Lunch box 'meals' and ten minute dinners

[Haypanky]

Hi folks, my childcare is changing in a couple of weeks and I'm going to have to feed the beasts myself!

I'm after suggestions for lunchboxes, other than sarnies. Kids are nearly 4 and 15 months, so need high ish calorie food that will keep them going.

Also after suggestions for super quick recipes for when we get home, as they won't be able to wait! As in I'll probably have about ten mins to get it onto the plate, with a crying one year old hanging off my leg! I need to cover Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so not all week thank goodness!

Some great ideas here.
My nursery won't allow pesto (contains pine nuts) or anything with nuts and are not allowed to reheat rice or anything that isn't completely defrosted.

If anyone knows of a microwave rice pouch that's small enough for a little one but completely sealed (so they will heat it) then let me know. Uncle Bens/Annabel karmel are missing a trick here...

You can make your own pesto really easily if you have a mini chopper or food processor, and then leave out the pine nuts?

English muffins make wonderful instant pizza bases. Smear of pesto, some veg and cheese and whack in oven for ten mins.

Boiled eggs with soldiers are one of my favourite quick teas.

Bake ahead some homemade sausage rolls, miniature Cornish pasties, spring rolls. They warm up quickly.

Baked beans on toast.

I'm just becoming a childminder so great thread. If you can heat it, risotto or stew. Slow cooker is fab-slow cooker gammon with coleslaw & veg, baby spuds

Tilda do microwave rice packets for toddlers in different flavours. I sometimes add tuna or chicken to this. You can get them at Morrison's and Tesco. My DS loves them and they're a god send as they only take 40 secs in the microwave.

Sainsbury’s sell a 3 pack of uncle bens rice and they are smaller pouches, may be slightly too much but they are definitely smaller than the normal ones.

Watching!!

Lunch for mine is just sandwiches, unless they can access a microwave then they eat......

Dinner. On my off days i double up cooking. And freeze meals in the boxes i bought off amazon (think takeaway). In the morning, i put them in the fridge, heat in microwave and eat! They are also good if the kids want them for lunch.

I currently have 15 assorted meals boxed in my freezer.👍👍👍

@LadyGAgain pine nuts aren't actually nuts, they're seeds, so I've no idea why your nursery are banning them - sounds like a misunderstanding. Having said that, most jar pestos also have cashew nuts in them. More expensive fresh pesto generally is nut-free, but does have pine nuts.

Anything pasta related:
Tomato pasta
Cream cheese pasta
Pesto pasta
Pasta and frozen bolognese

Omelette
Stir fry (Pre cooked meat makes this even quicker)
Pancakes (Mixture can be pre made in fridge in the morning)

Toasted sandwich
Beans on toast
Egg on toast
Soup

As for lunch boxes maybe home made sausage rolls(with ready made pastry), you could also do little pasties. Other types of bread such as wraps or pittas with a filling or hummus dip (might be a bit messy for youngest). Left over past from night before. Cold pizza with vegetable sticks.

I've been on it like a car bonnet today, made 2-day roast for tomorrow too, sugar free carrot muffins (yummy and super easy!), lemon curd and blueberry cake (OK less healthy!), did a proper meal plan and stuck it on the wall then shopped for that plan. We've got pitta pockets for lunch tomorrow then left overs for tea. Slow cooker chilli on Tuesday. Stir fry on Wednesday. Then fajitas. Then fried rice. Week 1 bish bosh bash! Thanks so much everyone for new ideas and inspiration, I'm a lot less daunted!