Let’s talk school packed lunches with Twinings Kids Cold In‘fuse

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From wacky lunchboxes to inventive snacks designed to get your kids to eat well, school packed lunches are a key part of the back to school preparation. It can take a lot of trial and error to make nutritious packed lunches that are also fun and appealing, and anything that makes life easier in this department is often welcomed.

Here’s what Twining’s have to say:
“We all know how difficult it can be to get children to eat well without compromising on fun or filling their lunch boxes with boring meals! That’s why we’ve produced our new Kids Cold In’fuse range, made by using natural ingredients only. Developed in partnership with children, the product offers a fun way to encourage kids to consume more water and is a sugar free alternative to fruit juices and cordials, which can have a high sugar content. By simply adding the infusion bags to their water bottles and giving it a quick shake, children can enhance their water with delicious flavours including; Strawberry Lemonade, Mango & Orange and Blackcurrant & Apple. Not only that, but all the products in the range have been specially developed to ensure that the acidity level is safe for children’s tooth enamel.

As part of the launch, we are supporting Public Health England’s Change4Life campaign, which encourages families to cut back on sugar by making a few simple swaps to everyday food and drink. With children heading back to school this September, we encourage everyone to make the simple swap in their packed lunches and let us know what you think!”

What is your child’s favourite part of their packed lunch? Have you created a fun twist on an otherwise boring snack? Maybe you put a fun note into their lunchbox every so often as a surprise?

Share the fun ways you make your children’s packed lunches appealing on the post below and all who do so will be entered into a prize draw where 1 MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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I like to cut his sandwiches into his fav cartoon characters, yes his mum does the lunches most days. I just offer now and again.

My son loves picnics and nibble foods so packed lunches are a favourite thing of his!

We make our own version of snack attacks with little wraps, ketchup, ham and cheese strings. He loves making his own wrap up and feels very independent.

He likes chicken, pepperamis, seafood sticks, sushi rice balls - basically anything that can be made in mini bitesize pieces

He's not a great eater of vegetables so we put lots of fruit in - berries are always a big hit but also apple, satsuma or banana.

I cut my kids sandwiches with cookie cutters into animal shapes they love eating them

I'm not sure I'm very good at making their pack ups fun!! There are always 4 items- a sandwich, wrap or crackers and cheese, a packet of crisps or chocolate bar, a yogurt and a piece of fruit. Think I best read this thread for some help!

Several different foods in small containers with their favourite characters on the top (eg Gruffalo)

Smiley faces on bananas always make my two laugh! Christmas is always fun when our elf on the shelf comes along and sticks googly eyes on everything in the kids lunchboxes!

My son isn't keen on sandwiches, but loves pasta and rice. I make pasta and rice pots, with either chicken, tuna or salmon. I add cooked veggies like peppers, onions, peas, green beans or sweetcorn, then I stir in mayo or red pesto. He's also not keen on apples or bananas, so I buy pineapple or melon and cut them into chunks.

My son loves superheroes so he has a selection of fun superhero lunch boxes and drinking bottles. Fruit infusions for his water bottle goes down well, apple and blackcurrant being his favourite. I secretly put a box of raisins or some grapes into his lunch box and he loves that.

I always make lunchboxes the evening before and store them in the fridge this gives me more time to plan the contents and hopefully make them healthier than if I am in a rush, my son loves the Dinosaur sandwich cutter I use for his packed lunches and eat generally whatever I put in them, and I have a small pot which I use for fruit pieces or berries in his lunchbox I peel satsumas and chop larger strawberries in half otherwise he tens to leave them

We try to mix up the choices a few times a week. And add plenty of colour to the food inside

My kids were all really fussy eaters and 9 times out of 10 the lunchboxes would come back at least half full still! But some of the things they would eat were chopped up fruit salad in a tub, frozen yogurt tubes, home-made version of Subway (little sub roll, turkey breast, melted cheese and salad) oh and one of my kids loved hummus so he would have that with mini breadsticks.

Cookie or biscuit cutters always works for sandwiches and fruit.

Let them pick a lunch box they love. We do lots of different fruit, blue berries, mango, raspberries etc so that she gets variety. But I let my daughter pick which fruit she wants. My daughter also prefers sandwich thins or pita bread. Luckily she is a good eater xx

A good variety of food through the week.

Put in food with lots of colours and textures.
Always put in something that they love so they don't refuse it all.

Thanks for all your comments, and congratulations to @DitaFajitaJones for winning the voucher!

Generally my son has school dinners so finds having a packed lunch exciting. He loves the fact that his lunch box has lots of different compartments with different food in. I tell him whats in the lunch then add a surprise for when he opens it - generally its a pudding!

I give my daughter things like houmous and pitta and then add in an occasional note telling her how much I love her!

Only make packed lunch once a week and it’s a cheese sandwich cut in a shape. Plus a banana.

My kid is happiest with his lunch if he has left over quesadillas.

My little boy doesn't like much variation apart from ham or tuna mayo and sweetcorn sandwiches. They are not allowed sweets but thankfully he does like all kinds of fruit. So each day in his packed lunch is suprise fruit that is all peeled and prepared, and each day he tries to guess what it will be on the way to school. He is always super chuffed when he gets it right!

I do try and make their packed lunches fun by making their sandwiches different shapes.

Don't stick to the same packed lunch every day, have pasta salads, wraps ect instead of sandwiches, also make it colourful and they enjoy it even more.

Make things into weird shapes and disguise things that are healthy

I cut the sandwiches with the cookie cutters in lots of funky funny shapes like unicorns or stars they love it and is always making them smile 😊