07 Jan 2021

Back To School Lunchbox Ideas Your Kids Will Actually Love

If you want your kids to actually eat and enjoy what you’ve packed for them, you’re going to have to think beyond simple cheese sandwiches and spice things up a bit! Check out these fresh ideas. 

Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Ingredients:

12 slices short cut rindless bacon

Lettuce

1 – 2 tomatoes

Mayonnaise

Butter

White, brown, rye, ciabatta, baguette, it’s all good.

Steps To Make It: 

Fry the bacon in a small amount of oil.

Once cooked to your desired level of crispiness, drain on the paper towel and then set aside. If you are going to prepare the ingredients the night before, place the bacon in an airtight container in the fridge.

Slice the tomato thinly. Again if you are preparing this in advance, place them in an airtight container in the fridge.

With the lettuce tear the lettuce into large chunks. Placed the lettuce in an airtight container.

When you want to prepare the bread, it is as simple as spreading a small amount of butter and mayonnaise on each side of the bread roll, then placing the bacon, tomato, and lettuce onto the bread.

Chicken salad wraps

Ingredients:

Marinade

1 finely chopped fresh chilli

10 ml freshly grated ginger 

2 crushed garlic cloves

30 ml light soy sauce

Filling

4 thinly sliced chicken breast fillets

15 ml sunflower oil

30 ml chutney

1 deseeded red pepper and cut into thin strips

150 g mixed bean sprouts

6 finely sliced spring onions

1 shredded lettuce

50ml coriander

4 flour tortillas 

Steps To Make It:

Mix marinade ingredients. Add chicken slices and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oil over high heat in a frying pan. Use a slotted spoon to add the chicken pieces. Stir-fry for 4- 5 minutes, until cooked through. Place in a clean bowl and stir in the chutney. 

Divide the pepper, sprouts, onion, lettuce and coriander between the tortillas. Top with the warm chicken. Season to taste with salt and fold the tortillas to enclose the filling.

Gluten-free peanut butter and jam cookie sandwiches

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Cookies

125g soft butter

180ml crunchy peanut butter

180ml brown sugar

5ml baking powder

5ml vanilla extract

250ml rice flour

15ml chia seeds

Jam Filling

250ml plain cream cheese at room temperature

125ml icing sugar

5ml vanilla essence

60ml raspberry

Steps To Make It: 

For the cookies, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the butter, peanut butter, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla together until combined. Stir in the rice flour and chia seeds.

Divide the mixture into 20 portions. Use your hands to roll each portion into a ball. Place them on the baking trays and flatten each ball with the back of a fork.

Bake for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

For the jam filling, use an electric whisk to combine the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Lightly stir in the jam to create a rippled effect. Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle.

Pipe a bit of the jam filling on one of the biscuits and add a second biscuit to form a peanut butter and jam cookie sandwich. Repeat with the rest. Serve within 30 minutes.