Making a healthy school lunch

This month it’s all about heading back to school. The perennial cry of parents is “What can I put in the lunches?”

The challenge is to put together a lunchbox that’s tasty but also nutritious; which has lots of variety but is also easy and quick to make and last but not least, a lunchbox that has everything they need to learn and play well and that actually gets eaten!

We have some great lunchbox tips in the February issue of Healthy Food Guide magazine. For even more inspiration, here are 20 interesting ideas for that lunchbox staple, the sandwich.

20 top sandwich fillings

All quantities below are enough for a sandwich made from two pieces of bread or one pita pocket.

Egg fillings

• 2 tablespoons chopped hard-boiled egg + 1/2 teaspoon curry powder + 1 teaspoon low-fat mayonnaise + lettuce
• 2 thin slices leftover frittata + lettuce + tomato
• 1 hard-boiled egg sliced + lettuce + tomato + cucumber
• 2 tablespoons chopped hard-boiled egg + corn kernels + 1 slice lean ham (diced)
• 2 tablespoons chopped hard-boiled egg + 1 tablespoon avocado + sprouts

Cheese fillings

• 2 teaspoons reduced-fat cottage cheese + honey + raisins
• 2 tablespoons no-added-salt baked beans (drained) + 1 slice reduced-fat cheese + tomato
• 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese + 1 teaspoon fruit spread
• 1 tablespoon low-fat cottage cheese + 2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce + sliced tomato + lettuce
• 1 teaspoon Marmite + 1 slice low-fat cheese

Meat, chicken and fish fillings

• 2 small leftover meatballs (mashed) + grated carrot + 1 slice reduced-fat cheese
• 2 tablespoons canned tuna in spring water + 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise + 1 tablespoon corn kernels
• 2 tablespoons leftover roast chicken (skin removed) + leftover kumara (mashed) + 1 teaspoon cottage cheese + cucumber
• 2 thin slices roast meat + 1 tablespoon low-fat tzatziki + lettuce + beetroot slices
• 2 tablespoon shredded cooked chicken or canned chicken (drained) + 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce + baby spinach

Favourite spreads

• 1 teaspoon peanut butter + 1 teaspoon honey + mashed banana
• 1 tablespoon hummus + sliced tomato + sprouts
• 1 teaspoon Marmite + 1 teaspoon light cream cheese spread + grated carrot
• 1 tablespoon avocado + 1 teaspoon Marmite or Promite
• 1 tablespoon mashed 3-bean mix + 1 teaspoon tomato sauce + baby spinach