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

Soreen banana loaf is a favourite! Dried fruit also goes down well and isn't messy - pineapple, mango and raisins work well.

I'm lucky that my children love raw vegetables. I make mini muffins with over ripe bananas (They ripen so quickly) I also make flapjacks but alternate oats, cornflakes, muesli base and add dried fruits or nuts. They love Soreen malt loaf too. I use left over rice and pasta to make little salads also.

No lunchbox police at my dd's school thankfully. I sometimes send in a little pot of pearls and sweet corn with a little spoon for her, no need to cook, just pop frozen in and it's defrosted by lunchtime.
Also muffins with beetroot or carrot in are a good way of upping veg.
Milkshakes too, for a calcium increase.
Grated carrot and cheese in wraps go down well too.

My DC's school is very strict with packed lunches which can be a bit of a pain for my youngest who is a fussy eater. Everyone in our family loves Soreen and I put it in their lunchboxes at least three times a week, usually the malt loaf. Delish!

I'm pleased to say we've never had lunchbox police at our school. There's a nut-free policy for obvious reasons but other than that they are pretty hands-off.

Ds2 has the same stuff everyday - ham sandwich, box of raisins, carton of juice and a small choc bar of some description. There is some good inspiration on this thread but he is happy with his lot so can't see me changing now!

I've only just started my weaning journey with my little boy so he's rather on the small side for nursery and a lunch box but one things for sure when we get to that stage he will be enjoying your tasty banana loaves for sure. Mumma loves them very much and LO decided he wanted to try some yesterday and he loved it! I was so proud of him and they are a definite winner in my house for sure. Would love to try the chocolate loaves too they look rather lush :-)

Sandwich, fruit pot & salad pot (peppers/cherry tomatoes/cucumber & celery) always pass for us

We only moved to packed lunches at February half term (after over 7 years of school dinners)

Trying to navigate the minefield of what is and isn't allowed is so hard, and the school doesn't seem to have a written policy apart from no nuts or chocolate.

The dinner ladies allow fruit rollups but not fruit winders, goodness knows about fruit stars or yogurt covered fruit.

I usually put in a banana malt loaf or homemade flapjack as a small sweet treat. Chocolate malt loaf wouldn't be allowed.

Courgette cake, fruit, peanut butter apple slices, hummus and sliced veg, falafel and dried fruit seem to pass inspection and they all get eaten

Banana tops them all, so easy to grab and unwrap. I love closed cup mushrooms with a small portion of hummus to dip them in - heavenly!

My daughter doesn't take a packed lunch to school, but we still need healthy snacks for when we are out and about travelling so I make healthy seed bars with loads of different seeds, and dates for sweetness, so no added sugar, I also make an oat bar that has cranberries, nuts and seeds and oats (of course), with some peanut butter and honey to keep it all together. For a chocolatey hit I make a recipe that has cacoa powder, dates, nuts and a little coconut oil, all mixed together and cut into bitesize squares, so no sugar and lots of healthy ingredients. They seem to do the trick, lots of flavour without the nasties.

Egg muffins
Refined sugar free oat bars
Cubes of cheese
Gherkins
Ham and cheese roll-up
Boiled eggs
Banana and blueberry scotch pancakes
Olives
Mozzarella pearls wrapped in basil on a cocktail stick

my daughter is'nt so bad she will have fruit, sandwich and thats about it. my oldest son however is a struggle to get to eat healthy he dont like much healthy foods and when their dad lets them do their own lunches they end up having more junk then anything not sure if dad gets moaned he dont tell me anything.
my youngest not in school but we do lunches to take out with us they are sandwich crisps fruit raisins he takes bottle of water and juice.

My school isn't strict. Youngest ds has a sandwich thin with marmite and ham or marmite and cheese, a yoghurt, packet of raisins, packet of cheddar and a mini treat like fun size buttons or a mini roll.

Eldest ds also loves this with marmite and anything, tub of cucumber and tomatoes or pepper, yoghurt, raisins and again a fun size cake or whatever. Both have a carton of fresh fruit juice.

My daughter likes her food separate so we have compartments in her box. She likes bread, ham, carrots and cucumber separately!!

Ds is very keen on dried mango and dried pineapple, so he gets that as a treat

My daughter has got more fussy as she got older but I still manage to get a tub of grapes into her lunch bag. It's much easier in summer as she loves berries so if I have any strawberries and raspberries, they go in too!

Homemade flapjacks with seeds and fruit.

Red grapes.

For DS, sometimes mini hummus pots and some of those short fat stubby Spanish (I think) mini breadsticks you get in bags at M&S.

DD has a real sweet tooth so it's tricky to satisfy that in a responsible way. Fortunately our school has no lunchbox police. Have not tried the mini Soreens but I keep meaning to - if she doesn't like them her dad will be delighted to scoff them.

Our 2 DD's are not fussy luckily :) They love strawberry,banana,red apples,grapes,pear,cucumber,carrots,any dried fruits,babybel or peelable cheese,sanwitches with peanut butter,butter with cheese or with jam cut in shapes of animals.Soreen lunchbox loaves,Fruit kebads that they've made themselves are always a win at home.Wraps/bread with chicken/beef/pulled porc/honey ham/omelettes,buggers,fishcakes with lettuce and beetroot or carrot and cucumber,yogurt or fromage frais.....with water,always water everyday and the list of variety is quite long so we don't get the same meal twice a fornight :)
We don't have a lunchbox police at school and i wouldn't be bothered at all :)

It's not that easy to get it right 5 days a week ,I try to follow the unhealthy snacks rules that my granddaughters school set, my granddaughter likes to have packed lunch everyday she has a healthy cheese salad sandwich or ham salad sandwich, then she has a piece of fruit then she has a brunch bar with honey and rasions in and for a drink she likes volvic strawberry still water, that's just one days worth of lunch ,I find it hard with the sweet stuff I'm ok with the sandwich and fruit is easy she likes yoghurt to, but often she wants crisps and chocolate and all the unhealthy snacks ,so I find it hard getting the balance right so everyone is happy, so I think finding out about healthy lunchbox snacks would be great and to review the product ,what could be better then everyone gets to find out and a bit of help for parents like me who need a bit of help

I send mine in with sandwich, usually ham, cheese and cucumber or tuna, babybell, pack of seeds, or raisins, carrot sticks, yog, and seem to et away with the odd Jaffa cake on a Friday 👍🏻

A handful of cashews
Fruit
Breadsticks and houmous (?sp)
Soreen!

We've got a popcorn maker and plain popcorn is always good. It's tasty and wholegrain too so nothing to complain about.

I love Soreen, and my 4 year old does too, but surely it's not lunchbox friendly?! They're 6g sugar per 30g bar, which is really quite high. It's a lovely, super sweet treat, and I'd rather save those for home eating when we have them so that we can enjoy them together.

My DD'S school is catered only for infants so we don't have the challenge for a while.