Why not do things differently this school year and ask your children to help out? It’s a great way to get kids involved in preparing their own lunches. Here are a few tasks that can be delegated to them:
- • Every evening, have your child empty their lunch box and then wash it with some warm soapy water.
- • Ask your kids to put together a binder that gathers their favourite lunch and snack recipes.
Check out 15 other ideas below.
HEALTHY APPETITE
Lunchbox: 17 Ways to Get the Kids to Help Out
Cold lunches
1. Asparagus and bocconcini pasta salad
Make a delicious pasta salad for lunch with kids’ preferred short pasta: penne, gemelli, macaroni, etc. This meatless recipe easily becomes a complete meal thanks to the addition of cheese. Kids will just adore the mild-tasting bocconcini pearls! Ready in just over 30 minutes, this salad will become a lunchbox favourite.
2. Mini pizzas
Just like the ones from your neighbourhood pizza spot, these mini-sized pizzas are just as good cold the next day! Use mozzarella in this recipe, because kids love it and parents appreciate that it contains just 17% fat.
pizza
Mini Pizzas
3. Classic cold-cut sub sandwiches
This sub is a fun twist on the classic ham and mustard sandwich! Let your child fill the roll with their favourite cold cuts, tomato slices, iceberg lettuce and slices of bell pepper. The finishing touch: provolone cheese with its slightly sweet and mild flavour, as well as a few thin slices of red onion for the more adventurous eaters. For best results, add the dressing right before eating.
sandwiches
Classic Cold-Cut Sub Sandwiches
4. Mini bagels with smoked salmon
We love it when a fun weekend family activity turns into weekday lunches! Make the mini bagels on Sunday with the kids and assemble everything during the week, with your little ones helping by filling the bagels with cream cheese, chives and smoked salmon.
Budget Recipes
Mini Bagels with Smoked Salmon
5. Savoury carrot and feta muffins
Why limit yourself to sweet muffins when you can make savoury ones for free? In this updated carrot muffin recipe, much of the saltiness and creaminess comes from the feta cheese. Freeze them in batches, and then let the muffin thaw in your child’s lunch box throughout the morning and they’ll be the perfect texture by lunchtime. It’s a great recipe enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
Thermos lunches
6. Vegetarian Chili
Chili that’s kept warm in the thermos is a perfect recipe for school lunches! This excellent vegetarian version will keep the kids full until the final school bell. Simply pour the chili into the thermos and let your little ones pack their preferred toppings in reusable bags. Cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, without forgetting grated cheddar cheese that will melt in the thermos and provide the perfect stretch when they dig in!
legumes
Vegetarian Chili
7. One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Kids definitely enjoy mac and cheese and parents will love the fact that this recipe will only have them washing one pot at the end! It also uses two cheeses, the ever-popular cheddar, as well as mascarpone, which ensures creaminess but also softens the sharper flavour of the cheddar.
8. Red lentil soup
Believe it or not, this soup cooks right in the thermos! This clean-out-the-fridge recipe is great for busy weeks and when the colder weather rolls around. Just wait four hours to let the ingredients cook in the hot broth, meaning you can prepare it in the morning before the school bus arrives! The extra touch kids will love: grated Swiss cheese packed in a reusable bag so they can top their soup at lunchtime.
Soups and broth
Thermos-Cooked Red Lentil Soup ®
9. April Fool's fish chowder
With a name like this, the kids probably won’t notice that there’s actually fish in this recipe. Bonus points if you make these homemade cheddar cheese crackers over the weekend, which go perfectly with this soup.
soups and broth
April Fool’s Fish Chowder
10. Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
This spaghetti sauce easily goes from the pressure cooker to the thermos. When packing your child’s lunch box, add the pasta and sauce and then top with cheese curds for a “squeaky” spaghetti that tastes even better than the oven-baked version thanks to the salty flavour of the cheese!
After lunch come snacks! Check out our wide selection of recipes: