5 Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas for Little Ones

Published: 4th September 2019

Are you finding yourself in a never-ending battle with your little ones when it comes to packed lunches? Are they skipping their fruit to cut straight to the crisps? Or just refusing to eat what you pack?

We get it, school lunches can be a struggle at the best of times, especially when you’re trying to keep them healthy and tasty. So, here are 5 healthy packed lunch ideas that we’re sure your little ones will love!

Mini Pitta Pizzas

Pizzas for lunch? Yes please! Using pitta bread to create fun-shaped mini pizzas keeps things fun for kids but you can use this classic junk food as a way to hide veggies and encourage your kids to eat them.

Ingredients

1 Pitta Bread (white, wholemeal or gluten-free)

Passata or Pizza Sauce

Grated Mozzarella

Sweet Mini Peppers

Sweetcorn

Wafer Thin Ham

Method:

1. Cut your pitta bread either in half or with a cookie cutter to make a fun shape, creating two mini pizza bases
2. Spread your passata or pizza sauce onto the pitta and add a sprinkle of mozzarella to both
3. Add thinly chopped peppers and sweetcorn to both
4. Chop up 1-2 slices of wafer-thin ham into small pieces and add to your mini pizzas, covering the veg
5. Pop under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese has melted
6. Leave the pizzas to cool for a few minutes before popping in the sandwich box

Veggie Packed Pasta

If your child isn’t a big fan of sandwiches and you’re worried about them getting enough carbs as lunch to keep them energised for the rest of the day, pasta could be a perfect alternative.

Pasta can be batch cooked the night before and left to cool in the fridge before being portioned into a lunch box across the next couple of days.

Ingredients

White or Brown Pasta (35-40g per portion)

Passata (around 50g per portion)

Sweet Pepper (about 25-30g per portion)

Carrots (25-30g per portion)

Sweetcorn (15-20g per portion)

Courgette (20-25g per portion)

Method:

1. Boil your pasta for 10-12 minutes
2. Add your chopped vegetables to your passata in a small pan and heat through for a few minutes
3. Drain your boiled pasta and pour into the pan of pasta sauce over a low heat
4. Stir through for a couple of minutes until all the pasta is covered
5. Allow to cool before placing in the fridge in an airtight container

Turkey Salad Wraps

Another good alternative for kids who aren’t a big fan of bread, these turkey salad wraps are packed with leaves and veggies as well as a little hummus to introduce a new flavour!

Ingredients

1 Small Wrap (white or wholemeal)

Teaspoon of Hummus

2-3 Slices of Wafer Thin Turkey

20g of Shredded Lettuce

15g of Cucumber

15g of Sweet Mini Peppers

Method:

1. Spread your hummus across your wrap
2. Add your shredded lettuce, sliced cucumber and pepper down the centre of the wrap, slicing and placing everything lengthways
3. Add your slices of turkey on top of the salad and roll the wrap tightly
4. Add to the lunch box with some extra peppers, cucumber and hummus for dipping

Mini Egg Muffins

A favourite recipe from our kids baking ideas blog, our mini egg muffins with lots of vegetables are a high protein lunch option which promises slow-releasing energy to fuel their busy afternoon.

Easy to make in the morning or the night before, you can batch cook this recipe to cover the whole family for lunchtime, adults and kids!

Ingredients

6 Large Eggs

1 Carrot

1 Pepper

25g Peas

25g Sweetcorn

30g Grated Cheddar (optional)

Method:

1. Chop the carrots and peppers into small chunks and add to a bowl with the peas and sweetcorn.
2. Cover in water, preferably boiling and pop in the microwave to steam for 2-3 minutes
3. Beat your eggs together in a bowl
4. Drain the vegetables, add to your egg mix and stir until all combined
5. Pour into a greased muffin tin, filling each hole to around ¾ full
6. Place in the oven and cook for around 15 minutes or until the egg is fully cooked
7. Leave to cool and place 1 or two in a lunch box for later

Pick and Mix Dipping Box

Put the option in your little one’s hands with this ‘pick and mix’ dipping box which you can pack up with all their favourites to ensure they get plenty of energy for the rest of the day!

Ingredients

(this really is up to you but here’s a guideline)

3-4 Crackers or 1 Pitta Bread (cut into soldiers)

Hummus

Carrot Sticks

Cucumber Sticks

Cherry Tomatoes

Wafer Thin Ham with Cream Cheese (rolled)

Method:

1. Place your hummus in an airtight container and pop in the lunch box
2. Add your crackers or pitta fingers in the box
3. Chop your vegetables into sticks and add to the box
4. Spread around a tablespoon of cream cheese across a slice of wafer-thin ham, roll and cut in half. Add 2-3 of these to the box
5. Throw in some cherry tomatoes or other salad bits your little ones like

With lunch box ideas like this, your little ones will never bring home their packed lunch untouched again!