Credit crunch lunch (Packed Lunches)

Member Name: abbadabbado

Product:	Packed Lunches
Date:	10/10/08 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: variety

Disadvantages: money

Trying to please your children and making sure they are eating healthily isn't always easy, especially in these hard times of our credit crunch.
My daughter is a bit older now and makes her packed lunch herself every morning, but occasionally when I have a peek to see what she had made; it seems to be the same thing day in day out. I know I would get bored with this, and I know she does too because food comes back home again uneaten.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to try and think of new and exciting things to put in her lunch box, whilst sticking to a budget and also from my part I was trying to keep things a bit healthier.
A lunchbox now a days is much more elaborate from when I was a child. I used to take to school a sandwich, packet of crisps and some fruit. Now that's nowhere near enough with children taking a lot of food to school.
We usually stick to around five items in her lunch box and that will include snacks for break etc. I would rather she take snacks than waste money in the vending machine or cafeteria.

The staple items in a lunch box would be
- Sandwich
- Fruit
- Crisps
- Chocolate bar

Sandwiches

Instead of the usual two slices of bread we decided there are various different alternatives which include,
- Pitta breads filled with various fillings such as salads, potato salad, kidney beans, sweet corn, and many more depending on what your child likes.
- Crumpets. Now these are usually better when toasted but they can be eaten straight from the packet so it's a thought.
- Cold Pizza. This can be home made to make it healthier and can include exactly what your children like.
- Sausage rolls. These aren't always the healthiest but make a change every now and again.
- Pasta salad. I would prefer to make this myself which makes a very cheap alternative to a sandwich and can include what your child likes such as chicken, tuna, sweet corn, bacon, etc.
Fruit

Fruit can be mundane if you're giving your child an apple each day so try some alternatives such as,
- A fruit salad. This can be fresh or tinned fruit as long as the tinned fruit is in juices not syrup. Tinned fruit is fine every now and again.
- Some chopped fruit mixed with yoghurt.
- A fruit smoothie
- Raw fresh veg chopped up
- Packets of raisins
All of these can be alternated so your children don't get bored, and use as many different fruit and veg as you can.

Crisps

Crisps are fairly cheap now but that doesn't mean they are good for you, so try healthier alternatives such as,
- Home baked oven crisps made using thinly sliced potatoes
- Popcorn. The popcorn you make yourself is healthier than shop bought popcorn
- Rice cakes
- Dried cereal, such as your children's breakfast cereal. Some of these obviously contain a lot of sugar, but compared to a packet of standard crisps they can be better for you occasionally

Chocolate bar

Chocolate features very heavily in lunch boxes as there are so many products aimed at children now.
- Cereal bars. These can be fairly unhealthy but look around for good alternatives to unhealthy ones.
- Substitute with a couple of chocolate biscuits. Depending on which biscuits you choose you could still be providing your child with chocolate but making it healthier for them.
- Provide yoghurt rather than a chocolate bar.
- Make homemade cakes and put these in, they will be much healthier and you can even pop chocolate chips inside.

I hope this has provided you with some ideas on making lunch boxes fun and interesting. I like to know my children are eating well, but not having the same old same old every day.

Summary: some different ideas on what to put in lunch boxes