Lunch Box Ideas

It's back to school time so I thought I'd give some suggestions for some cheap and healthy lunches that the kids will love.
Some will require preparation in advance, but there are also some last-minute fixes for less-organised mums and dads!

LUNCH

MUFFIN PIZZA (Quick Fix)

1 English Muffin
Tomato Puree
Cheddar Cheese or Mozzarella, grated

Topping ideas:  Tuna and Sweetcorn, Bacon and Courgette, Ham and Grape, Chicken and Olive.

Halve the muffin and spread the two halves with tomato puree.  Sprinkle with cheese and cover with a topping of your choice.  Sprinkle over a little more cheese and grill until lightly browned and all the cheese has melted.

BOREKS
To make 4

4 sheets Filo Pastry
100g Feta Cheese
50g melted Unsalted Butter
1 heaped tsp Raisins or Sultanas
20g Flat Leaf Parsley
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven 200C.
Line a tray with baking paper.
Crumble the Feta into a bowl and stir in the Parsley and Raisins.  Season with Pepper.
Take 1 sheet of Filo Pastry and brush it with melted butter.  Fold in half lengthways.
Put 2-3 tsps of the Feta mixture on one end and fold the Filo into a triangle, brushing with butter before each fold.
Place on the tray and bake for 20 mins until crisp and golden. Leave to cool before wrapping.
Pop into lunchbox with some cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks.

BIG DIPPERS

Variety of Dippers
eg.  Carrot Sticks, Cucumber Sticks, Broccoli Florets, Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced Peppers, Celery Sticks, Breadsticks, Rice Cakes, Oatcakes, Rice Crackers, Cheese Straws, Tortilla/Pitta Chips (slice a tortilla or pitta and bake in oven until crisp)

Dip
eg.
Moroccan Houmous
1 Onion, finely sliced
1 x 400g tin Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Olive Oil

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 10 mins until soft and golden.  Add the garlic, cumin and coriander cook for another minute.  Put into a food processor with the chickpeas and 50ml water and blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary.

Smooth Sardines (bear with me, it's delicious and a great way of sneaking Omega-3 into their diet, which if studies are to be believed may help with concentration)

1 x 125g tin of Sardines in oil or spring water
75ml Natural Yoghurt
1/2 tsp Dried Coriander
1 tsp Thai 5-Spice Mix
1 tbsp Lime Juice

Drain the sardines (if you have dogs or cats they love the drained juices!) and tip into a food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  If you don't have a processor, mash the sardines well with a fork before mixing with everything else.

Peanut Butter (Quick Fix)

2 tbsp Peanut Butter, crunchy or smooth (I use 'Whole Earth' as it has no added sugar)
1 tbsp Cream Cheese or Cottage Cheese

FRUITY RICE

Cooked and chilled Rice (or couscous/quinoa)
Sliced Spring Onion
Sliced Celery
Halved Red and Green Grapes
Juice of 1 Orange

Mix together and put in lunch box with an ice pack to keep it cool.  Rice should not be reheated.

CHEESY CORN MUFFINS

Sweetcorn is unusual in that it
retains its antioxidants and actually
gains health benefits when cooked

To make 12

Olive Oil                                                          
200g can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed          
100g Frozen Sweetcorn                                  
250g Self-Raising Flour                                    
1 tsp Baking Powder                                        
1 tsp Curry Powder or Paste                              
bunch of Chives                                                
100g grated Cheddar Cheese                          
2 Eggs                                                              
100ml Milk                                                      

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Use a little oil to grease a muffin tray. Mash in a bowl to lightly break up.  Cook the sweetcorn for 3 mins in boiling water.  Drain and mix with the chickpeas.
Put the flour and baking powder in a large bowl with the chives.  Mix with the cheese, chickpeas and sweetcorn.  Beat the eggs with the milk and curry powder and add to the other ingredients.  Stir until combined.
Put into the tray and bake for 15 minutes.  Cool in tray.

SWEET THINGS

FRUITY YOGHURT (this contains a lot less sugar than bought fruit yoghurt)

Natural / Greek Yoghurt mixed with your choice of fruit purée

eg). Lemon Curd, Fresh or Frozen Fruit (Cherries/Raspberries/Blueberries/Blackberries/Rhubarb) cooked with a little sugar, water and cornflour in a saucepan until soft and juicy with a thick sauce.

RICE PUDDING WITH MERINGUE (Quick Fix, if using tinned rice pudding)

Tinned or home made rice pudding mixed with fresh strawberries/jam and a crumbled meringue nest.

GRAPES AND CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE (Quick Fix)

Red or Black Grapes, halved
Cream Cheese
Ground Cinnamon

BANANA FLAPJACK

2 Ripe Bananas
100g Porridge Oats
Handful Raisins/Sultanas
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Maple Syrup/Honey (optional)

Combine ingredients and shape into as many rounds as you can on a lightly greased baking tray.  Flatten them slightly, then bake in an oven preheated to 200C for 10-15 mins until golden and crisp on top but still chewy in the middle.  Cool on a wire rack.  Serve with a little jam if liked.