Last, but certainly note least on the back-to-school checklist is snacks! If you've been looking for some easy and healthy recess and lunch food ideas — we can sure recommend a thing or two, even for the fussy eaters.
Image: F&F
Fruit & Veg Sticks
It's recommended that children eat between 1-2 serves of fruit and 2-5 serves of veggies a day, so it's a no brainer to try and incorporate these healthy snacks during there school meals.
Our first tip, is to actually cut up fruit and veg where you can. Asides from your grapes and berries, which are small enough as is, think about cutting up anything bigger into bite size pieces. This is a lot easier for kids to eat, versus something that is whole. Now, as for the fussy eaters who don't like eating their fruit and veg, our hot tip is to cut up the fruit and veg in a cool way. This makes it more appealing for them to eat. You could also try packing them a few dips, dairy-free yoghurt or peanut butter to help disguise the flavours a bit more.
To pack these snacks, we highly recommend PackIt's Mod Bento Lunch Box. This sustainable container includes 3 removable dividers that wall off thick liquids and solids, letting you separate sensitive foods and create customised spaces. Perfect for keeping your fruit and dips/ liquids contained. Check out some other great Lunch Boxes below:
Image: Instagram / @ketonaturals
Packet Snacks
If fruit and veg is simply not cutting it for the fussy kids, we have just the disguise - chips. The chips we stock at F&F aren't like your regular packet chips. Keto Naturals make their chips with cauliflower. That's right — cauliflower. These crispy cauli bites are made by clean ingredients without any fillers or artificial flavours and are low in carbs. They're available in Sea Salt or Barbeque. We also have Kale Chips, which taste a lot nicer than they sound. Available in a Cashew Vegan Cheese flavour or Cashew Garlic & Spices.
Muesli bars are another great easy school snack option. As a parent, there's nothing harder than finding the right museli bar. If you're someone who constantly finds products that appear to be healthy but later discover, they were actually full of fillers, preservatives and other nasties, then Koja's Oat Bars is here to save the day. Koja's plant-based products consist of nutrient density ingredients that don't compromise on taste. There are plenty of flavours here to choose from, like: Choc Brownie, Peanut Butter and Cherry Coconut to name a few.
Images: Instagram / @vego_chocolate
Lunch | Sandwiches
One thing that has not changed over the years, is a good sandwich. Bread itself though — well, we're spoilt for choice. So what should you pick? If you love bread but not the gluten, then try The Gluten Free Food Co. Quick Bread Mix. This is a fantastic loaf. The ingredients have been hand-picked to create a nutritious loaf of bread that will support your kiddie's health and wellbeing, and still taste great. The seed, vegetable and grain flours and meals combine to give you a boost of vitamins and minerals, as well as a source of protein, fibre and healthy fats that nourish your body — perfect for growing kids. This pack will make a large 1.2kg loaf. Simply add oil and water and watch it grow.
Now that your bread is sorted, it's time to choose your spreads. Popular food spreads for kids here in Australia are jam and vegemite, but if you want to give your kid a little treat — then Vego's Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is the way to go. A salad sandwich is also a great choice, we do however recommend adding some Vegan Mayo or Aioli to it, for a boost of healthy fats.
Image: Instagram / @mt_elephant
Tasty Treats
Whilst a healthy Lunch Box is a good lunch box, there's no denying that balance is the key. Choose a day of the week to treat your children — they'll love you for it.
Here at F&F, we have a wide range of Vegan Chocolate. The Loco Love range is a great size for little ones. There's also many great tasting chocolate bars. We love the Go Max Go range, filled with your faves like chocolate, nougat, caramel, peanut, almond or coconut. If your child is a Lollie fan, we have a number of delicious sweet treats for them to choose. Between Gummy Bears, Coca Bottles and Sour Lollies — there's truly something for every taste bud.
Sweets aside, nothing pleases a kid more than seeing a homemade treat in their lunchbox. Who better to pick, then Mt Elephant for your baked goods. They have Oat Cookies, Double Choc Cookies, Choc Brownies, Blondies and so much more! Why not let your kids join in on the baking process — these ready to go packet mixes are super easy and quick to make.
We hope these back to school snack ideas are a hit for your kiddies this year!
For more helpful tips to get back to school ready, make sure to take a look at the blogs below:
Get Back To School Ready With Flora & Fauna
