This post is sponsored by nudie juice and Contagious
Sometimes it’s nice to slip a little treat into my kids’ lunchboxes. But I don’t want to send them to school with total junk that has next to no nutritional value and won’t fill them up, so I’ve made a list of ‘healthier’ lunchbox treats that are school friendly – that means they don’t contain nuts, they travel well, and my kids will actually eat them!
Ten Healthy Lunchbox Treats.
- Pita Chips
- Frozen Juice Box
- Popcorn.
- Frozen Fruit Cup
- Dried Apple Chips
- Apricot and Coconut Balls
- Homemade Muesli Bars.
- Fruit Puree
- Apple and Oat Pancakes
- Fruit Leather
The kids can make these pita chips themselves using left over pita bread or tortillas. They’ll keep for up to a week in a sealed container but I bet they won’t last that long!
Juice is a special treat for my kids, and you can’t get any easier than chucking a juice box or four in the freezer! Look for juice boxes that contain nothing but fruit juice (no concentrates), no added sugar or other nasties.
Pop it yourself and you’ll know there is no extra salt or preservatives, plus it is super cheap!
These are perfect for warm weather, though my kids like them all year round. Just freeze some sliced fresh or tinned fruit in some 100% fruit juice. We like peach and pineapple in orange juice. Make sure you use a container with a tight fitting lid and don’t forget to send a spoon!
You can make your own dried apple chips easily in your oven. Dip them in some orange juice for a tangy flavour or add some cinnamon.
This great recipe from Childhood101 for Apricot and Coconut balls is a favourite in our house. They are quick and easy to make, with no added sugar, and they are delicious!
I make at least one batch of homemade muesli bars every week. My kids love them! They don’t take long to make and I love that I have complete control over what goes into them, so I know there are no nuts or salt or other ingredients I am not keen on.
You can buy fruit puree in little cups in the supermarket, but it is easy to make your own too. We have lots of apples right now, so some cooked apples with some frozen raspberries, whizzed it all together in the food processor makes a quick and easy treat. I send this to school in a little tube container with a screw top lid, so it doesn’t leak.
These apple and oat pancakes started out as a snack, then they became breakfast and now I make mini ones to put in school lunches. With oats, wholemeal flour and honey they are a healthier alternative to cakes or biscuits.
Despite being nothing but fruit, homemade fruit leather is a little like lollies if you ask me! Sweet and chewy!
I am constantly looking for new things to add to my list so I have a good variety of healthy snacks to choose from. When I’m looking for healthier options these are a few things I look out for:
- Read the Labels
- Get the Kids Involved
- Think About How it is Packaged
You don’t have to make snacks yourself for them to be healthy. The trick is to know what is important to you and learn how to decipher the information on the label, so you are only buying foods that fit with your values. Be aware of what you can and can’t send to school and know your school’s allergy and food exclusion policy.
No point in sending a fabulously healthy treat to school if your kids don’t eat it! Talk to your kids about healthy eating, teach them how to read labels, and ask them what they like and don’t like. Also ask them about how and when they eat their snacks – do they need something they can grab and eat quickly as they run off to play, or do they have more time for something that might be slower to devour?
Make sure food is easy to access and well stored. Containers or packets that are hard to open might just get left in the lunchbox, and there is nothing worse than a leaking container! I aim to reduce rubbish sent to school as much as possible so we use lots of plastic containers and pockets when we can.
{disclosure: This is a sponsored post, find more information about sponsored posts here. All opinions are my own.}
Helen says
My son says he hates fruit so I make fruit leather, then cut it into thin straps and call it “worms”. He can’t get enough! He thinks he is being gross by eating worms and I pretend to be disgusted. But I’m having the last laugh!
Lyndal Griffiths says
Its all about fruit in this household! We have a lunchbox full of different fruits everyday and if I dont have any fruit for school, then I hear about it!!!
Marita says
Hummus and rice crackers are popular. My girls really love the wholemeal rice crackers from ALDI.
Also a big hit with my eldest at the moment is whole cucumber, with just one end chopped off. Apparently it can double as a wand, microphone or scepter before you finish eating it at snack time.
Diana says
Frozen grapes, they can’t get enough of them and really complain that they’re not available in Winter!!
DIANA O says
Home made zuccini and cheese savouriy muffins, no sooner are they baked they’re gone so I have to stash them away safely so they actually make it to the lunch boxes….the kids and hubbies.
