Ten fail-safe lunch box hacks and tips
Making lunch box meals that are healthy is one thing. Making lunch box meals that your kids want to eat is another matter entirely. Quite frankly, who has the time, energy, or inspiration to make the impressive Pinterest bento box lunches that flood our Instagram feed? Have you heard of ‘Banana’s day out?’ We hadn’t until The Scummy Mummies gave this parental phenomenon a name. It’s when you pack a banana in your kid’s lunch box, they then carry it to, around, and back home from school without eating it. Then it’s back in the fruit bowl, ready for the next day out!
Ten lunch box hacks by dayze
We are ALL about the hacks that have been tried, tested, and loved by the dayze community. After all, they’re what helps save us precious time on hectic school mornings. Here are some of the goodies we’ve been sent and love. If you have any more, let us know and we’ll add them to the list!
Cookie cutter sarnies
Forget the squares and the triangles, make your kid’s lunch box that little bit extra by using cookie cutters. We’ve tried dinosaurs and stars and the kids LOVE them! We also stuff the sarnie offcuts in the lunch box (or snaffle them up ourselves) so nothing goes to waste.
Keep lunch boxes cool without ice packs
Don’t faff around with ice boxes or inserts. Freeze a fruit juice carton and pop it into the kids’ lunch boxes. By the time lunchtime comes around, the sarnies will still be cool and the juice will be defrosted, too!
The keep apple slices fresh hack
Your kids love their apple chopped up, but it always turns brown by lunchtime? Try this genius hack and bind the apple bits back together with a rubber band. We’ve tried it and it works!
The banana pal hack
This hack is oh-so-simple and oh-so-loved by kids! We know, we’ve tried it. Draw a silly little face on the banana and your kid will be more likely to eat it, and their friends will love it too!
Save your leftovers with @thefullfreezer
Meet Kate, the queen of freezing food and who is helping families across the UK to reduce their food waste. With all our hou bills going through the roof at the minute, it’s even more important now to stop wasting food and wasting money. Check out her Instagram page for the latest hacks, tips and advice from what to do with your kids’ leftovers to why you should never use frozen spinach in smoothies.
Get your lunch box bread-y hacks!
Don’t be caught out one morning, keep a loaf of sliced bread in your freezer. You can always pop the slices in the toaster to warm up slightly and make the sarnies your kids love!
And, if you’ve only got the heel of the bread left, simply turn them upside down and butter the crust part, fill as standard, and your kid will be none the wiser!
The Healthy Family Project blog post is bursting with ideas and recipes for easy and tasty sandwich-free and gluten-free lunch box ideas. So is the Happy Kids Kitchen.
Create a kids’ lunch box snack station
One of the YOKO community told us how much of a difference a ‘snack station’ set up in your kitchen can make. Let the kids pick their fruit, snacks, and a drink from the selection you have set out. They’re more likely to eat everything they have chosen. And it saves you time on stress school mornings.
Reusable yoghurt pouches + food bags
There are three main reasons you’ll feel smug when opting for reusable pouches and food bags. Firstly, you won’t run out! Secondly, you can fill them with an array of delish combinations vs. supermarket own blends. Thirdly, you’re reducing waste! Opt for dishwasher safe products such as these Rex London dinosaur reusable food bags or the Nom Nom yoghurt pouches.
Hidden fruit and veg muffins
Want to get your little ones to eat more fruit and veg? Sneak them into their fave muffins and cupcakes. We love this super easy and yummy recipe from Little Dish!