10 Healthy Kids Lunchbox Ideas
Stuck in a rut with the kids' lunchboxes? Here are some tips, some swaps and 11 healthy recipes to bring new life to your kids' lunches. Do your kids have food allergies or food intolerances?
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5 Tips for Kids' Lunches
- Always include: FAT + FIBRE + PROTEIN
- Choose seasonal produce, local is best. Local and organic is even better.
- Cook once, eat twice - always cook extra for dinner to use the leftovers for kids' lunches e.g. bolognaise, meat balls, fried rice, quiche, pizza, stew.
- Use a thermos for smoothies, home made ice cream or yoghurt as well as soups and stews in winter.
- Always have veggies chopped up at the ready for lunchboxes e.g. carrot, celery, cucumber, capsicum, snow peas.
Banana Pikelets
2 bananas
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
2 eggs
- Blend all ingredients.
- Fry in coconut oil, butter or ghee.
- Serve on their own or with a little honey or maple syrup.
Choc Bliss Balls
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup ground chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch salt
1 tsp honey (optional)
1 heaped Tbsp cacao powder
10 fresh dates
2-3 Tbsp coconut oil ( depends on
moistness of dates)
TO GARNISH:
- desiccated coconut, seeds, cacao nibs,
or cacao powder
1. Blend all ingredients, except coconut oil.
2. Once all ingredients are blended add the oil. (When squeezed together, the mix should form into a soft ball).
3. Form into round balls, about the size of a golf ball.
4. Roll the balls in your choice of garnish.
5. Store in the fridge.
Berry Green Smoothie
400ml milk of choice ( I use coconut milk or almond milk)
1 cup coconut water
2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen berries
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large handful of spinach
1 tsp mesquite (optional)
1. Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into into thermos and they’re ready to go.
Nut Free Muesli Bars
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp rice malt syrup or your choice of sweetener
1/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1 cup coconut flakes
1 Tbsp cacao nibs
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp chia seeds
2 tsp vanilla powder
Pinch Celtic sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 150 °C.
2. Place all seeds, coconut, cacao nibs, currants, salt & vanilla into food
processor & pulse 3 times.
3. Melt coconut oil & rice malt syrup in a saucepan over medium heat.
4. Turn off heat and stir in seeds mix. Spoon mixture into a square baking dish and press down firmly.
5. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Cool in refrigerator and cut into bars.
Choc Brownie Surprise
180g sweet potato, peeled
125g rice flour
75g cacao powder
1/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
3/4 cup maple syrup
175g coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a brownie tin with baking paper.
2. Steam and puree the sweet potato. Set aside.
3. Sift the rice flour, cacao powder and baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.
4. In a food processor, thoroughly combine the sweet potato, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until you achieve a smooth, shiny consistency.
6. Pour the mixture into your tin and bake for 20 - 22 minutes, until set on top.
7. Cool in the tin. Once cooled, cut in to 10 large pieces or 20 smaller ones.
Rice Paper Rolls
Chopped roast chicken ( leftover roast from the night before)
Shredded carrot
4 shredded lettuce leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)
1/2 avocado (chopped up small)
1. Dip rice paper rounds in hot water for 10 seconds until soft.
2. Remove the rice paper and drain excess water.
3. Place fillings of choice down the centre of the rice paper.
4. Fold one end over the filling and roll, fold in the sides and continue to roll until enclosed.
5. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Top tip: Mix some tamari (wheat free soy sauce) and honey as a dipping sauce.
Nacho Dip
2 kale leaves & 1/2 zucchini (blended and set aside)
1 finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp cajun spice blend or herbs of choice
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
350ml tomato puree (sold in glass bottle)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
400g prepared beans soaked and cooked or 1 can of beans - kidney or cannellini work well.
1. Sautee onion and garlic in oil until soft.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. I like to blend for 5 secs to break the beans up a little but optional.
4. Serve with vegetable crudités or organic corn chips.
Meatballs
1kg beef mince
2 eggs
1 Tbsp honey
1 finely grated zucchini
1 finely grated carrot
2 kale leaves (blended)
1 tsp dulse (optional)
3 Tbsp tomato puree
2 Tbsp tamari ( wheat free soy sauce)
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
Herbs of choice (I use parsley and rosemary)
1 onion, sauteed
4 cloves garlic sauteed
Salt and pepper
Coconut flour for binding
Organ rice crumbs or Bob Red Mill’s masa harina corn flour
Olive oil for frying at medium temperature
1. Combine all ingredients and make into balls the size of golf balls.
2. Roll balls into rice crumbs or corn flour.
3. Heat pan on medium heat and fry until cooked through. My kids love them crispy!
Zucchini Slice
1 cup arrowroot flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 grated zucchini
1 cup grated sweet potato
3 spring onions finely chopped
3 eggs whisked
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper
1 cup parmesan or cheddar cheese
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes chopped
3/4 cup capsicum diced
1 cup chopped bacon or ham (nitrate free)
1. Preheat oven to 170 °C.
2. Mix flours, garlic powder, salt, pepper and bicarb soda in a separate bowl.
3. Combine water, oil & eggs then add to the flour mix.
4. Place sweet potato on paper towel and remove excess liquid.
5. Add the zucchini, sweet potato & onion to the mixture.
6. Pour into baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake in oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
7. Remove from oven & leave to cool.
Chicken Pieces
1kg chicken wings & drumsticks
Herbamare for seasoning or your favourite.
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place chicken into baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with seasoning.
4. Place in oven until chicken is cooked (approx. 35 minutes).
Top tip: Store in the freezer and remove the night before.
Want more healthy recipes for kids, food allergies, intolerances or weight loss?
Try our tailored recipe plan:
- Chose the foods you want to eliminate - soy, gluten, dairy etc.
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- Chose your diet preferences - vegetarian, vegan, paleo etc.
