5 Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas for Kids

Say no to soggy ham sandwiches! A slice of processed meat and cheese isn’t going to do your child any good.

Finding healthy and child-approved school lunch box fillers can be a daily struggle. You don’t want to give them chocolate and crisps, but they’re unlikely to munch through a lunch box full of lettuce and lentils.

Get inspired with our back-to-school packed lunch ideas. All of our recipes require minimal effort and are made from affordable, healthy ingredients.

Falafel

Falafel packs a protein punch, as well as a dose of healthy carbs and fats. It’s also been proven to improve bowel function and decreases the absorption of both cholesterol and simple sugars.

This recipe covers a a school week’s worth of falafel goodness. We’ve opted to bake our falafels instead of frying them, to keep your child’s packed lunch light and healthy (or fry them using Frylight’s 1 cal spray with 25% off on GreenJinn this week).

What you’ll need

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 1 Garlic clove (crushed)
• 1 can Chickpeas
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 Lemon, zest grated
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 Egg, beaten

How to prepare

1. Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Fry onion for 3mins. Add garlic and heat for another 2mins.
2. Drain and rinse chick peas. Pour in mixing bowl and add garlic and onion. Mash until one texture.
3. Mix in cumin, lemon zest, egg and salt/pepper.
4. Divide mixture into 15 balls. Leave in fridge for 20mins.
5. Pour over 1tbsp of oil. Cook in 200F oven for 25mins. Turn half way through.

Child-friendly Hummus

Hummus is one of the healthiest dips around. It has protein, essential vitamins / minerals and heart-healthy unsaturated fats.

We’ve kept our recipe simple and child-friendly so your little one can get their fill, fuss-free.

What you’ll need

How to prepare

1. Blitz chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Pour in the olive oil bit by bit until mixture has combined.
2. Add a little liquid from the chickpea can if the hummus looks too thick.
3. Serve with carrot sticks, cucumber, peppers or celery.

Sweet Potato Crisps

Your traditional packet of crisps is full of saturated fat and unholy amounts of salt. Why not bake your own sweet potato crisps to send your child off to school guilt-free?

Our recipe only requires two ingredients and can be prepared in minutes.

What you’ll need

• 1 Sweet potato
• 2 tbsp Olive oil

How to prepare

1. Preheat oven to 180°c.
2. Peel potato and cut potato into thin slices.
3. Mix potato slices with oil in a bowl.
4. Place tin foil over baking tray and lay out slices making sure they don’t overlap.
5. Heat in oven for 10-15mins. until crispy. The edges should curl up slightly.

Fruit Sundae

Yogurt is full of the protein and calcium that your child needs for healthy teeth and bones. You’ll want to ditch the usual flavoured kid’s yogurt, since many of them are packed with artificial sugar. Make your own instead!

Top off some plain, low-fat yogurt with real fruit to get all the calcium and protein, minus the sweeteners.

What you’ll need

• 170g Low fat yogurt
• 2 handfuls Strawberries (halved)
• 1/2 Peach (cut into segments)
• 1/2 handful Brown sugar

How to prepare

1. Fill small container with yogurt.
2. Cut strawberries and peaches into bite-size sections.
3. Mix fruit into yogurt.
4. Sprinkle sugar on top.

Oat & Raisin Cookies

No lunchbox would be complete without a sweet treat. Keep the saturated fats and sugar to a minimum with these healthy homemade cookies.

Oats are the perfect slow-release carbohydrate to keep your child energised and focussed throughout the day. Our recipe will keep you stocked up on the low-sugar treats throughout the school week.

What you’ll need

• 1 cup Oats
• ¾ cup Whole wheat flour
• 1½ tsp Baking powder
• 1½ tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 Egg
• ½ cup Agave nectar
• ¼ cup Raisins

How to prepare

1. Mix oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the coconut oil, egg and agave.
2. Combine the two mixture and fold in the raisins.
3. Chill the dough for 30mins.
4. Preheat oven to 180°c. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
5. Mould dough into 16 rounded scoops and spread on oven tray.
6. Bake for 11-14 minutes.