We all know that nutritious lunches help our kids perform better at school and provide them with the energy they need to enjoy some active after-school play, but many mums and dads struggle with how to start creating healthy, appealing lunch box alternatives to the humble cheese and vegemite sandwich. Some kids love their sandwiches, so rather than trying to steer them away from this choice, why not try some of Wholesome Child’s best sandwich spread alternatives for variety and boosted nutritional intake?

Best Sandwich Spread Alternatives:

• Miso paste and sunflower seed butter instead of vegemite
• Avocado and ricotta cheese
• Butternut hummus
• Mashed egg with mayonnaise and grated carrot and touch of sweet paprika (for a non mayo dressing substitute with full cream yoghurt, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and olive oil)
• Wholesome cheese toastie with added veggies – spread bread with sweet potato or pumpkin puree before toasting – you can also add vital veggie mix or nutritional yeast to the mix
• Coconut oil, cinnamon, banana and ricotta cheese

Whilst sandwiches are an easy option, variety is key and teaching children to eat and enjoy lunch choices other than sandwiches is a great way to expose them to new foods and increase their nutrient intake. Here are some of our creative lunch box ideas which can reduce the “bread factor” – remember to include a protein with each of the options below to sustain your little one for longer, and also aid with their concentration:

• Sushi rolls
• Rice paper rolls
• Mountain bread wraps
• Cauliflower pizza bases with melted cheese
• “Sandwich pops” – cut sandwich squares and push onto a skewer – this not only reduces the amount of bread, it also teaches variety and looks very novel to younger kids

As the weather gets cooler, but also to add some variety to your kid’s lunches, why not try the following recipes which are huge favourites with kids of all ages. A top tip here is to keep all new options mini-sized – this is less confronting and more “taste-test’ friendly for little hands and mouths. For younger children in particular, food is very visual – so try moulding your meatballs or patties into different shapes, or add a face to the top of their quiche with a few pieces of sweetcorn, carrot etc. It’s amazing what a star, heart or teddy bear can get a child to eat! The following options  are Wholesome Child’s top five favourite lunchbox meals:

• Lamb koftas on sticks 
• Salmon mini-quiches 
• Beef and veggie meatballs
• Chick pea patties 
• Sweet potato pikelets 

Mandy Sacher’s book Wholesome Child: A Complete Nutrition Guide and Cookbook is available for purchase online and through iTunes. Connect with Mandy on Instagram and Facebook. If you’d like more practical advice on nutritional lunch box ideas, then you may be interested in Mandy’s workshop: Wholesome Child Lunchbox Solutions.  For more information contact Mandy Sacher.