buy ready-made in many places, and it offers a pretty healthy lunch whether you go for fish or vegetarian options. Vegetarian sushi often contains avocado, squash or cucumber. The rice offers the carbs your child needs to get through the rest of the day while the nori has protein, dietary fiber, iodine, iron, and vitamins A, B and K.