Great Recipes for a Healthy School Lunch

Written by Suzie Garmeister of Branch and Vine Nutrition – Fd. Dip Nutrition & Holistic Health

Want to give your kids a healthy lunch at school but stuck for ideas & recipes?

Making satisfying, healthy lunch boxes for my 3 “starving” boys with varying food intolerances has required some experimentation and creativity over the years. To save you, I want to share some of my ideas and recipes. However, let me preface this, as I tell my clients: I am a nutrition consultant, not a chef! I don’t do fancy. I don’t use 101 ingredients. I have days when I am not organised. For the most part, I make simple, healthy choices for my boys’ lunch boxes. Benefits? Lasting energy, better health, more focus and balanced behaviour. Phew!

Think Outside the Box

Lunch does not have to include sandwiches. Our society eats an overabundance of wheat, which is highly sprayed with glyphosate, a known neurotoxin. Think outside the bread box.

Love Leftovers

For a great timesaver, reheat leftovers from homemade dinners. If they loved it for dinner, they’ll doubly love it for lunch, e.g. spaghetti bolognaise, curries, casseroles, fried rice or roasts. Reheat and serve in a hot food thermos. Note: Don’t reheat food more than once!

It’s a Wrap – Homemade Burrito Wrap

Wait for them to sing your praises with a “Homemade Burrito Wrap.” Instructions: To a wholegrain wrap add strips of cooked bacon, omelette, spinach, grated carrot, tomato and baby spinach. Wrap and heat flat in a sandwich press until the wrap is crispy. Cut into pieces to fit a hot food thermos.

Don’t Waste It – Lunch Skillet

If it’s anything like mine, by midweek your fridge will have an assortment of leftovers. Mine? Cooked sausage or chicken, baked potatoes, rice, cooked veggies. Don’t waste it — turn them into a “Lunch Skillet.”

Instructions: Check freshness! Max length in fridge for cooked rice: 2 days; cooked meat & chicken: 3 days. Don’t reheat food more than once! Heat a pan with 2 tbs butter or coconut oil. Chop the leftovers into bite-sized pieces and fry up. Add extras to taste, e.g. tomato passata or fresh tiny tomatoes, fresh herbs, Himalayan salt, pepper, cumin.

My “They’re Insane Mum” Muffins

Apparently “insane” is good in teenage language. Can you have muffin for lunch? Yes — if they are homemade, savoury muffins with healthy protein, fats and fibre and no sugar! (Makes approx. 6–8 muffins)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond meal*
• 1 cup gf self-raising flour*
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbs grass-fed butter
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 2 rashers nitrate-free bacon
• 1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
• ¾ cup grated cheese
• 2 pinches Himalayan salt

*Note: If school policy does not allow nuts and/or you do not want to use gluten-free, choose 1½ cups wholemeal self-raising flour, and ½ cup of either quinoa or oat flour, or ½ cup chia and sesame seeds for added nutrients.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Add 1 tbs butter to a pan and cook bacon rashers. Whilst still in the pan, cut bacon into small pieces. Add remaining 1 tbs of butter to the pan to melt. Let sit while continuing instructions.
3. In a mixing bowl, add almond meal, flour and salt. Mix together gently.
4. Beat eggs in a bowl and add coconut milk.
5. Add eggs and milk to the flour mixture.
6. Add bacon, melted butter and juices to the mixture and blend gently.
7. Add chopped chives and grated cheese and stir gently.
8. Spoon into a lined muffin tray.
9. Cook for approx. 15 mins, or until fluffy and bounces back.
10. Cut in half and serve in a hot food thermos for a warm muffin lunch.

Veggie Egg Muffins

(Makes approximately 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• Sea salt, pepper and cumin to taste
• 1 cup chopped vegetables — combination to taste
• ¼ cup chopped basil, coriander or parsley
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• ½ brown onion or leek

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Cook onion/leek and garlic in 1 tbs coconut oil until translucent.
3. Add chosen veggies and cook for 2 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk eggs and spices.
5. Stir in cooked ingredients, including liquid produced.
6. Stir in chosen herbs.
7. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake for 20 mins, until the muffin springs back.
8. Serve in a hot food thermos, or cold with avocado & salad.

Stacked Sandwich

I understand that most children love sandwiches. It’s okay, just make it a healthy one! Try rye, spelt or organic sourdough.

Instructions: Choose:

• Protein: chicken, roast beef, pulled pork, ham on the bone or egg
• Healthy Fat: grass-fed butter, cheese, avocado, hummus
• Carbohydrate: lettuce, rocket, carrot, cucumber, sprouts, tomato, onion

Lettuce “Tacos”

Your kids don’t like salads? Try a “Lettuce Taco”!

Instructions: In separate lunchbox containers, have: a) 2 x cups of iceberg or cos lettuce, b) pre-cooked taco blend (e.g. shredded beef, chicken or bean mix, capsicum, tomato, corn kernels, onion, spices to taste), c) grated carrot & cheese, and d) guacamole. Pop in a spoon and frozen ice packs for freshness. Let the kids make their own!

What’s in a Salad?

Really… whatever you want!

• Green Salad: choose from lettuce, rocket, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, snow peas, sprouts, tomato, cheese cubes, fetta, avocado, olives, pear slices, sunflower seeds, chicken or egg. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice to keep fresh.
• Brown Rice Salad: with pre-cooked pumpkin, baby spinach, pepitas and raisins, drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil. (Can be served hot.)
• Pasta Salad: start with a wholegrain or vegetable pasta, cook and choose from tiny tom tomatoes, chickpeas, mushrooms, green beans, spiral zucchini, shallots, onion, herbs (cooking these extra ingredients will bring out more flavour). Add a protein of chicken, tuna, sausage or cheese. Drizzle with juice from cooking, salt & pepper to taste. (Can be served hot.)

Snack: Coconut Date Rolls

Ingredients:

• 200g de-seeded organic dates
• 1 tbs desiccated coconut
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• 1 drop food-grade pure peppermint essential oil
• Pinch salt and cinnamon to taste

Instructions: Blend all ingredients (except desiccated coconut) in a blender to desired consistency. Roll into balls, then roll into coconut to stop stickiness. Serve 1 or 2 in lunchbox.

Snack: Protein Choc Balls

Ingredients:

• 200g de-seeded organic dates
• 8–10 walnuts or almonds*
• 1 tbs organic peanut butter*

If nuts not permitted, use:

• 1 tbs ground hemp seed or pea protein & 1–2 tbs ground linseed
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• 1 tbs raw cacao powder
• Pinch salt, vanilla essence and cinnamon to taste

Instructions: Blend all ingredients (except sesame seeds) in a blender to desired consistency. Roll into balls, then roll into sesame seeds to stop stickiness. Serve 1 or 2 in lunchbox.

Snack: Homemade Chocolate Dip & Strawberries

Ingredients:

• 6 tbs organic refined coconut oil
• 2 heaped tsp raw cacao (to taste)
• 8 nuts of choice or 1 tbs nut butter*

If nuts not permitted, use:

• 2 tsp seeds of choice (ground chia, sesame, linseed)
• 1 tbs brown rice syrup
• Pinch Himalayan salt

Instructions: Combine all in a blender to desired consistency. Pour 2 tbs into a small sealed lunchbox container. In another container, place whole strawberries for a fun, healthy chocolate fruit dip snack. Yum!

Let us know how these ideas and recipes worked for you!

– Suzie