Easy Make Ahead Lunch Ideas for School

Easy Make Ahead Lunch Ideas for School

Getting everyone dressed, fed and out of the front door in time for school can be a challenge on the best of days. Do you want to reduce the stress of the morning rush? One simple way to do this is to make packed lunches the night before.  You’ll thank yourself for getting organised in advance. Here are some easy make ahead lunch ideas to give you inspiration!

Planning a Make Ahead Lunch

In every packed lunch, try to include a main, some veg, fruit and a ‘treat’.  This will give them a balanced meal, fill them with energy for the afternoon and give them all the nutrients they need as well as keeping them happy. Bear in mind that many schools are nut free, to protect those with allergies, so avoid recipes containing nuts and peanuts. 

Mains

Quick and Easy Mains

Crudites (sticks of raw veg) with a protein such as tuna mayo, boiled egg slices, cheese, cooked chicken or ham is a quick and easy meal to make the night before. Tuna Mayo’s a great one as you can chop cucumber and pepper up small into it which adds an even greater dose of veg. Same with egg or chicken mayo. Run out of crunchy veg? Stick in half an avocado and a spoon instead.

Convenient, quick and easy to make, and popular with children, sandwiches are the obvious make ahead lunch option. But a lot of packed bread is full of additives and very little nutrition.  Buy freshly baked bread or even better, make your own! Healthier bread like spelt and sourdough are good choices. 

There are a whole range of fillings so try and include some variety to stop your little one getting bored and introduce a range of food types. Instead of ham every day why not try egg, turkey slices, tuna or even marmite and cucumber sandwiches?

Try to limit sandwiches to 2 or 3 times a week though to ensure they’re getting enough nutrients. Wraps are a less ‘bready’ easy alternative that allow you to get more nutritious foods into the meal. Popular fillings include tuna and sweetcorn, chicken and coleslaw, or houmous and grated carrot.  To make it easier for little hands you can roll up the wrap and cut it into slices. 

Or for a change, you could try crackers, oatcakes, or crispbreads – there is a huge range of options out there made from different grains and in a choice of flavours. Make your own version of popular lunchbox convenience snacks with crackers, cheese and deli meats.

Cooked Mains

If you have more time, what about making a pasta salad? Simply cook some pasta and cool it under cold water.  Then add more ingredients like chicken, ham, sweetcorn, chopped cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes and olives.  You can leave it plain, dress with a tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or use mayonnaise or another dressing.

Pinwheels are a fun option for kids’ lunches that are very easy to make. Roll out some ready-made puff pastry, spread your favourite filling over the top and roll up.  Cut into slices and bake. Fillings include pesto, cheese and tomato, ham and cheese, spinach and cream cheese, or you can even use leftover bolognese sauce! Use your imagination (or check out Pinterest) and see what you can create!