Kids tired of finding the same old jam sandwiches in their lunchboxes every day? Try these healthy recipes that are easy-peasy to make!
Let’s face it, children are more fickle with their lunch than we are with our wardrobes. And that means we need to get creative in the lunchbox department. Stuck for ideas? Us too! So we went on the hunt for new ideas for snacks for the kids and tasty treats to pop into their school lunchbox. The result? We found 12 yummy and healthy recipes that will up your lunchbox game and get the kids excited for the lunchtime school bell!
Easy and healthy snack recipes for your kid’s lunchbox
1. Energy nut balls
Do your minions feel that afternoon lull? Here’s an instant pick-me-up (pictured top) that helps to open the sesame back into their day. Loaded with healthy seeds like pumpkin, chia, and sesame, add nuts into the food processor and voila! Follow this healthy recipe from Carrotsticks and Cravings and you’ll have the perfect snack to stash in your little one’s lunchbox.
2. Veggie cheese puffs
Here’s a nifty way to smuggle some greens into your littlies’ lunchboxes. Grate paprika, zucchini, spring onions, and cheddar cheese, and whisk together with milk and eggs. Sift over the flour and mix till it becomes a thick batter, then scoop out spoonfuls onto a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes till golden brown. Natural New Age Mum has the detailed recipe if you’re interested in making these!
3. Easy peasy sausage rolls
Friendly warning: once you’ve made your own sausage rolls, it’s hard to go back to the bland, mass-produced, packaged kind. You won’t believe how much better these taste, even with the odd cheat. They’re freezer-friendly too, and since they cook from frozen, you can whip up big batches at a time. Make sure the little ones know not to eat the raw meat if they’re helping to cook these, and to wash their hands after touching it! Psst, a good butcher in Singapore will have sausage meat. Emily Kerrigan shared with us her easy peasy healthy sausage rolls recipe. Perfect for the lunchbox!
4. Apple and avocado bites
Who’d a thought that apples and avocado would make a treat that tastes so good? The crunchy combo of pink lady apples with the creamy texture of avocado smash is simple and superb!
Ingredients
1 pink lady apple
1 avocado
6 leaves of coriander
A squeeze of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of paprika
1 tsp good quality olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
1. Core the apple and cut it into thin slices. Squeeze some of the lemon juice over the apple so it doesn’t brown.
2. In a bowl, mash the avocado, oil, salt, pepper, chopped coriander, paprika, and lemon juice. Mix everything together.
3. Serve avocado mash on top of the apple and enjoy!
5. Healthy almond banana muffins
Divine moist muffins with chunks of fresh banana, a hint of cinnamon, and even a chocolate surprise centre? What’s not to love about these treats! The best part? They register high on the health-o-meter since no flour, butter, or oil is needed for this recipe. Plus, instead of flour, almond meal (basically blended almonds) is used as an extra healthy alternative. Clever! Honest Fare shared this healthy recipe that you can use for your kid’s lunchbox.
6. Mini buckwheat blueberry pancakes
Surprise your littlies with a lunchbox of delightful mini blueberry pancakes! Prepared with antioxidant-rich blueberries, healthy buckwheat flour, low-fat ricotta, and fresh orange juice, you won’t need sugar to artificially sweeten these treats. Bottle up a small portion of organic honey for your poppet to drizzle over the pancakes before they chow down on them. Clean Eating has this healthy pancake recipe – and it’s easy to follow!
7. Healthy hummus
It’s a dip. A spread. A dressing. Call it what you like, but we know that hummus equals happiness when it comes to kids! Combine your sensible spread with chopped veggies like cauliflower, carrot sticks, celery – you name it! – and you’ve got a recipe for success in the healthy eats department. Carrotsticks and Cravings has listed down everything you need for this yummy snack.
8. Homemade fish fingers
These savoury fish fingers give McNuggets a run for their money, we say! First of all, rinse your fish fillet (you can use sole, cod, or grouper too) and slice it into bite-sized sticks. Coat them in an egg mix (with water, salt, and pepper), then breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake till golden brown. This recipe from Little Dish is perfect for packing into the kiddie’s lunchbox, alongside tartar sauce and (optional) lemon wedges.
9. Sweetcorn fritters
If you’ve tried making fritters and got frustrated by them falling apart on you in the frying pan, then it’s time to get out your flat sandwich press. Sandwich presses are also an easier way for little ones to cook (although you have to tell them to keep their fingers well away from the hotplate). A fuss-free batter, a can of sweetcorn, and these are ready in the same time it takes to make a toasted sandwich.
Ingredients
375g canned no-added sugar or salt sweetcorn
2 tbsp polenta
2 tbsp cornflour
A few chives
1-2 spring onions
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Heat your sandwich press. Drain the can of sweetcorn. Mix together the polenta and cornflour in a bowl. Snip up the chives with a pair of kitchen scissors and chop up the spring onions (kids find this easier with kitchen scissors).
2. Beat the eggs then stir into the two flours with the chives, spring onions, and sweetcorn. Season with a little salt and pepper before dropping spoonfuls onto your sandwich press (you can spray it with a little oil to prevent sticking). Depending on the size of your sandwich press, you’ll be able to do them all at once or in batches.
10. Simple sweet potato fries
This simple and healthy snack is really easy peasy to whip up. All you have to do is chop up some sweet potatoes, toss them with olive oil, and pop them into the oven to bake. Pack a bunch of them in your kid’s lunch box, accompanied with a dollop of Greek yoghurt as a dip. You can spice up the dip with salt, pepper, paprika, or even pumpkin pie spice. Follow this recipe from Sprout & Pea.
11. Beetroot and chickpea fritters
An excellent way to introduce the jolly red power punch that beetroot offers into your kid’s diet, these fritters make the best of tastes by combining flavours like mint and sweet potato with accompanying apple tzatziki. Take it easier on the oil, or place them into an air fryer for a healthier option. We’ve followed Carrotsticks and Cravings’ healthy recipe, and our kids loved finding them in their lunchboxes!
12. Rainbow salad in a jar
Full of goodness, this colourful little salad is practical for packed lunches and is quick and easy too – whip it up in 10 minutes! Kids like stacking up layers and can help make the couscous – leave dicing up the veg until they’re old enough to handle a sharp knife. Follow Emily Kerrigan’s healthy recipe and fit this in your child’s lunchbox!
Voila: you now have the perfect healthy recipes to add to your kid’s packed lunchbox. Enjoy!