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

I buy the mini food bags that have a big mouth printed in the front and fill with mixture of grapes and various berries. Pretty sure it's the novelty food bag that entices them to eat the fruit

We are pretty lucky that our school don't comment on our lunch boxes , my dcs tend to have a sandwich or crackers , cherry tomatoes, cucumber or carrot sticks , fruit such as grapes or apple, a yogurt and either a flapjack or soreen pack lunch bar .
They all seem happy with that and seems similar to what their friends have in theirs.

My daughter loves healthy snacks so we've never had a problem. She usually has carrot sticks and fruit :)

Homemade muffins from oats, honey, eggs and little oil.

I have never heard of school lunchbox police, do not have any at any schools in our area. Our DCs like chicken baguettes, crackers fruit and flapjacks. As long as there is lots of food they are happy. Two of our DSs are 6ft tall and still growing so must be eating ok!

Carrot sticks with a little pot of hummus

My DD's school has never been overly strict- no sweets, fizzy drinks or chocolate bars, but that's pretty much it. They enjoy healthy snacks like Malt Loaf very much (although I prefer the big one).

More importantly, one of their peers has a very bad peanut allergy, so we all respect that and avoid nuts.

We didn't have packed lunch police at my children's school. The only no-no was nuts due to allergies. I always tried to give them a range of different food - sandwich, yoghurt, fruit, cheese portion but it was often very carby. I was always envious of my daughter's french friend who seemed to have the most amazing healthy, homemade hot lunches in a thermos for school.

Our go-to for packed lunches are-

• Cucumber and pepper sticks with red pepper houmous
• Melon sticks
• Berry medley
• My daughter has even taken overnight oats for breakfast at the childminders early the next day before...has better packed lunches than I do!

My DC like a good selection of foods. I guess i'm quite lucky. I've always loved vegetable carving since going to a very nice chinese restaurant with my grandparents in the early 80's. DD's snack carrots have progressed a bit beyond carrot sticks. 2D flowers are very simple by shapeing the outer peeled carrot before slicing into individual flowers. I have little cutters that are great for a whole variety of shapes. Rabbits, chickens, various other animals. Raddish roses are rather attractive too but not quite as popular with the DC. Cucumber shapes well but it can go a bit soggy but all three DC love cucumber. DS2 makes apple swans, learnt from the wonders of youtube, but they do brown a bit by snack time.

I have, up until this week, also liked little packs of raisons and fruit strings as in the bag ready, long life snacks in school bags. School have now banned these - has to be fresh everyday. They dont necessarily want snack everyday so I'm a bit concerned this will lead to waste.

I try to make simple home made cakes- I know exactly what has gone in them, as well as fruit and raw veg. Carrot and pepper slices as well as sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes are always popular with my daughters.

Carrot sticks - she literally can't get enough of them

My little lady loves celery and olives! She has this first and then can have a treat!

my son loves build your own wraps with a pot of salad and some cheese or chicken he loves to make it himself

veggie sticks are my kids favourite, I make them a dip to go with them, healthy and they really enjoy the concept of the whole thing.

School isn't too strict here. Son likes the oat/banana cookies I make which is handy. Breadsticks are a good extra snack for him.

My LO has school dinners. On the odd occasion that he has taken a packed lunch in I just give him a variety of food including shock horror a home made bun full of sugar, butter and other general terrible nasties! No-one has arrested me ... yet.

Corn on the cob, cooked and gone cold is one of my LGs favourite pack up items.

Frozen frube tubes so they're nice and cold at lunch time and orzo pasta salad go down well too.

mine love vegetable shapes. i usually cut up carrots, cucumber and peppers and pop a splodge of hummus in.

Yo-yos are really popular at our school. My children like the 'sour' ones best. I always include two fresh fruits or vegetables as well (my dd doesn't get time to eat more than that), usually cucumber, strawberries, a plum, raspberries or blueberries. Recently she has also been having the new yoghurt pouches that come in strawberry, blueberry or peach and apricot flavour. They do banana, too, but she hates bananas!

I make apple flapjacks when I have the time and add lots of dried cranberries, apricots, etc and plenty of oats. No nuts though as our school is nut free.

My best tips for lunchboxes are definitely innocent smoothies, healthy and a drink and doesnt get squished like a lot of fruit does with my heavy handed son.

Also we buy the little fruit bags, like mango flakes and strawberry flakes which are a healthy snack and my son thinks they are sweets so a win win!

I normally rebel against what the school expects of a 'perfect lunchbox' as I know what my lg likes and dislikes, so I find cucumber cut into sticks tomatoes and crackers with cheese are great. A piece of fruit and a yogurt, nothing too messy and she will actually eat it rather than bringing it back home.

We often do mini quiche usually crust less in silicone moulds. Can throw in whatever and my 3 yo loves those. Also lentil dahl can make a batch at start of week. Probably not to everyone's taste but works for us and super healthy. Lastly, chia pud is my go to, any stewed fruit with it is delicious.

marmite "soldiers" on wholewheat seeded bread, thin layer of butter and marmite cut into "soldiers" - gives that tangy Unami taste I find my DC's want mid morning on the playground!

Or funnily enough, a slice or two of soreen, I used to have it as a break time snack when I was a child too!