School lunches may just be the bane of most parents' lives at the moment.
One thing that saves parents a lot of time, effort and patience is to batch cook. Gather some lunchbox ideas and find out what it is your little one loves, then you can simply batch cook and freeze them.
It can be difficult enough to choose what to make for your little one, only for the lunchbox to come back half-empty because they don’t like that kind of sandwich anymore.
Here are some simple lunchbox ideas that your kids will (hopefully) love!
Curry
If you are making curry for dinner, make double the amount and freeze some portions. It freezes well and you can take it out the night before and defrost it. Simply reheat it the next morning in a pot and put it into a flask to keep it warm until lunchtime.
Pasta
Pasta is another lunchbox idea where you can just cook a little extra in the evenings when you're making dinner. Mix some pesto and pine nuts and it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
Banana Muffins
The banana muffins that I usually make are like banana bread but in cupcake cases, so they can be frozen easily and taken out one at a time to pop into a lunch box.
Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are practically the same as banana muffins only I don’t freeze them. Add whatever your little one fancies and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Flapjacks
Flapjacks are the perfect lunchtime snack. They keep for about 3 days in an airtight container but we can guarantee they won’t last that long.
Find a flapjack recipe you love and stick to it. They are so delicious and filling and full of goodness
Protein Balls
They taste like a treat but are packed full of protein and nutrients - and they’re so easy to throw into the lunchbox. You can store them for up to a week in an airtight container so they're pretty much zero hassle.
Mini Pancakes
It may seem like a strange one to pop in the lunchbox but they are so easy to make and freeze incredibly well. Oh, and kids love them! Top them with yoghurt and berries and you can be guaranteed they will not be returning home in the lunch box uneaten.