Show us your lunchbox!

Ok I dunno about you but about half way through each term I start to lose my mojo when it comes to the food for the kids lunchbox.

So I was thinking we could share (either pic and explanation, or just describe) what goes into our kids lunch boxes everyday. A great way to inspire each other and share great tips and recipes.

So whilst I don't have a pic...

My kids had an apple, a cup of mixed strawberries & grapes, a cup of homemade banana custard, kabana, cheese cubes, crackers, cheeseymite sandwich for DS, vegemite sandwich for DD, cucumber sticks for DD, carrot sticks for DS.

We got bigger lunch boxes this year (the Nudie ones) so there is more room for different sorts of treats. I hate sandwiches so I won't be doing that often, but they begged for it because there's a compartment for sandwiches LOL.

I'll be baking later today for their lunchboxes. I tend to cook ahead, freeze and let them pick from the freezer.

DD had salad sandwich, apple, yogurt, quiche and a tub of tiny tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum and cabanossi.

Yesterday was - Apple Pikelets, an apple for DD2 and a plum for DD1, a yoghurt and everything in a bowl (divided tupperware container with fritz, cheese, cucumber, grapes and crackers)

Today-Ham, Cheese and cucumber sandwhiches, diced rockmelon and watermelon, vege muffin and a yoghurt

Tomorrow DD1 only so will be tuna and crackers, fruit of her choice, banana bread and some cheese and cucumber in a tub

friday will be everything in a bowl again, will try and remember to take a pic and post it :)

Im trying to bake once a month (becuase Im lazy and not a huge fan of baking but I prefer them to have some snacks that I know have less sugar and preservatives). Current freezer stash is banana bread, vege muffins and apple pikelets. Think I might do raspberry and white choc muffins as a real treat next time I bake. Kids normally have another piece of fruit for afternoon tea when they get home

Anyone want to share recipes?

Cheesy Vege Muffins (adapted from Taste website)

2 Cups grated Vegies (I used 1 potato 1 zucchini and 1 carrot)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated cheese
1-2tsp mustard powder or use other herb/spice/seasoning to taste

Grate vegies and squeeze out some liquid. Add flour, baking powder and mustard powder and 3/4 cup cheese to vegies. Mix wet ingredients togetherin a bowl. Combine, dont over mix. Spoon into muffin tin (I used pretty cucpacke wrappers) sprinkle a little of the left over cheese over the top and bake for approx 25min at 180C until golden.

Very yummy, you can use most vegies just adjust the amount of milk if using very mosit vegetables like creamed corn :).

Totally subbing as I have my first kid heading to school this year and I am beside myself with lunch boxes and she hasn't even started yet - tomorrow is the big day. I am going to need some ideas. My DD just doesn't eat - no idea what I'm going to do.

Subbing too as I'm making my first school lunch tonight!

I've started stocking the freezer. So far I have made and frozen banana pikelets, banana bread, blueberry muffins, zucchini and walnut loaf (not sure if she'll be able to take that though as they haven't said if her class is nut free?).
Going to also make mango and coconut muffins this afternoon.

Novella thanks for recipe, I might try those muffins, they sound yummy.

Liviam she might start to be a bit more adventurous with food when she sees what the other preppies are eating? Fingers crossed for you anyhow!

I'm making an anzac slice today. I'm cheating a lot and using my TMX. I made the banana custard last night, I blitzed a banana with a little sugar, then added that to my custard ingredients. Freezing them in snack containers that fit with the lunch box. I make a scroll recipe where I put ham and cheese slices with mayo and either some spring onions, grated carrot etc. Then roll cut and bake.

Tonight I'll make some hommus to go in little containers again with crackers and vegies. I'll be freezing the hommus in small batches so it doesn't go off. I freeze the custard too. Heck I freeze everything. Hoping to make some corn dog muffins, and arancini balls as well.

What recipes do you want N2L.

Today DS2 has taken vegetable slice, pikelets with raspberries mushed in creamed cheese, rockmelon balls, frozen grapes & carrot sticks.

Rouge - scroll recipe would be great :) Also wouldnt mind your impossible mini quiche recipe you have mentioned elsewhere.

Thanks :D

Novella, for the apple pikelets, do you just grate apple into your pikelet batter?

Wow, this is inspiring! I wish DS1 would eat half of what you guys have in your child's lunch box.

He won't eat any fruit whatsoever, no cut up veggies, I am going out of my mind with healthy snack ideas!

(please don't say just put it in there anyway, i've tried and tried to change this, it's just not going to happen!)

The main staples for DD1's lunches are:
Choc Banana Muffins (Nigella's recipe)
Bacon & Zucchini slice done in muffin tins
Veggie sticks, apple slices and hommus.

I often try to work out what I can do with dinner leftovers for lunches:
Cut up sausage, cheese, veggie sticks and sauce
Sausage sandwiches
Meat and veggie fritter (diced veg and meat in a fritter batter) cut into fingers for dipping in sauce
Homemade pizza
Homemade cheesymite scrolls

I'll pop them both up tonight for you N2L.

At home even during the holidays we have fruit only days. I am bad, because if my kids wouldn't eat fruit then that's all they'd get. And when they get home whatever fruit isn't eaten is all they get for afternoon tea.

I am a bad mother. :(

BUT have you tried putting fruit/veg into muffins and anything you can. When you make it yourself you can hide so much more nutrients than you would be able to normally.

DD1's first day at kindy today! She got...

Morning tea -- handful of grapes, half an orange, half an apple, homemade vanilla yogurt
Lunch -- carrot, celery and cucumber sticks and smiles, baby corn, broccoli, homemade oat sort of bar and some wholemeal peta bread with melted parmesan on it (what she thinks is chips lol).

Don't have a picture of everything but here is one of the oat bar thing (oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seed, chia, sesame seeds, honey, coconut oil, coconut flakes, cranberries, cacao, cinnamon and vanilla).

Soooo boring here. Vegemite sandwiches, rice crackers, cheese, apple, sultanas, pretzels and yoghurt. I am going to do some sort of muffin but the kids are very picky and I feel like its a waste of time going to the trouble of making things they won't eat.

By the way, I didn't even realise you could freeze pancakes ? How do you defrost them?

I just put them in the lunchbox frozen. As I do with all baked snacks. They defrost by lunch time.

My DD doesn't start until Monday but basically she will have: a sandwich (usually ham, cheese & tomato), yoghurt, two pieces of fruit and some sort of treat such as mini cupcake, rice wheels etc...

Sometimes I make pizza pinwheels from puff pastry or do the dip, kabana, cheese etc....

Can't wait to get some other great ideas!

Great thread!

Really? I didn't know that. Might try it. I guess they'll defrost even if you have one of those ice bricks in an insulated lunch box?

Could you freeze the Vegemite scrolls?