Help please - no idea what to put in a child's "healthy" lunch box

[goingbacktowork]

I am not sure if this is the best board top ask this question on - if not please can you suggest another board?

My daughter will be starting packed lunches soon and I do not want to end up with her just eating a packet of crisps, cheese dips, sandwich, bit of cucumber and something sweet in lunch box. I have no idea about creating a varied and nutritious lunch box . She will be having this every day. The only " good thing" I can think to add is humous etc but no idea how you can take "a little bit" of humous to school as obviously I do not want her eating a tub of it a day.

Will be grateful for any suggestions. Many thanks.

wrt yogurt, I usually get the 'Kids' ones from Sainsburys, which come in a pouch with a twist off lid, and also only use fruit juice to sweeten, rather than sugar.

Most supermarkets do packs of three little pots of hummous, though it's no doubt cheaper to just decant into tupperware.

I often give the DC a bit of a home-made cake on a Friday as a treat - banana bread, fruit cake, apple cake, wholemeal muffin etc. Muffins are dead easy to make and can include all sorts of healthy things - fruit, even veggies like carrots and courgettes. They also freeze well, so a batch could last a couple of weeks of school lunches. If you take one out in the morning, it'll be defrosted by lunchtime.

DS1 also likes (for his morning snack) a pot of bircher muesli - I make up a big jar full (oats, seeds, raisins, grapes, you could also add nuts if you like and the school allows. If you are incredibly lazy (and rich) you can buy bags of 'bircher muesli base' in Waitrose), then in the evening, put a little in a pot with some grated apple and orange juice. Leave it in the fridge overnight. I add a dollop of plain yogurt and a squeeze of honey in the morning. He absolutely LOVES it and I see it as a good way of getting some fruit into him, as he's not much of a fruit eater otherwise.

1. Wholemeal or granary roll with ham, cheese or tuna.
2. Salad or veg - Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery or carrots etc
3. Fruit - banana, few strawberries, blueberries, grapes etc
4. Treat - biscuit, small cake, cereal bar
5. Bottle of water

www.kleenezeshop.com/products/101-dip-box.aspx for houmous and breadsticks etc and www.kleenezeshop.com/products/105-sandwich-box.aspx is good for lots of little bits, grapes, cheese chunks etc.

Our school's healthy lunch guidelines:

1. Carbs eg bread, pasta, cous cous
2. Protein eg cheese, ham, chicken, egg, soya
3. One portion veg
4. One portion fruit
5. Cake-based treat

No crisps, sweets or chocolate allowed. Water, juice or milk to drink.

So I will be sending DS1 with a cheese roll/sarnie/bagel, cucumber or carrot sticks, apple/banana/orange, and flapjack or something. I have got one of those lunchboxes with the compartments in to hopefully keep everything unsquashed.

Oh yes and yoghurt too.

Also, re: variety, my kids have always had a variation on the same thing at lunch (basically cheese + bread). I have a cheese sandwich for lunch every day too!

I only give fruit juice cartons because of a bedwetting problem. DD1 would not touch her juice bottle which was diluted 1/10 with juice so we decided on cartons because it is drink all or nothing i.e. what to do with a half empty carton. If drinking is no issue then definately water where possible.