On the list of things that mums would happily never do again if given the choice, coming up with new ideas for lunches and dinners is right up the top. We’re only early into the school year and it already feels like the kids are eating the same thing day in and day out.
Is this partly because they’re fussy eaters who are practically allergic to trying new things? Yes. It’s definitely easier to give them food you know they’ll eat. Keep trotting out the same things, though, and you run the risk of them becoming sick of that food too, making the list of things you can offer them even smaller.
Getting your kids to try new foods when they’re at school is actually pretty genius. Why? Firstly, they KNOW that if they don’t eat what’s in their lunchbox, they will go hungry. Unlike when they’re at home, at school there’s no chance you’ll cave and offer them something else. Secondly, good old herd mentality- they’re more likely to want to eat because their friends are all eating. Best of all, if they whine about what’s in their lunchbox, you don’t have to hear it!
So where can you find the inspiration for new lunchbox ideas all the time? Believe it or not, that’s actually the easiest part- Freshli fruit and vegetable boxes.
When we shop at the supermarket, it’s easy to fall into a trap of buying the same things time and time again. We get overwhelmed by just how much is available and naturally gravitate to what we know. This is the reason, however, that we wind up offering the same foods and being bored by our choices week after week.
You won’t fall into this trap with Freshli. Their seasonal boxes are comprised of hand-selected fruit and vegetables from their daily trips to the markets, based on what’s affordable and in season right now, so you’ll be seeing new delicious fruit and veg varieties pop up in these boxes all the time. Freshli offers a regular box for just $55 or large box for $89.
The current regular-sized seasonal box (at time of publishing) includes:
- 1 Telegraph Cucumber
- 1 Iceberg Lettuce
- 2 Tomatoes
- 3 Lebanese Cucumbers
- 1 Broccoli
- Carrots 1kg
- 2 Zucchini
- Potatoes 1kg
- 2 Lemons
- 3 Oranges
- 500g Grapes
- 4 Apples
- 2 Nectarines Yellow
- 2 Peaches White
- 1 Pineapple Topless
- 1 Blueberry Punnet
Here are some quick ways you can use these ingredients to invigorate the contents of your kids’ lunchboxes:
Kids ‘crunch and sip’ and recess snack ideas
- Colourful fruit kebabs or fruit wands using the pineapple, grapes and blueberries.
- Cute carrot hummus cucumber cups.
- Greek salad using the iceberg lettuce, telegraph cucumber, and tomatoes.
- Savoury carrot waffles
- A simple stonefruit salad with syrup, using the nectarines and peaches.
- Crunchy baked apple chips
- Cinnamon apple snacks using the lemons’ juice to keep them from browning.
- Cucumber and tomato skewers with dip.
- Quick lemon energy bites
- Cheesy baked broccoli bites
- Baked zucchini chips
- Easy orange juice gummies
- Tasty zucchini bites
Kids easy, healthy lunch ideas
- Healthy vegetarian rice paper rolls using the carrots and cucumber.
- Pasta salad with tomatoes
- Potato and zucchini fritters
- Comforting broccoli cheddar soup
- Five ingredient potato salad
- Chicken and pesto zucchini noodles
- Broccoli and bacon mac and cheese
- Easy tzatziki and dippers
- Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches
If you’re the kind of person who can’t look at a box of new ingredients and feel inspired by it, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there’s an app for that- plenty of apps, actually. So whatever you receive in your box, can be plugged into an app that will spit out all-new snack and lunch ideas based on those ingredients.
Freshli’s fruit and vegetable boxes are an environmentally-friendly option that uses minimal packaging. You can order yours from the Freshli website along with other pantry staples you may need (such as bread, wraps, milk, cheese, pasta, antipasti, eggs, deli meats etc) to complete your meal and snack ideas. Order online by 5pm for free next day delivery within the Sutherland Shire, or select same-day pick-up. Whatever way you dice it, Freshli is an easy and convenient place to shop that will help you lynch the monotony of making lunches!
Still searching for lunchbox inspiration? Check out these ideas for quick and easy lunchbox snacks and our guide to lunchbox planning and after-school snack suggestions.
