Healthy Lunchbox ideas - Courtesy of Yamani Meta

Budget Lunchbox Ideas

Do you have a little one at school, kindy or prep? Do you worry about what food is going in to this little lunch box? Worries like, is there enough food in there? Will they go hungry, is there enough stuff in there to nourish their little minds for the day?

It’s true, making lunch each day can sometime feel just a little hard, which makes you want to go grab the easy stuff from the shops like packets of chips, poppers and prepacked cakes! But these easy items can often be very expensive and take a large chunk of your weekly food budget. Next time you are thinking about school lunches, try to think about a little plan, and consider the handful of items that can be the “convenience items” you have prepared yourself. A little change in routine can be often be good for your little ones, your families health and your bank balance.

So, what makes a simple healthy school lunchbox?

1. A main item such as a sandwich or breadroll, pasta/rice and vegetables, savoury muffin (see below a couple of simple recipes).
2. A fruit or vegetable snack, a whole piece of fruit, cut up fruit or veggie sticks
3. A second snack such as yoghurt, grain crackers and cheese, plain popcorn, fruit muffin, boiled egg or tin of tuna.

Further ideas and examples are below, thanks to the team at Compleat Nutirition

You can prepare numerous items for the lunchbox in advance and freeze, so every morning when you’re looking in the fridge you can remember you have these items ready to go.

Our resident Yamani Meta Dietitian/Nutritionist Zoe from Compleat Nutrition has shared with us some yum recipes which are perfect, inexpensive lunchbox food items. These recipes can be items that you may already have in your pantry ready to go. So, why not set some time aside, do a big cook up and make your own convenience foods for your kids’ lunchbox.

Fried Rice Cups

Veggie Muffins (recipe thanks to Compleat Nutrition)

These muffins take less than 45 minutes to make and will only set you back about $0.75 per muffin. 

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins):

2 medium carrots (grated) 1 zucchini (grated)
1 cup frozen peas and corn 
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (wholemeal if possible)
1 cup grated cheese (reduced fat) 2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup milk (reduced fat) 
Spray oil/butter to grease pan

Method
1. If kids are helping to cook make sure hands and noses are washed. Wash the carrot and zucchini, then grate them up. 
2. Preheat oven to 180C (bake setting). 
3. Grease muffin pan. 
4. Mix the vegetables, three quarters of the cheese and all of the flour together in a bowl. 
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and milk together using a fork. 
6. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. 
7. Pour muffin mixture into tin and sprinkle muffins with remaining cheese. 
8. Bake for 25 minutes (or until golden brown and cooked all the way through). 

TIP: If you have leftover muffins, these may be stored in the fridge for three to four days or in the freezer for one to two months.

Meet our Dietitian/Nutritionist Zoe

Zoe has been sharing her knowledge with families at Yamani Meta for around 6 months now.
She is enthusiastic, caring, easy going and just simply loves food! 
Zoe has a real passion for helping people and their families with their diet
so that they can live their healthiest life and do the things that they love.

Zoe has a great time delivering cooking workshops at Yamani Meta.
She feels that cooking is a great way for people to learn about nutrition and have fun at the same time! 
Come along and meet her at our next nutrition session on Monday 26 November starting at 11am.
Zoe is talking about 'weekly meal planning'. She always needs people to help her cook and taste-test the finished product.
You don’t need to book, just turn up at Yamani Meta (corner Peel St & Lonerganne St Garbutt)

Budget Lunchbox Ideas

Do you have a little one at school, kindy or prep? Do you worry about what food is going in to this little lunch box? Worries like, is there enough food in there? Will they go hungry, is there enough stuff in there to nourish their little minds for the day?

It’s true, making lunch each day can sometime feel just a little hard, which makes you want to go grab the easy stuff from the shops like packets of chips, poppers and prepacked cakes! But these easy items can often be very expensive and take a large chunk of your weekly food budget. Next time you are thinking about school lunches, try to think about a little plan, and consider the handful of items that can be the “convenience items” you have prepared yourself. A little change in routine can be often be good for your little ones, your families health and your bank balance.

So, what makes a simple healthy school lunchbox?

1. A main item such as a sandwich or breadroll, pasta/rice and vegetables, savoury muffin (see below a couple of simple recipes).
2. A fruit or vegetable snack, a whole piece of fruit, cut up fruit or veggie sticks
3. A second snack such as yoghurt, grain crackers and cheese, plain popcorn, fruit muffin, boiled egg or tin of tuna.

Further ideas and examples are below, thanks to the team at Compleat Nutirition

You can prepare numerous items for the lunchbox in advance and freeze, so every morning when you’re looking in the fridge you can remember you have these items ready to go.

Our resident Yamani Meta Dietitian/Nutritionist Zoe from Compleat Nutrition has shared with us some yum recipes which are perfect, inexpensive lunchbox food items. These recipes can be items that you may already have in your pantry ready to go. So, why not set some time aside, do a big cook up and make your own convenience foods for your kids’ lunchbox.

Fried Rice Cups

Veggie Muffins (recipe thanks to Compleat Nutrition)

These muffins take less than 45 minutes to make and will only set you back about $0.75 per muffin. 

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins):

2 medium carrots (grated) 1 zucchini (grated)
1 cup frozen peas and corn 
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (wholemeal if possible)
1 cup grated cheese (reduced fat) 2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup milk (reduced fat) 
Spray oil/butter to grease pan

Method
1. If kids are helping to cook make sure hands and noses are washed. Wash the carrot and zucchini, then grate them up. 
2. Preheat oven to 180C (bake setting). 
3. Grease muffin pan. 
4. Mix the vegetables, three quarters of the cheese and all of the flour together in a bowl. 
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and milk together using a fork. 
6. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. 
7. Pour muffin mixture into tin and sprinkle muffins with remaining cheese. 
8. Bake for 25 minutes (or until golden brown and cooked all the way through). 

TIP: If you have leftover muffins, these may be stored in the fridge for three to four days or in the freezer for one to two months.

Meet our Dietitian/Nutritionist Zoe

Zoe has been sharing her knowledge with families at Yamani Meta for around 6 months now.
She is enthusiastic, caring, easy going and just simply loves food! 
Zoe has a real passion for helping people and their families with their diet
so that they can live their healthiest life and do the things that they love.

Zoe has a great time delivering cooking workshops at Yamani Meta.
She feels that cooking is a great way for people to learn about nutrition and have fun at the same time! 
Come along and meet her at our next nutrition session on Monday 26 November starting at 11am.
Zoe is talking about 'weekly meal planning'. She always needs people to help her cook and taste-test the finished product.
You don’t need to book, just turn up at Yamani Meta (corner Peel St & Lonerganne St Garbutt)