School Lunchbox Ideas
My eldest child is starting school next week, and as his childcare centre used to provide most of his food, it is a whole new adventure to be sending him with packed lunches each day. I am delighted with the no junk food policy in his school. One thing that is essential for a 5 year old is that he is able to handle opening his own lunch. The last thing the teacher needs is 30 kids needing their oranges peeled. Here are my favourite dairy free ideas to fill his lunch box each day:
Fruit or Veg + Sandwich with protein + Healthy Treat
Fruit or Veg
Strawberries
Blueberries
Grapes
Cut up melon
Cut up apple
Peeled mandarins
Banana
Cucumber
Carrot sticks
Peppers
Cherry tomatoes
Sandwich / Wrap /Roll/Pitta/ Homemade brown bread/ Brown Scone with:
Ham
Chicken
Turkey
Egg
Corned Beef
Tuna & sweetcorn
Salmon
Peanut butter*
Almond butter*
*many schools do not allow nut butters if there is a child with a nut allergy attending.
And if you’re lucky enough that your kids will eat these:
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Lettuce
Sweetcorn
Peppers
Carrot Sticks
Healthy Treat
Home made flapjacks
Fruit muffins
Banana bread
Scone
Granola bars
Innocent fruit tubes
Fruit in jelly
Raisins
Dried fruit
Soy or coconut Yogurt
Dry Cheerios
Some tips:
- You can freeze the fruit tubes so they are still cold at lunchtime.
- Use silicon cupcake cases to separate different foods within lunchbox e.g. grapes, carrot sticks etc.
- Tell your child they must put what they don’t eat back into the lunch box and not into the bin, that way you will know what they are eating and not eating.
- Teach your child to peel fruit and open packets that you plan to give them for lunches. Practice at home.
- Ensure your child can open and close lunchbox and bottle, again, practice at home.
- Ensure your child practices washing hands before all meals at home and remind them to do it at school.
Great ideas here. My eldest will start school in less than a week too & he is intolerant to some forms of dairy as well. The school has a “healthy eating” & “nut free policy” though so I can’t send him in with home baked treats but (get this) I can send him in a sugar laden cereal bar.
Thanks for the comment Caítríona, that’s very restricting no home baked treats, my son’s school actually said something like no sweets allowed but homebaked treats are ok if you really must give them a treat. There was no mention of nut free so far but I know many schools are now nut free. Best of luck with sending him off.
Hi thanks for the tips – my son is also intolerant to dairy but also apples, citrus, bananas & fish – his school is nut-free & also heathly lunches only but he’s fed up of ham sandwiches any one got any ideas
My son is lactose intolerance and I was told by that the lactose in cow milk is the same as goats milk tge goat milk yogurts shouldn’t be given to lactose intolerance children
Hi Sarah, yes you are right, most people with a lactose intolerance or cow’s milk protein intolerance or allergy will have issues also with goat’s milk products. One of my boys has almost grown out of his intolerance so he is ok with goat’s milk products. I realised it was confusing to readers though and I’ve removed the goat’s milk yogurt references. Thanks!