Today’s post is from Catherine who blogs at Adventures With Kids, about ways that you can enjoy time with your children and inspire their passion for learning. Catherine is mum to two boys and you can also find her on Facebook.

Make sure you check out Catherine’s excellent series Australia With Kids, where she highlights fab kids activities in capital cities around Australia.

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I find packing school lunchboxes tricky. My son is a bit of a fussy eater and he won’t eat sandwiches.  Sandwiches are perfect for lunchboxes. They are a main course that can be eaten by hand and needs no heating. What can replace this lunchbox staple? Here are ten ideas that have worked for my family:

1. make pita bread pinwheels, like these ham pinwheels that are a favourite in my
   house.
2. make a sandwich on a stick. Thread ham, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices and toast on a toothpick or satay stick.
3. savoury scones, muffins or scrolls like these vegemite and chutney scrolls.
4. vegies and corn chips with a dip.
5. a slice of pizza. For example, bake a simple pizza with bacon, cheese, tomato and mushroom and cheese. Cut into small wedges for lunchboxes. You can freeze extra pieces to use later.
6. egg and bacon tarts, frittatas and okonomiyaki (Japanese egg pancake). You need to make these in small sizes that can be eaten in a couple of bites.
7. yoghurt with toppings like muesli or cereal and fruit pieces.
8. pasta or fried rice.Use leftover fried rice or create a quick pasta salad with pasta, cherry tomatoes, spinach leaves, ham and grated cheese.
9. rissoles or meatballs (for example, chicken balls will work well). You can make these with some vegetables in the mix and since they can be baked in the oven, it is possible to make a big batch and freeze them for quick lunch box making. I pack them with a small container of sauce for dipping.
10. And the clear lunchbox winner in my house, create a mini-ploughman’s lunch with bread or crackers, cheese, a boiled egg or meat (ham, chicken or rissoles, are my son’s favourites) and vegies

I want to be able to pack a healthy, filling lunch for my son to eat at school. His priorities are slightly different he wants a tasty lunch that is quick to eat (so he can get out on the
playground). So, the best lunchbox foods for him are:

• bitesize and quick to eat
• low on mess
• fun to eat

You can even make sandwiches meet these criteria with a little creativity. If your child is not a big fan of sandwiches try cutting them small with a fun-shaped biscuit cutter. It might just work.

What are your favourite lunch box ideas for your child’s lunch?

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