Packed lunch – how to plan meals for the whole family?

We often assume that over the course of the day, in the so called ‘meantime’, we can eat whatever is at hand, after all we had a nutritious breakfast, we are going to have a substantial dinner after we come back home, and then there’s also a tasty and healthy supper. What is worse, many people choose to have a sandwich or a sweet for their main meal, or an unhealthy chocolate bar from a vending machine. The last solution is especially frequent in children for whom sandwiches and snacks prepared by their parents are often not as attractive as read-made sweets. Unfortunately, we, adults after w whole day at work, often forget to prepare a meal for the next day. And it’s a big mistake. Find a moment to prepare a meal for the next day that you can pack in your lunchbox. Remember that that what you eat at work, school or on a business trip should be just as nutritious as the one you would have at home, it should supply you with the necessary amount of calories and nutrients.

If you don’t want to lose energy at work or at school, you need to have a balanced meal during the day. This will help you avoid unhealthy snacks which are harmful both to your health and your pocket. Preparing the meal for your packed lunch by yourself, you decide whether you want to have your lunch in a sweet or savoury version, or should it be a salad or a pancake… whatever you wish.

I am very well aware of the fact that it’s a bit more difficult with kids. No matter how hard you try, you are never sure if your children give their lunch to their friends, and then reach for a chocolate bar or a packet of crisps. You can, however, use some tricks to make your kid more willing to choose the packed lunch over some unhealthy snacks from the school shop.

 

I have prepared some useful tips that will help you make your family’s packed lunch more attractive and nutritious.

1. Try to prepare something different every day. Remember that the more diverse your diet, the lower the risk of developing some dietary deficiencies. Try to add some roasted seeds, nuts, muesli, and colourful fruit or vegetables to your meals.
2. Use your favourite products to prepare the meals. If you or your child like pumpkin, try to prepare it in different ways – with an apple, dates or, more savoury, with millet groats.
3. Put some fresh, healthy and the least processed foods. You should especially focus on picking colourful vegetables and fruit. Remember to make your meals balanced, tasty, colourful and filling.
4. Engage your children in meal preparation. It will surely give them lots of fun and will result in them eating willingly what they have prepared.
5. Get a container that will serve your family every day. Let each family member choose the one they really like. Remember that an attractive lunch box can also encourage (especially kids) to eating the meals. Choose good quality containers, made from proper materials that keep your lunch fresh and tasty long enough. Here you can choose from my offer of lunch boxes.
6. Don’t forget about proper hydration. Remember that a bottle of mineral water should go with your lunch box.

Remember that it’s much nicer to have a home-made meal than a sandwich you know nothing about. Keep that in mind and your lunchtime break will surely become a pleasant part of the day.

 

Below you will find examples of meals that are perfect for your packed lunch.

 

1. Stewed vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow zucchini
• 1 green zucchini
• 6-8 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped oregano
• 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped dill

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes, cook until half-tender. Let cool and slice. Finely chop the garlic. Halve the tomatoes and slice the zucchini. Chop the herbs. Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the potatoes and zucchini. Spice up with some salt and pepper and stew with the lid on for about 5  minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until all vegetables are tender. In the end sprinkle with oregano and dill.

 

2. Semisweet spinach muffins

Ingredients (about 6- 8 pieces):

• 60 g rice flour
• 60 g desiccated coconut
• 100 g potato or corn flour
• 4 tablespoons Spinach LIO Shake
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 6 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 4 dried dates
• 1 teaspoon gluten free flour
• a pinch of sea salt
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of cardamom

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 180℃. Soak the dates in hot water for about 20 minutes. Stir and mix all the ingredients. Put the dough into muffin moulds and bake for about 25 minutes. When ready, sprinkle with one teaspoon of Spinach LIO Shake.

 

3. Power balls in a new version

Ingredients:

• 6 dried dates
• ¾ cup pumpkin and sunflower seeds
• ½ cup goji berries
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of cocoa

Preparation:

Soak the dates in hot water for about 20 minutes. Blend all ingredients and form balls. When ready, refrigerate for a few hours.

 

4. Fit turkey chops

Ingredients:

• 400 g turkey meat
• 1 zucchini
• 1 leek
• ½ onion
• ½ a bunch of dill
• ½ a bunch of leaf parsley
• a pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• a pinch of sea salt
• a pinch of oregano
• a pinch of coriander
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce

Preparation:

Mince the turkey meat (you can do it in a food processor). Chop and slightly fry the onion. Grate the zucchini. Finely chop the leak and the herbs. Combine the meat with the other ingredients and spices. You can add one egg to make the paste more sticky. Form chops. Melt some coconut oil in a pan and fry the chops several minutes on each side. The chops can also be roasted in an oven without frying.

 

5. Quinoa in green

Ingredients:

• 70 g quinoa
• 3 dried dates
• 40 g pomegranate seeds
• 1 handful of spinach
• 15 g cashews

Sauce:

• ½ tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• a few drops of lemon juice
• a pinch of pepper

Preparation:

Soak the cashews in hot water for about 1 hour and the dates for 20 minutes. Cook quinoa and chop the dates. Combine all the ingredients. Mix the honey with oil, lemon juice and pepper and pour the sauce over the salad.   

 

6. Pasta madness

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 pepper
• 200 g gluten free pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Asian soy sauce
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of Herbes de Provence
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 perch fillet
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Preparation:

I washed the zucchini and made spaghetti with a spiralizer. Then I cut the pepper into small parts. I cooked the pasta with a bit of salt and olive oil. I prepared two frying pans. I melted the fat in one of them and tossed the zucchini and pepper with herbs for about 3-4 minutes. Then I put the pasta into the second pan, added some soy sauce and a bit of water. I stirred all the time and stewed until the spaghetti was tender, which is about 10 minutes. I combined the zucchini and pasta and put it on a plate. I washed the fish, sprinkled with salt and olive oil – and baked for about 20 minutes at 180℃. I served it with the pasta.

Enjoy!