Quick and Easy lunch box ideas
One maddening thing for parents when schools start is to come up with some enticing lunch box ideas. Most kids are quite picky about their food. Some of them don’t like too many new flavours in their lunch box whereas some others would roll their eyes when they see the same old sandwich.
So, here’s a list of some quick and easy lunch box ideas that we’ve found. Hope at least one would work out for your kid.
1- Two toned Sandwiches - You have a kindergartener who loves sandwiches? Why not make one with a “twist”?
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 1 slice whole grain white bread
Directions
- Place the two slices of bread on your cutting surface. Using a cookie cutter of any shape that you like (or your kid likes), cut out the center from each slice.
- Swap the center pieces and assemble the sandwich as usual!
2- Your kid loves Peanut Butter and Jelly? Then this is what you need for “PB & J Apple roll-ups”.
- 2 flour tortillas
- 2tablespoons peanut butter
- 4teaspoons jam
- 1 apple, cut into thin wedges (remove apple skins)
- 1teaspoon melted butter
- 2teaspoons sugar
- 1⁄8teaspoon ground cinnamon.
DIRECTIONS
- Microwave tortillas 10 seconds to soften. Spread each with a tablespoon of peanut butter and 2 tsp jam. Heat oven to 400°F.
- Place 2-3 apple wedges down on the center of each tortilla and roll them up. Transfer rolls on to a baking sheet. Brush them with melted butter.
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a cup and sprinkle over each roll. Bake 19 minutes or till golden. Let cool before eating.
3- Pizza Scrolls
- 1⁄2small capsicum, chopped finely
- 100g fried sausages or 100 g salami, chopped fine
- Cheese, grated
- 1⁄4cup pizza sauce
- 2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200c. Combine the chopped capsicum, meat and cheese in bowl.
- Spread the sauce onto each sheet of pastry, leaving a 2cm border along one side, and sprinkle the capsicum mixture over the top.
- Roll up the pastry to enclose the filling (like a swiss roll), leaving the plain edge until last.
- Brush the edge lightly with water and fold to seal.
- Cut each roll into 1cm rounds (use serrated bread knife) and place on lined oven trays.
- Bake for 20 min or until golden.
4- Parmesan puff pastry twists.
These yummos would be ideal for a snack or a side dish.
- 1(17 ounce) package puff pastry sheets, frozen (thawed)
- 1cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1teaspoon dried basil
- 1⁄4teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄4cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unfold pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface and cut each sheet into 13 strips, (about 3/4 of an inch by 10-inches each).
- Combine cheese, basil, and garlic in a long shallow pan or dish.
- Brush melted butter on pastry sticks.
- Roll pastry in cheese mixture to coat each side evenly.
- Gently twist the pastry sticks, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
5- Tuna and Hummus wrap – another take on the wraps!
- 4 large whole meal wraps
- 250g hummus
- 425g tin tuna, drained and flaked slightly.
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- 80g baby spinach leaves
- 100g semi- dried cherry tomatoes
- A few mint leaves
- Some flat parsley leaves.
Directions
- Place the wraps on a clean work surface. Spread hummus evenly over each wrap. Top with tuna, cucumber, spinach and tomatoes. Sprinkle with mint and parsley. Roll to enclose filling. Cut each wrap in half and serve immediately.
- Extra tip –
Is your kid finicky in eating fruits? Try arranging different kinds and colours of fruits on a skewer and call it a fruit wand!
Feel free to share your favourite lunchbox ideas too!
Recipes and images courtesy – www.food.com and www.taste.com.au
