The best quick and easy lunch ideas for children

 

In this unprecedented time, we understand that circumstances are quickly changing for families across Australia. With many spending so much time at home, we also understand that this comes with added pressures – including the endless question of what to feed your little ones every day!  

We’re lucky enough to have a team of experts across every one of our brands. Thanks to the nutritional experts, chefs and cooks who spend every day with children, they know what works to tempt those little taste buds! 

Check out our favourite ideas for quick and easy lunch  options below…  

 

 

Teddy bear’s antipasto 

Sometimes, you just don’t want a full, cooked meal. Sometimes a plate of delicious, child-friendly antipasto is enough! All of the below ingredients can be switched out, added or subtracted depending on what you’ve got in the fridge or the pantry. Just invite your favourite teddy bears to the picnic.  

Ingredients:  

  • Sliced ham 
  • Sliced chicken breast 
  • Sliced tomatoes 
  • Sliced cucumbers 
  • Sliced or cubed cheese
  • Grated carrots 
  • Baby bocconcini  
  • Selection of breads (buttered optional) 

Method: 

  1. Gather whatever you have for your antipasto picnic and arrange on a board or plate. 
  2. Enjoy! 

 

  

Spinach and feta scones  

Is there anything better than a fresh scone, straight out of the oven? There certainly is – when the scones are full of yummy spinach and feta! Serve with a side of chopped vegetables or salad to make for a delicious, light lunch.  

Serves 18 (mini scones) 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup frozen spinach, strained 
  • 2 tbsp. butter 
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ¼ cup milk 
  • 2 ½ cups wholemeal self-raising flour 
  • 1 cup white self-raising flour 
  • 1 cup crumbled feta 

Method: 

  1. Mash spinach with butter. Stir through egg, milk and cheese.  
  2. Sift flour into mixture and stir through. 
  3. Turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly.  Pat dough out into a square tin.  
  4. With a floured knife, score dough, almost through, into 18 squares.  Brush with a little extra milk.
  5. Bake in a very hot oven, 220°C, for 15 minutes or until risen and golden. 

 

 

Lazy vegetarian tacos 

Sometimes it’s nice to lighten things up a bit – and these vegetarian tacos are quick, healthy and easy to serve up deconstructed. Simply put each ingredient in its own bowl and let the little ones build their own tacos to their tastes. 

Makes 10 tacos  

Ingredients: 

  • 250g diced tomatoes 
  • 200ml water 
  • 2.5 tsp minced garlic 
  • 250g grated carrot 
  • 250g grated zuchinni  
  • 400g red lentils 
  • 1 tsp taco seasoning 
  • 150g shredded cheese 
  • ½ head shredded lettuce 
  • 10 wholegrain wraps or taco shells 

Method:  

  1. Heat tomatoes in a pot, add the water and garlic.  
  2. Bring to the boil and add grated carrot and zucchini. When boiling, add the lentils and seasoning. 
  3. Turn to low, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens, add more water if needed 
  4. Keep on a low simmer until mixture thickens and lentils are no longer visible.  
  5. Serve with salad, cheese and tacos for children to build! 

 

Top expert tips for stocking the pantry at home

Top expert tips for stocking the pantry at home 

By Karla Gilbert 

As an accredited Nutrition and Health Coach, Karla Gilbert knows how to keep families healthy – even in the most challenging, unprecedented times. A mum of two girls, Karla also shares her tips on stocking the pantry and stretching out time between supermarket trips.  

 

These are unprecedented times. With no blueprint to follow concerning what the future holds, now is the perfect time to focus on the health of our families through nutrition, managing stress, regular exercise and mindset.  

Here are my top tips for keeping the family healthy, happy and well-fed!  

 1. Less stress in the supermarket 

When shopping, look for canned and frozen vegetables, tinned and frozen fish, legumes and beans. Where possible, pick up wholegrains such as bread, rice, quinoa and whole-wheat pasta. These are all ingredients that will enable you to mix and match to easily create healthy meals. 

Having pizza bases, tortillas and taco kits on hand will also ensure that variety is maintained with meal planning, keeping children content!  

Frozen fruits also make for great smoothies that children will love. Click here for my strawberry oats smoothie recipe that they can’t get enough of.

 

 2. Cook batches & freeze for another meal 

If you have been after a reason to brush up on your cooking skills, now is the perfect timeMeal ideas such as chilli con carne, pasta sauce, meatballs, Indian dahls and casseroles are ideal recipes to batch cook and freeze for another meal when you may  

Utilize canned beans and halve the amount of meat used in a dish to extend the time between supermarket visits. Try a spaghetti bolognese sauce with veggies and lentils, tacos made from mince and black beans, chickpea falafel balls or meatballs simmered in tinned tomatoes and butter beans – all excellent ideas to use the canned pantry supplies.

 3. Get the children involved in the kitchen 

 Children take a lot of pride in what they’ve created in the kitchen, and it’s an incredible learning opportunity!  

Ask little ones with certain steps, such as counting ingredients out together or trying different methods such as stirring, tossing, grating and mashing. If children are too young to help, pop them on a highchair and ask them to name the ingredients going into the food.  

Some great ideas are to help blend a smoothie with a cool name or make homemade pizzas with an array of colours. 


4.
Incorporate immune-boosting foods 

 Immune-boosting foods such as onions and garlic add lovely flavours to otherwise bland meals and have antibacterial properties. You can stock up on herbs and spices to jazz up meals.  

The upcoming cooler months means citrus fruits will be plentiful with oranges and mandarins, offering immune support through vitamin C.  

 

5. Be patient with fussy eaters 

The times we are facing are certainly not ideal, so finding alternatives with a flexible mindset is going to help offload unnecessary stress while displaying resilience to our children.  

If your child is showing signs of fussy eating, it may be a process of exposing the new food a certain amount of times. Offer new foods alongside a food they are already accustomed to; or try and reduce new food anxiety by allowing your child to experiment with vegetables in craft activities. Click here for more tips about fussy eaters. 

As children interact with foods, they begin to form lifelong food associations that will affect their eating habits later. Our goal is to help children form positive associations with healthy foods regardless of what the outside world brings!