morning tea
- savoury and sweet muffins
- scones (sultana, date or pumpkin)
- banana bread
- un-iced cake (make one on the weekend, slice and freeze ready to be thrown in the lunch box)
- pikelets with butter and jam or ricotta and honey
fruit
- chop up apple and pear and squeeze a little lemon juice over to stop it from discolouring
- freeze grapes or segments of orange
- mix together some cream cheese or mascarpone with some brown sugar, cinnamon and a little vanilla extract and use as a dip for sliced apple
- half a kiwi fruit and wrap it back together again, throw in a spoon so the kids can scoop out the flesh
- whole banana with their name or a little message written on the skin (Joel likes to draw an arrow pointing to the stalk and write ‘open from this end’ – I thought it was funny)
- on a birthday you could dip some strawberries into chocolate (use white chocolate and add a little drop of food colour)
sandwich fillings
- vegemite & cheese
- boiled egg mashed with a little greek yoghurt and whole egg mayonnaise, season and add some fresh, finely chopped chives
- canned tuna mashed with a little greek yoghurt and whole egg mayonnaise, squeeze of lemon juice and fresh, finely chopped parsley
- grated cheese and grated carrot and a light spread of avocado
- leftovers – chicken, roast beef, bolognese sauce, corned beef, meatballs, rissoles or sliced sausages
- chicken leftovers go well with just some avocado or mayo and salad leaves
- cream cheese, grated carrot and shredded lettuce
- hommus, sliced tomato, grated carrot and salad leaves
- bacon, lettuce, tomato with a light spread of avocado
- sliced ham and cheese with thinly sliced pickled onions (one of Levi’s favourites)
- ricotta, semi sun-dried tomatoes and rocket leaves
- mix some fresh herbs into cottage cheese and top with ham or chicken
- cheese and honey (yes, together! my dad makes this)
- sliced leftover corned beef with some BBQ sauce and rocket leaves
- banana and honey (I make a honey sandwich then pop a small banana and plastic knife in the lunch box for the kids to slice up – they love it)
sandwich alternatives
- make a big pasta salad and it will last for a couple of school day lunches
- leftover pasta tossed with some cooked bacon, halved cherry tomatoes and grated cheese
- leftover pasta, diced ham, cooked corn kernels, grated cheese and a little greek yoghurt mixed with a little whole egg mayo
- fresh spring rolls – shredded chicken, bean sprouts, grated carrot, crushed peanuts and fresh coriander and mint
- bread cups – butter bread and place into a muffin tin hole, butter side down to use as the pastry for a mini quiche
- fried rice
- homemade sausage rolls
- ploughmans lunch – bread roll, cubes of cheese, sliced corned beef, sticks of carrot and dip
- Frittatas, quiches or vegetable slices (a trick I heard once was to tell your children it is called ‘lunch cake’ – who wouldn’t want to eat cake for lunch!)
- hot soups or leftovers in little flasks for cold Winter days
Any favourite sandwiches or lunch box ideas? Please share them in the comments. I need inspiration too.
+ Disclaimer – if you were to look in my kids lunchboxes you will more often than not find 1 vegemite sandwich, chopped fruit, and a scone with butter and jam.
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