Easy ideas for kid's lunchboxes

Keeping school lunches exciting and healthy for kids can be a challenge. Sometimes we find ourselves guilty of packing lunch with the same old jam sandwich, banana and yogurt pot day after day.

But creating a fun, nutritious and varied kids' lunchbox doesn’t need to be a chore! 

When you’re next battling for inspiration, look no further than these easy school meal ideas. Some of these recipes might even be a great opportunity to get the kids involved helping in the kitchen

Where do you start?

Before you start putting together an out-of-this world healthy kids' lunch , you'll need to start with a lunchbox or lunch bag.

There are heaps of fun bento box lunchboxes that you can get online. These super helpful bento box options have compartments to help keep different food groups separate and make sure healthy lunches stay fresh all day at school.

If you don't have a bento box available, you can use a small containers or food wraps just whatever you have on hand. 

If you're including any perishable items like chicken or pasta salad in a school lunch, consider including an ice pack or packing lunch in a cool bag.

Kids morning tea ideas

Morning tea is the perfect time of the school day for some healthy snacks. Perhaps something sweet and tasty like some apple slices, fruit skewers, banana chips or yogurt, or maybe something savoury like a hard boiled egg, cheese roll ups, cherry tomatoes or some carrot sticks with hummus.

There are so many easy great ideas when it comes to creating healthy kids' lunches and so many are so simple. Fruit and vegetables make some of the best healthy fillers in any yummy lunch.

But if you're looking for something outside of the square, try your hand at making one of these fun and tasty recipes!

Kids school meal ideas

By now, your kids have worked up an appetite and they're ready to eat something filling to see them through the rest of the afternoon.

We've put together some of our favourite lunch recipes for kids' lunches - but that doesn't mean there isn't still a place for some of the more traditional school lunches! 

Sandwiches, pasta salad, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, veggies and fruit are all excellent healthy lunch ideas.

But if you'd like to mix it up with some new options, check out these healthy lunch recipes below.

School lunch tips

• Create a meal plan for the week to help you write your shopping list and be prepared. Check the mailer for ideas and weekly specials.
• Use a variety of food - a mix of colours and textures, fresh fruit and dried nuts, sweet and savoury, etc to keep it interesting. 
• Keep it cool: To keep fresh ingredients cool, freeze a bunch of grapes; place them in a zip-lock bag to keep the rest of their lunch fresh and cool. Then they’ve got a snack at the end of it too!  A frozen drink bottle will also act as an ice pack but melt into nice, cool water by lunch.
• Do it yourself snack: You could make your own healthy chips for the lunchbox by using thinly sliced kumara, apple, carrot or tearing up kale leaves into a few small pieces - just rub in a little olive oil, and bake in a hot oven until crispy. Kids will love them! 

Kids after-school snacks

The school day is done and your kids are back home. They're hungry once again and looking for something to eat to tide them over until dinner.

Afternoons can be a busy time for parents so it can be tempting to just feed the kids junk food.

Luckily, it doesn't need to come to that! There are plenty of quick and easy solutions to feeding them a healthy snack that'll get them through the afternoon.

Have a look through some of our best ideas for kids' afternoon tea snacks.