Written by Tara-Michelle Ziniuk
Gone are the days of what we used to think of as school lunches: peanut butter and jam sandwiches and a pre-packaged baked treat. And that’s a good thing, which doesn’t always mean it’s easy to get inspired. While I’m a sucker for the Pinterest-board school lunches in sea and space shaped cut-outs, the truth is we all really want is to be packing healthy lunches our kids will eat. Here are some ideas for lunches that don’t happen between two pieces of bread.
Savoury muffins
First thing’s first: you’re going to want to call these “cupcakes” when you’re talking to your kids. Make an egg-based savoury muffin with ham (the egg muffins are less healthy but arguably more delicious if you cook a strip of bacon around them in the tray), cheese and broccoli bits, or a quinoa based one with your favourite beans and veggies. I’ve even seen mac n’cheese muffins, and a recipe for lasagna muffins using wonton wrappers as a base. There are lots of ideas online.
Make-your-own stackables
Give your kid the supplies they need to put together a “lunchables” style meal at school. Cut meat and cheese to the same size as his or her favourite crackers. Give a side of raw vegetables and a healthy sweet snack, and you’re good to go.
Lunchbox taco bar
Use a bento-style lunch kit for ground beef or beans, shredded lettuce, grated cheese and chopped tomatoes. Pack up some tortillas (either soft ones, or hard shells in a secure container to avoid them being crushed) and you have a creative main. This idea is adaptable for taco salads using tortilla chips, or mini burritos using a rice and bean mix as filling.
Noodle salads
Every kid loves noodles, at least most do. Though you’ll want to avoid calling this salad and maybe stick to “cold noodles” instead. (It’s all about semantics with young eaters.) Make a simple Asian noodle salad using rice noodles, grilled chicken and peppers (or edamame for a vegetarian version), or an elbow macaroni with peas and cherry tomatoes. Experiment with adding beans and corn. When my kid likes all of the ingredients in a meal without adaptation, she and I call it “super dinner”—or in this case, super lunch.
Meatball or falafel sliders
Another easy to pre-prep meal—make mini meatballs out of ground turkey or chicken, or use falafel balls to pack up a meal of miniatures. Most grocery stores sell buns for sliders, or mini pitas.
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