favourite semi-healthy treats for lunchboxes & after school

[misshardbroom]

Please will you tell me your favourite things to bake for your children's lunchboxes / after school?

Our school isn't fanatical about healthy lunchboxes so I can get away with pretty much anything, but I'm keen to give them something filling but with some nutritional value.(Instead of the Penguin biscuit / Hula Hoop combo I normally go for).

Sweet or savoury, I don't mind which (and if you want to point me in the direction of specific recipes in the MN archives then that would be fine too).

flapjacks
banana bread
fruit loaf
parkin
apple/fruit/veg muffins

basically anythign with dried or fresh fruit, or oats, or black treacle, makes me feel better about the fact it's basically cake

tealoaf is my basic one:

in a large bowl put:
1 cup dried fruit (or more, or add nuts etc)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cold black tea

stir until sugar has dissolved
leave 12h or overnight

stir in:
2 cups SR
1 egg

2lb greased loaf tin, gas 4 1-1.5hr or till knife comes out clean

great, thanks for that. Do you think your tea loaf recipe would work with dates rather than raisins / sultanas? DS1 is a bit suspicious of visible dried fruit.

MrsBadger - Why black treacle, surely thats just a spoonful of sugar?

Love the recipe though, am going to make it up tonight for tomorrow, thanks

DD has school dinners but I often give her these after school-

Half a sandwich with peanut butter and banana/butter and marmite/cucumber

Slice of quiche (if I've had some for lunch)

Banana flapjack

Breadsticks

I do the tea loaf too. It works with all types of died fruit, apricots are nice. Banana bread is another nice alternative.

And so far as lunchboxes go my DS loves leftovers, especially pasta, rice dishes, curry or soup. Microwave in the morning in a wide mouth flask with a spoon.

I didn't say it was logical re the black treacle...

batteryhuman is right, the tealoaf is very forgiving, try it with any old dried fruit

dd1 likes to crunch away on home-made granola. Or just toasted seeds.

hot cross buns, maltloaf or teacakes go down well here. Crumpets (for after school). Ambrosia or Muller rice pots.

marking my place dd1 also wants healthier snacks

Love the sound of your tea loaf, MrsBadger - I might put some fruit in to soak now. Mmmm....

I love recipes in cup measures too, no logical reason for that either, but it makes me feel very wholesome and domestic.

To add my two penn'orth, even though it was me that asked for ideas, here is what I give the little Hardbrooms when they get in from school:

crumpets / toast / bread & honey
breakfast cereal with milk
houmous and breadsticks if I'm incredibly organised
biscuits, cakes, chocolate buttons etc. if I'm not.

Got the new Anjum Anand book for Christmas and it includes a sort of savoury spiced lentil 'cake' thing... do we think it would be nice or truly revolting?

Houmous and crusty bread/carrot sticks.

Cheese and chive dip with cucumber sticks.

Cheese and crackers.

Those great big popcorn flavoured rice cakes.

Cashew nuts.

Apple and cinnamon muffins.

Croissants and jam.

just marking

malt loaf or other fruity bread
homemade apple crumble or stewed fruit in a pot
banana custard
date flapjacks(spread half the flapjack mix on tray, spread layer of mushed dates then top with rest of flapjack mix before baking - can use apricots or apple too)

IIRC, black molasses contain iron, so there's a bit of goodness there.

There's a tea loaf in the oven as I type this

gonna try tea loaf now, my DD never eats her sandwiches so need alternatives ???

my DCs will do anything for Soreen malt loaf.

outinthesticksmummy, will she go for slices of quiche, or triangles of pizza (which doesn't need to be a nutritional catastrophe if you make it yourself). Mine also likes pasta salad and those baby mozzarella balls, which you can get in the Sainsbury's Basics range so not as extravagant as it sounds. Or breadsticks & houmous & raw veg?