5 Brilliant Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas
Packed lunches can save you money and even help maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Try these time-savvy ideas for recipes kids will love.
Quick and Easy Meals
Favourites platter – banish sandwiches and create a ready-to-go buffet of nibbles. Cut fruit and veg sticks and add slices of chicken. Boost this with a couple of bread sticks or pitta bread, and spoon some hummus or taramasalata into a handy pot so you can dip, or mix a little pot of oil and vinegar dressing, but pour it over just before you have lunch so it all stays fresher.
Couscous pot – add hot vegetable stock to a portion of couscous and stir in chopped peppers, carrot, ham etc according to your taste.
Night-before wonders
Homemade soup – easy to make in advance and warmed in minutes while you have breakfast. A big pot of homemade soup can be improvised with any filling and offers a hearty and cheaper lunch than many readymade soups.
Spanish omelette – delicious cold or warmed through. Finely slice an onion and three, peeled large potatoes and fry them in a little oil. Beat 10 eggs and add seasoning then pour this over the onions and potatoes and cook through. You might need to finish the omelette under the grill, turning once. Add veg or ham to taste. It should serve four or five easily. A quick way to make lunch for the whole family.
Cheesy tarts – A simple recipe to make and delicious cold the next day. Roll out readymade shortcrust pastry and use the rim of a large glass to cut round shapes. Gently press these shapes into the oiled cups of a muffin tray then pour in two tablespoons of egg whisked and mixed with grated cheese and seasoning. Bake for 15-20 mins in an oven at gas mark 6 (200°C).
Savvy tip
At the weekend, make a regular sized dinner then freeze single portions of the dish to warm up and take into work, in a flask or to be microwaved at your office. Use old soup tubs to get your portions right for freezing.
Pass it on – recipes for a sandwich-free week
Check out these recipes:
MONDAY: Mini Pasta Salad
TUESDAY: Baked chicken nuggets
WEDNESDAY: Homemade pizza
THURSDAY: Cheese & ham pie
FRIDAY: Potato rosti