5 Healthier Lunch Ideas {and not a sandwich in sight}

School’s back baby! I hear you cheering! I see you dancing! I know you love your kids, and I love mine too… but routine, quiet, and not needing to entertain them every minute… I’m glad that’s over. Those school holidays were long, weren’t they?

{Although I’m delaying my cheering for a little while as we’re delaying the school year slightly!}.

I’ve been cooking up a storm in my kitchen, trying out new recipes for you guys. I like recipes that are simple, that don’t require me {or you} to go to some far away supermarket to pick up random ingredients. Oh, and I like a small ingredient list, especially when it comes to kids.

Before I get to some lunchbox ideas for you guys {by the way is lunchbox one word or two?}, I wanted to share the lunchbox that we’re using this year. I went for the no-spill YumBox, because last year I went with a lunchbox and just packed lots of little containers… and to be honest, my Tupperware/plastic container cupboard is overtaking my house right now. I don’t even dare open the cupboard, because it will all suffocate us, for real. And there was so much washing up, and lost containers. For Lulu, I bought the PackIt freezer bag cos she’s going to rainforest school and they don’t have fridges in the rainforest, she’ll put her YumBox inside that PackIt bag.

And now for the things inside the lunchboxes…

LUNCHBOX 1 // Our school {like most in Australia, I presume} has a no rubbish rule – so food isn’t allowed to come in any packaging. And Lulu’s school has a no junk rule. I’ll probably add crackers to some of these lunchboxes, and other little things I know they love to eat… but this is a good start. The lunch component is veggie rice. You can grab the recipe here.

LUNCHBOX 2 // My kids are crazy about avocado, so I know they’ll eat that happily. You can squeeze a little lemon juice on it to stop if going brown. The mini quiches are delicious and one of my favourite combos… but of course if your kids are fussy, change the ingredients to suit their taste. You can grab the recipe here.

LUNCHBOX 3 // This lunchbox is like a mezze plate of goodies for them to munch on. You can do up a platter of ingredients and they can pick their favourites. They might prefer chicken to ham, and to swap out other veggies and fruit. Get some other ideas here.

LUNCHBOX 4 // These baked meatballs are my new favourite thing. I love them for lunch myself because they’re so yummy and filling. You can grab the recipe here.

LUNCHBOX 5 // You might like to keep this one up your sleeves for the cooler months, but there is nothing more comforting than chicken noodle soup for lunch. Get the recipe for the chicken noodle soup here.

Another way to take the stress out of school lunches is to get your plan on. I’ve made a printable so you can take ALL the thinking out of your mornings. Grab it here.

What do your kids love eating for school lunch?

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11 thoughts on “5 Healthier Lunch Ideas {and not a sandwich in sight}”

  1. These all look awesome! Hubby takes something similar to work. He is addicted to your hummus! I usually add in some crackers and or slice/frittata to the fresh items, but I’m loving the sound of those meatballs too.Just wondering do these lunch boxes leak? I think they’d be just the ticket. And how lucky is Lulu going to rainforest school?! I wanna go!

  2. Love these lunch boxes, any suggestions where can they be purchased in Australia. Love the ideas and recipes too!

  3. Love our Yumboxes! Thanks for some more inspiration on the menu. Fits so much food doesn’t it? Looks small when you first get it. Plus the mini-Yumbox is great for one of the snack breaks or munch and crunch.

  4. Hi Chantelle, love this post, always on the look out for lunchbox inspo! But I tried clicking on the printable link, and there doesn’t seem to be one? I also looked in the printables section of the website, but it’s not there either 🙂 Thank you! Tania

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