Tips and recipes for healthy and easy school lunches

This week inland schools are opening. The first day of school can be stressful, not to mention the worrying about packing a healthy, balanced and fun lunch.

Sandwiches are great but surely you can spice it up a little. To help you do just that we’ve got tips and some recipes for you from Jandri Barnard, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for ADSA (the Association for Dietetics in SA), on how to be on top of the lunch game from the first day of school.  

Barnard says that healthy living for 2023 already starts with your children and especially with what you pack into their lunch boxes.

A lunch box is most children’s main meal of the day, especially with working parents getting home late. You do not need to prepare gourmet meals, but keep it simple to ensure healthy options as well as give variety.

Tips to pack a lunch box:

• Invest in a lunch box with different compartments to separate the food.
• Pack a small ice pack with the lunch box to keep the food cool and avoid spoiling, especially in summer.
• Plan your lunch box the night before or even a week in advance, to avoid last minute panics and buying processed take-aways last-minute.
• Involve your children in the planning of the lunch box.
• Make sure the lunch box is packed for easy eating and doesn’t require peeling or special tools as breaktime is limited at school.
• Remember that children are more likely to eat fruit that is cut up.
• Avoid packing foods that spoil easily in the heat or have a strong flavour like garlic or fish.

Here are some nutritional lunch box ideas:

• Instead of white bread use whole wheat options: low GI bread, whole wheat wraps, rye bagels, seed breads.
• Fruit rather than sweets: choose fresh fruit first, but otherwise a small packet of dried fruit is an energy boosting option.
• Nuts and seeds mix (if your child is not allergic): buy in bulk and mix your own raw nuts and seeds mix to give in smaller Ziploc bags.
• Water is better than flavoured, sugary drinks. Rather give fruit juice for special occasions and then dilute it with water.
• Sweets and tuckshop days are for special occasions when there is a function at school or birthday in the class, but not necessary for everyday.

Ideas for sandwich fillings:

• Biltong (fine) & cheese
• Mashed hard boiled egg with sandwich or low fat mayonnaise spread
• Sugar-free peanut butter
• Hummus spread (recipe attached) with tomato, cucumber & lettuce
• Tomato and low fat cheese
• Cucumber and cheese
• Cucumber, lettuce & tomato
• Avocado and mozzarella cheese
• Low fat cheese spread
• Marmite and low fat cheese

Date Balls sweet treat recipe

2 cups of desiccated coconut

3 cups of fresh dates, pitted

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons orange juice or water

1. Mix the coconut, dates and lemon zest with just enough orange juice or water to make a rough mixture.
2. Pinch off bits of the mixture and roll between your palms to make small balls, then roll the balls in extra coconut.
3. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Hummus recipe – healthier peanut butter alternative on bread

1 can chickpeas or butter beans, drained

2T olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon, squeezed

Salt & pepper to taste

Small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

1. Use liquidiser or blender and add chickpeas or butter beans.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice and crushed garlic.
3. Blend until a paste.
4. Remove from the blender and mix in chopped coriander leaves.
5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use to spread on bread.