Are you all out of school lunch ideas? Do you want your children to eat a more balanced diet? Get inspired by these little easy-to-make dishes that are good for their growth!
One piece of advice:
Don’t hesitate to ask your children what they’d like to eat, and involve them in the preparation! This is always very informative, since they’ll learn how to:
recognize foods (and discover the different varieties);
differentiate between what’s good and what’s not for their health;
take on their share of the responsibilities at home;
absorb, from an early age, the foundations of a healthy, balanced diet; etc.
In addition, children love to cook! They’ll definitely appreciate their lunchbox even more if they’ve helped prepare it! To delight your children, we propose:
Fish sticks
To make kids eat fish, fish sticks are the best option! You can add a few raw veggies and a tasty dip, along with a few fruit and cheddar skewers as a snack, for a complete meal that includes all four food groups.
Ingredients: 2 fish fillets, 2 egg whites, around 50 g of breadcrumbs and a few sesame seeds to add some crunch, clarified butter for frying, 1 bowl of white butter sauce as a dip, salt and pepper.
Preparation: Wash and slice the fish fillets into medium-sized strips. Beat the egg whites, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then arrange the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds on a plate. Heat a pan over low heat and add the clarified butter. Then, roll the pieces of fish in the egg white then the breadcrumbs and fry them for 3 minutes on each side.
10 o’clock snack: skewers with various fruit (grapes, apples, pears, strawberries, etc.) and cheddar.
Salmon and spinach whole wheat croissants
Another fish-based lunch, this time with fresh spinach leaves and a whole wheat croissant for a serving of grains.
Ingredients: For 4 salmon croissants, you need 4 pieces of fresh salmon (around 500 g), an onion, 8 cups of fresh spinach (and/or arugula), a little extra virgin olive oil, and a bit of salt.
Preparation: Cut the salmon lengthwise, then poach it and let it cool. Then, slice the croissants and let them dry out for half an hour. Fry the onion (minced) then the spinach separately in a bit of olive oil, and let them cool. Then, fill the croissant with your toppings.
Another possible variation: croissant with ham, peppers, and fresh arugula
10 o’clock snack: two slices of rye bread and jam
Chicken sandwich
(Lean) chicken is a good source of protein. In a sandwich, it’s a light and delicious meal that can be whipped up in no time.
Ingredients: For two servings, you need a cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, 4 slices of bread, half a pepper, a small onion, 150 g of fresh (low-fat) cheese, 1 tablespoon of (fresh) light cream, and a couple lettuce leaves.
Preparation: Dice the chicken, onion, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Then, lightly toast the bread slices and put the lettuce on top of them. Spread out the chicken and cheese mixture.
10 o’clock snack: a blueberry muffin
Pasta salad
You can play the “pasta” card to get your children to eat more vegetables!
Ingredients: For a salad full of freshness and vitamins, mix 1 cup pasta (fusilli, shells, or other), ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, green pepper (diced), grated carrots, 50 g shredded cheese (cheddar), 50 g sliced mozzarella, and 2 Tbsp. vinaigrette.
Preparation: Cook the pasta al dente and mix it together with the rest of the ingredients. Put the vinaigrette in an airtight bag so your children can add it just before lunch.
10 o’clock snack: an apple cut into quarters
Pita with tuna
An idea for a crunchy lunch that’s full of flavour: tuna and coleslaw served on a pita.
Ingredients: ½ whole wheat pita, ½ cup coleslaw mix, 1 lettuce leaf, 60 g canned tuna, a few red seedless grapes, and 2 Tbsp. vinaigrette.
Preparation: Mix the coleslaw, flaked tuna, grapes, and vinaigrette together. Fill the pita with the lettuce and the tuna mixture.
Another possible variation: You can replace the tuna with cooked and chopped chicken or shrimp.
10 o’clock snack: frozen yogurt with fruit
To make sure your school lunch ideas are always successful: vary the ingredients, create a weekly schedule, offer your children new flavours to try together, and reconsider overly fatty foods. Your children will definitely be asking for more!