Jen says
Muffins might be the great stalwart of the school lunchbox scene but it’s hard to go past them for a healthy but yummy snack. Add oats for a bit of extra energy and fibre, add banana so need less sugar (or honey or maple syrup), go savoury with pumpkin, bacon, egg… best of all, it’s a great way to use up whatever you have on hand, and you can whip them up in 20 minutes or so if you find yourself with nothing much for lunch, and you can freeze them.
Stacey Shailer says
My little man loves Zucchini and Sweetcorn fritters, with a little tub of tzatziki dip to dunk them in. Best thing is I can make a big batch of the fritters up on the weekend and freeze them, ready to pop into his lunchbox in the morning before school.
karina l says
Muesli bars!
Carol says
I love to make my 2 healthy muffins because there is such a variation out there to choose from and lots of yummy ingredients to add into them & just be as creative as you want! Oat & dates are really delish atm though! Or add yoghurt to them as well to add some moistness:) Nuts are great too but not for school! Home made muesli bars are another fav…
Jessica Maloney says
Green smoothies made from kale, spinach, apples bananas and cinnamon, because they enjoy telling everything it’s milk from the green cow from Mars that Mum keeps in the back yard!
Helena Leung says
My little girls love eating Japanese edamame beans! They are super easy to prepare as you simply boil them in a little salted water. I think they love the tactile sensation of squeezing the little beans from the pod. Great for the development of their fine motor skills too and I get the satisfaction of knowing they’ve eaten something healthy and GREEN!
LARA DAEBRITZ says
Fresh popped plain popcorn combined with chopped dried apricots and/or apple, sultanas, dried cranberries and a few pepitas…I have all but the popcorn pre-combined in a container, then added with a handful of popcorn each day, Miss Seven is as happy as Larry!
Courtney B says
My daughter loves our homemade Lemon Crinkle Cookies, she loves picking the lemons off our tree in the backyard, and helping me make them. We wrap them up in colour paper and add some stickers for added fun! :)
CC says
Vietnamese rice paper rolls are my daughter’s favourite lunch! Easy, delicious finger food which are stuffed to the brim with a heap of veges that she probably wouldn’t eat if I served them on their own!
Rachel says
Vegetable no-rice sushi! They taste delicious and are so easy to make. Extremely healthy since you can get all the vitamins you need from a variety of vegetables. There are so many nutritional benefits and the sushi is super tasty.
Aleta @ Hinterland Mama says
I really enjoyed this post, we share very similar ideas in what a healthy lunchbox means.
I love the suggestion of Apple slices dipped in orange juice before drying. It’s a great tip, the citric acid would reduce the chance of browning I imagine! And your star cut out centers are cute too :)
Some of our favourite lunch box additions, of which some, I don’t think have been mentioned yet are; Celery sticks with cashew nut butter (I know this might not work for some), Rice pudding (I make a batch and freeze it in small containers to use over time), Olives & diced cheese, bite-sized nori (snipped sheets), roast chicken pieces with salad and homemade muffins and balls.
Such a fantastic giveaway, will be spreading the word.
Aleta x
Bek @ Just For Daisy says
Great post Kate! Thanks for sharing some great snacks AND tips too! I love that you’ve included a message to consider packaging… we tend to send everything in little containers which have to come home, great for saving environment but must keep kiddies educated on bringing them home!
One of our favourite lunch box snacks is a little snack box of crackers, mashed avocado, chopped up olives and sliced cheese…. if she’ll eat it I’ll make it!! :) Nudie juices would go down a treat, we’ll have to give them a try soon!
Ronnie says
I am starting to fade when it comes to school lunch & snack inspiration now that my middle is at school 5 days a week so tis post is perfect timing. I am keen to try the pita chips.
The current favourite treats of my 8 and 5 year olds are popcorn with a little coconut oil and roasted seaweed tossed through and bliss balls made from mostly dates with chia, coconut oil and cacao.
Tracy A says
My kids love taking sushi in their lunch boxes , lots of different ways to make it taste different each time & quick & easy .
sapna says
My son’s favourite healthy lunchbox treat is ” lunch sticks” or fruit kebabs. These are very easy and quick to make and pack for lunch.
Thread a selection of savoury items or fruits onto a thin straw ( for little kids ) or a skewer(for big kids ) .
My son chooses the things that will go on “lunch sticks”.
– Slices of ham , cubes of cheese and wedges of pineapple.
– Cherry tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese.
– star shaped carrots & cucumber ( with the help of cookie cutters).
– Cucumber, carrot, red pepper and cheese cubes.
– melon and rockmelon balls made with the use of melon baller.
These make lunchbox items more appealing to their eyes and the lunchbox always come home empty.