Non-Sandwich Lunches for Kids
Lunch Alternatives if Children Won’t Eat Sandwiches at School
Jan 11, 2009
Although sandwiches are often the main lunch item in many school lunchboxes, they don’t always appeal to all children. Parents can solve the problem by making sandwiches more interesting. However, if the children really need a break from sandwiches, mums and dads should try preparing other healthy non-sandwich alternatives for their children. Some of the following ideas may be useful.
Salads
Salads can be a nutritious and appealing main meal on their own, especially if protein and carbohydrate-rich foods are added. Try adding lean meat, tuna, cheese, egg, legumes, nuts, potato, corn, couscous, crackers or pasta in the salad. Here are some these delicious salad ideas to try out.
- Potato salad – Boil some potatoes, cut them into cubes and then mix with canned corn, peas or other finely diced vegetables and dress them with low-fat mayonnaise.
- Roasted vegetable and couscous salad – Use leftover vegetables and fold them through cooked couscous. Then dress the mixture with some tomato salsa for a more delicious twist.
- Asian-style beef or chicken salad – Mix vegetables such as cucumber strips, cherry tomatoes and snowpeas with sliced lean beef or chicken. Dress the salad with honey and soy sauce.
- Vietnamese-style salad – Mix shredded cold chicken, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, shallots, chopped mint and some crunchy noodles. Dress the salad with low-fat mayonnaise or an Asian-style dressing.
All these salads can also be added with flaked tuna to make them more nutritious and yummy.
Nutritious Soups
Like sandwiches, soups can be part of a healthy school lunch too. Prepare your child’s favorite soup and add more vegetables (carrots, celery, onions) and legumes (frozen peas and beans) to make it more nutritious. Pack the soup in an individual size vacuum flask and make sure it is not boiling hot when it is being packed to avoid scalding incidents. Ask the child to get a teacher to help him open the flask if he’s not sure how to do it. To make the school lunch more filling, include also a bread roll or two slices of bread separately.
Pastas
If you’re packing pasta, opt for spiral or penne-shaped pastas as they are easier to pack, serve and eat. A food warmer with separate compartments – for the pasta and the sauce – will be ideal to avoid sogginess.
Sushi Rolls
You don’t need fresh salmon or tuna to make sushi rolls. The fillings can be any vegetable or cold meat that your child enjoys eating. Try making sushi rolls with bacon, fried chicken strips, tuna flakes, cooked prawn, meat floss or vegetables like cucumber and avocado. Cut the rolls into three or four portions to make it easier for the child to eat.
Fried Rice or Noodles
Asian-style fried rice and noodles are yummy too. Add more diced or shredded vegetables, frozen peas, egg and strips of lean beef or chicken to to the rice or noodles make it a complete and healthy meal.
If your child has had enough of sandwiches, try other lunch alternatives such as salads, soups, pastas, sushi rolls and fried rice and noodles. Hot foods such as soups, pastas and fried rice or noodles should be packed in individual hot flasks or food warmers. For cold foods such as salads and sushi rolls, put them in insulated lunchboxes.
References:
The Victorian Education Department – Healthy Canteen Kit
McVeagh , Dr. Patricia & Reed, Eve. Kids Food Health. Sydney: Finch Publishing, 2001.
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