When we entered January 2021, you might have been quietly fantasising about new healthy lunch ideas you could try once the kids were back to school. Salads! Omelettes! There might even be time for soup at a table!
However, in came homeschooling... and with it, a lot more lunches (and a lot less time) to make them. So, we asked leading baby and child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling Reed for her tips on making healthy lunches for kids we can all enjoy (and also just about manage)...
Feeding little ones every day can be exhausting, so whilst we've got the kids at home with us, any QUICK FIX meals are an absolute BONUS!
I'm a big fan of 'fridge raid"meals where you simply see what needs using up and throw it together in a buffet, living room picnic or a picky meal. It makes things smoother and easier for everyone and also can take the monotony out of creating multiple meals every day for you.
Here are some of my top tips to creating meals for littles during lockdown....
Find out what's in your fridge & make it a fun "help-yourself" buffet
Try to balance meals by including one food from each of the main food groups (protein, carbs, fruit or veg and dairy or alternatives), where possible.
Sit and eat with the kids instead of running around doing chores when they eat. You need to eat too and taking the time out might be nice for you all. The Stokke Tripp Trapp® Chair is perfect for children of all ages, and it allows the child to sit comfortably, and close up at the table so they can participate in family meal time.
Try to vary up what you offer as much as you can, even if it's just a different spread in their sandwich or a different fruit in their porridge, it can just jazz things up a bit
Try and stick to regular mealtimes so the kids know when to expect meals & so you avoid hungry, bored monsters all day!
Here are some of the meals I love that could work as health lunch options for children...
Pasta with leftover veggie sauces: Here are 10 options for different pasta sauces that aren't tomato basedfor a change.
Omelettes with frozen veggies chucked in
Savoury porridge: Something like my carrot cake porridge recipe can work a treat
Egg (or tofu) fried rice
Bake some cheesy veggie muffins for lunch: I love these breakfast veggie muffins.
Anything on toast: You can try peanut butter, egg, beans, hummus - add in a side of veggies to balance it out.
Baked potatoes: Try any fillings (beans, tuna, hummus), but there's also this recipe for Mexican-stuffed baked sweet potatoes.
Sandwiches/wraps/bagels/pittas with various fillings: I've got lots of tips on making a balanced and health packed lunch for kids here.
Build your own pitta pizzas: These are a real favourite in my house.
Charlotte Stirling Reed, leading baby and child nutritionist for children’s furniture and nursery brand Stokke is the author of How to Wean Your Baby: The step-by-step plan to help your baby love their broccoli as much as their cake. It's available for pre-order now.