Lunchbox Love

Lunchbox.  

You're probably already cringing at the word and school hasn't even started right?  Lunchbox, Lunchbox, Lunchbox...

Let's fill it...with love, real foods, less packets and a whole lot of satisfaction.

My first tip is to make a list of the foods your children will eat.  For example:

Loves: Carrots, Apples, Bananas, Tuna
Likes: Chicken, Rice, Oranges, Yoghurt, Tzatziki
Maybe: Eggs, Hommus, Olives, Chia Seeds

Go wide and far, pull in every stop, write it all down.  Keep the list and work from the list every day.  Ideally, we want to add a little bit of Loves, Likes and Maybe to every lunchbox.

Secondly, cross out as many 'packet' snacks or foods you've included on the list. ie. Tiny Teddy's, Chips, Shapes etc.  If your child 'must' have one of these snacks save it for after school.  Why?  Healthy foods improve cognitive performance and will allow your child to keep sufficient energy for the entire day.  We're gearing our children who are our future, to a life full of less disease if we keep on top of their immune and health with real foods.  Personally, I'd be giving your children something nut based after school if they're not allergic - considering they couldn't take nuts to school with all schools adopting 'nut free' zones. 

Thirdly, pack a punch.  Make every mouthful count. Here are some swap options to make your lunchbox 'real'.

Swap dried fruit for fresh.  (unless using sulphur free dried fruit - still use it wisely however as the sugar content is higher in dried fruit)

Swap preservative and additive packed sandwiches for sandwich fillings in separate containers (meat, egg, tomato, cucumber, carrot, celery, capsicum, sprouts, olives, avocado, hommus)

Extend vegetable and salad sticks to have a protein enriched dip (hommus, guacamole, tzatziki, beetroot - I would recommend making these yourself to keep things additive and preservative free).  If lost for recipes, google exactly what you want "clean dairy free beetroot dip"...google seriously saves lives.  Haha!

Swap juice and milk for water.  Or try blending some fresh fruit into water and freeze it for a different touch to plain water.

Swap egg and vegetable slices or muffins made with flour to an even cleaner recipe of just eggs, meat and vegetables (plus some herbs).  Last nights leftovers mixed with eggs, throw the mixture in muffin pans and cook. Done and done. 

Make your own yoghurt with natural greek or pot set yoghurt and sweeten with cinnamon and berries - frozen berries too.  This may have you thinking...how on earth do I have so many containers to 'house' all of these wrapper free options?  Here's a few too look at for long term use:

LunchBots
Biome
Squeezeéms

Imagine the concoctions you can use the Squeezeéms for.  Frozen yoghurts, smoothies, soups.  I'm in love!  Simple recipes get the tick - use real ingredients every time, sweeten with fresh or frozen fruit, cinnamon, raw honey.  These squeezeéms get me excited!

Here's a list of ideas as lunchbox inclusions:

*Boiled eggs
*Tins of tuna
*Mashed avocado with a squeeze of lemon or lime
*Leftover roasted, oven baked meats
*Raw vegetables (with nut free butter or dips as mentioned above)
*Fruit (slice and add nut free butter for dipping)
*Coconut chips (from health food shop - check bulk buy section for cheaper price)
*Natural greek yoghurt with cinnamon, fresh or frozen berries, chia seeds.  *Coconut milk yoghurt with chia seeds
*Egg & bacon or preferred meat, vegetable slice or muffins (no flour required)
*Puffed corn
*Home popped popcorn
*Rice cakes with abovementioned dips or nut free butter
*Sliced full fat cheese (if not following dairy free eating plan)
*Kale Chips
*Sweet potato, carrot, beetroot chips (homemade only in dehydrator)
*Vegetable and Flax crackers (made in dehydrator at home)
*Raw Balls (made with seeds rather than nuts - pure life cereal from health food aisle, fresh medjool dates and coconut blended in food processor).  You could also make this mixture as a slice/muesli bar - mouth is watering!
*Homemade raw chocolate - this stuff seriously gives you a good kick, in a good way.  I promise. The kids could progress a year ahead of schedule.  No really, it is good stuff!  Here is the recipe MYO Raw Chocolate.  Easiest trick out there!  Add chia seeds to the mix too.  Pack a punch remember!
*Salmon or Tuna, sweet potato patties (atlantic salmon or tuna with mashed sweet potato, mix one egg through the mixture and make into patty shape, bake in oven for 20mins or until cooked)
*Frozen smoothies made with coconut milk, fresh berries, mango, banana, cinnamon and chia seeds.  Use the Squeeze'ems to store these.  
*Vegetable, pumpkin or cauliflower soup - blend it up and again use the squeeze'ems pouches.  YUM!  Recipes here on Doing it for the Kids. 

Some other sites to check out for wonderful, simple, healthy recipes:

The Healthy Chef
Just Eat Real Food

Otherwise, I have plenty of pictures on Doing it for the Kids for inspiration, and will continue to update throughout the year with ideas and recipes.  Be sure to take a scroll through the whole page, the wall and all the albums, including the Notes section which has recipes.   The Gluten Free Lunchbox has some great inspiration.  There is always pinterest...search paleo.  We live in a world of resources, use them when you need it.  :-)  

Remember to fuel the lunchbox with plenty of protein for satiety, pack it with excitement and energy, talk it up...I always talk up food! Get the kids excited about what they're eating...it helps.

Until next time healthy readers... 

Hayley xo