What to put in a school lunchbox when mornings are chaos

No matter how organised you are, there’s nothing quite like the rush of a school morning to keep you on your toes. 

From running low on clean uniforms and coaxing sleepy children out of bed to breakfast prep that leaves your kitchen looking like a bomb has hit it, all while the clock counts down to when you need to leave, you’d swear time moves faster on a school morning.

With so many plates to spin, the last thing you need is to overcomplicate the packed lunch. A few simple staples - think sandwiches or wraps, fruit and veg, plus easy extras such as cheese, yoghurt or a Soreen Lunchbox Loaf - can make putting together a varied lunchbox much more manageable, without requiring a 6am meal-prep session.

A simple lunchbox you can assemble on autopilot

The NHS’s Better Health campaign offers some simple tips for putting together a well-rounded kids’ lunchbox, including adding fruit and veg and trying to steer clear of sweets and crisps.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every morning, either. Start with simple everyday foods your child will actually eat - a sandwich or wrap, a source of protein and some fruit or veg - then add one or two convenient extras to round things out. Individually wrapped options such as a Soreen Lunchbox Loaf can be handy to keep in the cupboard for particularly hectic mornings.

Here are some kid-friendly picks, including vegan and gluten-free options, from across the main food groups:

Carbs: Sandwiches, wraps, pitta bread, breadsticks, malt loaf, rice cakes, crackers, oatcakes, pasta, couscous, rice, potatoes, wholegrain cereal, oat bars, pretzels, tortilla chips

Protein: Chicken slices, ham, turkey slices, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, cheese cubes, mini frittatas, Quorn pieces, nut butters, chickpeas, hummus, falafel

Easy-to-prep veggies: Carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, mini cucumbers, pepper strips.

Easy-to-prep fruits: Grapes (cut lengthways for younger children), strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, easy peelers, satsumas, bananas, melon chunks, pineapple chunks, raisins or other dried fruit.

Clever Mumsnet-approved hacks to sneak more fruit and veggies into packed lunches

From blending veggies into sauces to adding pea protein, our Mumsnetters have plenty of clever tricks for boosting their kids’ five-a-day.

Veggie-packed bolognese: “Make the sauce full of vegetables leave out the mince and blend it up.” Coconutter24

“Lots of mum's do Bolognese sauce but with extra veggies in (peppers/mushrooms/ tomato) then blitz it down so no visible veggies.” shellyleppard

Pea-protein pancakes: “Make pancakes and add some pea protein flour. You can even eat them with jam on! You just wouldn't know it had peas in. Also buckwheat flour makes great pancakes and is a legume, which is basically like a pea.” heldinadream

Macaroni cheese with a side of spinach: “Wilt some spinach and add to the cheese sauce then blitz it with a hand blender. Call it hulk pasta!” Newuser75

Cupcakes with some added goodness: “I grate carrots, courgettes, apples, pears and marrows into cakes.” Meadowfinch

Packed lunch tips our Mumsnet users swear by

There’s what a packed lunch looks like on paper - and then there’s what you can realistically assemble at 7.45am while looking for a missing PE kit. Here are some of the shortcuts Mumsnet users rely on to make lunchboxes easier. 

Stick to a flexible framework

If your little one gets bored of eating the same thing every day, you could stick to a simple framework of carbs, protein, fruit and veg, but switch up the options to keep things interesting. 

“When my DD went through a phase of not wanting sandwiches, I did: Two carbs e.g. rice cakes, cheese straws, breadsticks, mini muffin, Soreen bar, salted popcorn… Two protein e.g. cheese string, Babybel, cocktail sausages, yogurt, rolled up ham… Fruit e.g. grapes, easy peeler, box of raisins, pot of blueberries. Veg e.g. cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, red pepper sticks.." Forgottenmyphone

"I tend to go for a formula of 5 items. 1 main - e.g. sandwich, savoury muffins, pitta pizza, frittata, cheese and crackers, falafel and hummus, pasta salad, cold sausages or chicken drumstick. 1 vegetable - e.g. carrot sticks, cucumber, tomato, olives, sliced pepper, sugar snaps etc. 1 fruit - berries, apple, pear, kiwi.... whatever really! 1 dairy - yoghurt, cubes of cheese, cheese string. 1 treat - popcorn, crisps, flapjack, biscuit etc."

GameofJones

Get them to make their own packed lunch

Provided you give them instructions on what to include and guidance on where everything is, older children may take pride in making their own lunch and therefore feel more encouraged to eat it.

“I used to put post-its above the worktop listing the things that we typically had in, grouped by food type, and my kids would choose / find / make an item from each list, plus something from the 'anything else of your choice' list.” rzb

Try some make-ahead options to save time in the mornings

Pasta salads, wraps, sandwiches, boiled eggs and chopped fruit and veg can all be prepared ahead, while homemade muffins or flapjacks can be frozen in individual portions and taken out as you need them.

“If you have a food flask you can batch cook jacket potatoes, reheat in the microwave in the morning, top with beans and pop in food flask (or take potato plain and add little pot of tuna/cheese/coleslaw at lunch time.” Atleastitsnotmonday

“Mine like couscous salad. I make up a big bowl with grated carrot and courgette in, keep it in fridge then add different things like cheese or chicken throughout the week once they are in separate portions.” Retrievemysanity

Pre-packaged snacks to survive the school bag

Kids’ school bags can go through a lot, from the journey to school and being dropped on the floor to getting buried under a mountain of coats. You want snacks that can survive the chaos until lunchtime, without any spills, leaks or stains along the way. 

Whole foods such as fruit and chopped veg are worth prioritising where you can, but convenient options can make a useful addition when time is tight. Individually wrapped snacks can be particularly handy on busy mornings: there’s no portioning or extra container required, and they’re less likely to emerge from the school bag squashed or leaking everywhere.

“My DD loves the cathedral city minis, pretzels (decant into a tub, or get the small packs from aldi), mini cheddars, soreen little loaves and fruit and grain bars. All travel fairly well.” DrEmilyCrabtree

“A few Quorn picnic eggs. Hummus and carrots pack. Maybe a Soreen or Bonne Maman cake bar. Cucumber sticks. Pepperami. Baby bel. Dairylea triangles. All these 7 year old nephew devours.” Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain

Where Soreen Lunchbox Loaves fit

Soreen Lunchbox Loaves are an easy addition to a packed lunch, with no extra prep needed. They’re a source of fibre and also contain a source of iron to fuel focus and learning, making them a great choice for busy school days filled with learning, focus and play.

Simply pop one in alongside the usual lunchbox staples - such as a sandwich or wrap, fruit or veg and a source of protein. Individually wrapped and perfectly portioned to contain under 100 calories each, they’re especially handy for busy mornings when every minute counts.

And because the same lunch every day can quickly get boring, there are four delicious flavours to keep things interesting - Strawberry, Apple, Banana and Original Malt. An easy way to add a little variety to their lunchbox while helping fuel their school day.

About Soreen

Soreen’s malt loaf dates back to 1938 and was first created by John Sorensen. It was invented as an affordable, nutritious energy food. Since then, the loaves’ distinctive squidgy texture and malty flavour have made it a familiar sight in cupboards and lunchboxes across the UK. Today, Soreen’s range includes plenty of conveniently packaged formats, including individually wrapped Lunchbox Loaves designed to make busy mornings that little bit easier.