Tell Soreen about your healthy snacks that pass lunchbox police scrutiny- £300 to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

Most Mumsnetters are probably familiar with the concept of the lunchbox police - those whose job it is at your child’s school to ensure pupil’s lunchboxes meet a certain standard. The fact is, whether you like them or not, if there are lunchbox police at your DC’s school, you have to make sure your snacks comply with their rules. This being the case, Soreen want to know about your go-to recipes for healthy snacking that get past the beady eyes of even the toughest lunchbox police officer.

Here’s what Soreen have to say about their Lunchbox Loaves: "We know how hard it is to find a snack for school lunchboxes that’s both nutritious and tasty but Soreen Lunchbox Loaves strike that perfect balance. Available in Malt and Banana flavours with a satisfyingly squidgy texture, Lunchbox Loaves are individually wrapped, low in fat, contain only 95 calories and provide a source of fibre.

If that wasn’t enough, Soreen Lunchbox Loaves are also suitable for vegetarians and meet guidelines set by the Children’s Food Trust for ‘School Foods Standards’ - so you should have no problem getting them past the lunchbox police."

To help other Mumsnetters branch out beyond bread sticks and yoghurt, tell us about your best lunch box recipes for the ultimate police-proof snacks. Post on the thread with your healthy alternatives to chocolate, crisps and cakes and you could be in with a chance of winning a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

A slice of homemade banana bread, a yoghurt tube, carrots and houmous are all regulars in our lunchboxes. They all look love Soreen with a smear of salted butter!

DS loves plain popcorn, just air popped, it is a massive treat and lovely and healthy.

Cheesy bakes, fruit, mini rolls and Aldo's groovy bars all go down well with my DS and keep the LB police at bay!!! Lol x

Cottage cheese mixed with tuna seems to be a good little side for them, and no complaints as yet!

Mango chicken salad goes down well

Frozen yoghurt tube - also keeps the cheese sandwiches fresh.
Grapes/ carrot sticks/ satsumas/ strawberries/ baby tomatoes/ peas in their pods/
Mini humous tubs
Baby crisps / bars (without sugar / salt)
Boxes of raisins
Mini sausages
Felafel
Chocolate brioches
Malt / banana loaf
Home made cake slice

I send homemade American-style pancakes made with a mix of wholewheat flour , flax and white flour with blended cottage cheese/mashed bananas/peanut butter/blueberries (whatever I have in). I make a huge batch and stick in the freezer.

Fruit, vegetables or cheese.
Or malt loaf (aka Soreen in my house), although, sorry Soreen, I think it's full of sugar, albeit not refined sugar.

I've always struggled to find something that will be guaranteed to be eaten.
Flapjacks and smoothies are about the only things I've had any success with!

A minefield when you have a fussy eater whose only source of protein is cheese or nuts. Our's like many asks for no nuts in lunchboxes, but cheese everyday can be dairy overload if he's having it for tea as well.

Rice cakes with some butter on them.

We're not allowed to send in chocolate but CocoPops breakfast bars made it past the lunchbox police so that felt like quite the victory. Soreen has never been a problem in the lunchbox, along with the usual vegetable sticks, fruit bags etc.

It is difficult to have a varied lunch each day. My little one asked to take a chicken leg from the Sunday roast. This went down very well.

They love oatcakes spread with peanut butter, full of energy! And also carrot and cucumber sticks.

We don't have lunchbox police at DD'd school thankfully. I try to give healthy snacks anyway! Cheese cubes and dried fruit go down well.

I always cut up strips of carrot and red peppers - nice and sweet, yet healthy

A clearly 'healthy' slice made with spelt flour, cooked apple or tinned pumpkin, oats, egg, seeds and coconut. Freezes well too which is a bonus.

Classic veggie sticks generally go down well with LO & guaranteed to be approved by lunch box police! Usually carrots, peppers & cucumber.
My LO also loves a celery stick with peanut butter spread inside - yum!! Arguably high in fat - but it's good fat & it's in moderation! I use the Whole Earth stuff to so there's no gubbins in there.
I find it hard to vary it too much - if I go too off-menu, LO wll refuse to eat it - so keeping it fresh & simple tends to keep all parties happy.. more or less!

I make low sugar flapjacks with added seeds, or Nigella Lawsons banana muffins which have only a tiny bit of honey in them to sweeten the as the banana's natural sweetness does most of that.

I am really lucky, as my toddler loves all foods and is not remotely picky. On occasion, I have made homemade oat biscuits for his lunchbox, but finding the time to do this as a working mum is a challenge. I always put always fresh berries in his lunchbox when we are out and about, as well as carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus. His healthy eating bodes well for the future. I used to throw the contents of my school lunchbox away and hope my mother would never find out. I hope karma does not come back and bite me!

We usually add some sort of Quorn. Eg mini sausages, savoury eggs or ham style sandwiches. (given the time I try to cut into shapes with cookie cutters as DD wont eat the crust anyway) Some form of cheese either babybel or cheese stick. Fruit and veg are favs in particular, carrot sticks, strawberries and pears. Also little boxes of raisins. Again if time allows I make a square of home made pizza or banana muffin. Fruit rolls or oat bars are another hit. Although I sometimes add a nutella sandwich I try to steer away from chocolate so provide a nakd bar made from pure cacoa which is healthier. A drink is normally a fresh fruit juice or small milkshake. We are lucky that we don't really have lunchbox policing at our school but if we did I would not change what I sent in. Some children are tricky eaters and so long as they are eating its better than going without because of some school policy. Schools are for learning not dictating to parents.

I have to eat gluten free so tend to use polenta and beetroot in baking which keeps things in the "healthy" zone. The local Chinese supermarket is also a great source of healthy snacks. The kids like the colourful packaging but the ingredients (lots of hidden veggies) keep the adults happy!

When my daughter had a packed lunch the treats she used to enjoy included a slice of homemade banana bread, or apple crumble, or a little pot of jelly made with cut up fruit.
I haven't eaten malt loaf for ages, but this is making me want to have some again. I'd like to try the Soreen banana loaf too.

little pots of salad always go down well when made with bright colours like different colours cherry tomatoes, mixed peppers, and even sometimes fruit like strawberries or watermelon mixed in with the salad leaves and feta and/or balsamic.