Healthy
Lunchboxes
Top tips & ideas for a yummy, healthy lunchbox
Lunchbox 13
CHICKEN NOODLES
CHEESE TRIANGLES
RASPBERRIES
APPLE, CARROT, BANANA & OAT COOKIES
WATER
Instead of using a pepper, onion and carrot, you may prefer to use a pre- prepared stir fry vegetable pack
It is great to use frozen vegetables for stir fries. Try adding frozen peppers for a cheaper option
Cooking from scratch and then using leftovers for lunches is a great way of reducing the amount of unnecessary sugar, salt and preservatives added in store-bought items
Recipe: Chicken noodles
Serving:
Preparation time:
Serves 2
10 mins
Cook time:
10 mins
Difficulty rating:
HARD
INGREDIENTS
• 2 handfuls of cooked chicken*
• 2 nests or sheets of dry noodles
(you can use cooked noodles if you want to, add these straight to the stir fry, do not boil)
• 1 pepper *
• 1 onion*
• 1 grated carrot*
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger
• If your child likes spice, add 1 tablespoon of sriracha or 1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder
*Mix and match additional ingredients from the scrummy swaps page
METHOD
1. Cut the vegetables into small piece.
2. Heat the oil and stir fry the vegetables until soft
3. Add the chicken
4. Cook the noodles in a saucepan in some boiling water for 4-6 minutes, or until soft
5. Add the soy sauce, garlic and ginger to the chicken and vegetables (if you are adding chilli or sriracha for some spice, add this now too)
6. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and add them to the chicken and vegetables. Stir together
7. Put into a plastic container to add to the lunchbox.
Recipe:
Apple, carrot, banana & oat cookies
Serving:
Preparation time:
20 Cookies
10 mins
Cook time:
15 mins
Difficulty rating:
HARD
INGREDIENTS
• 150g self-raising flour
• 100g rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup of unsalted butter (melted)
• 60g honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium apple
• 1 medium banana
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat
4. In a large bowl mix together the flour, oats, and cinnamon
5. Beat the eggs and add the honey, vanilla extract and melted butter
6. Add the butter mixture to the large bowl with the dry ingredients (flour, oats, and cinnamon) and mix until well combined
7. Grate the carrot and the apple. Squeeze any excess juice out of the apple. Mash the banana. Add the carrot, apple and banana to the mixture. Stir well
8. Shape the cookie mixture into balls. You should have enough to make about 20
9. Place each ball of dough onto the baking paper and press down on each one gently with a fork
10. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes
Adding vegetables to sweet things is a good way to hide more veggies in your child’s diet. Vegetables like carrots add a sweet flavour but also some moisture to help the cookies stay moist
These cookies can be frozen. A top tip is to put a piece of baking paper in between each one to stop them from sticking. Making multiple portions will help save time when making a lunchbox
There are so many different flavours you could make to keep this recipe exciting. Try mixing up the fruit to add fresh fruit like blueberries and even swapping the cinnamon and adding in some lemon zest for a citrus taste