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Lunchbox Ideas for PreSchoolers – with no boring sandwiches! Inspiration for more interesting pack ups for kids.

Lunchbox Ideas for PreSchoolers - with no boring sandwiches! Inspiration for more interesting pack ups for kids | https://www.tamingtwins.com
My tiny toddlers turned 4 this week – eek! Where has that time gone?

They are now fully fledged preschoolers, which brings a whole new world of lunchboxes.

I wrote about their lunchboxes a while ago and it’s still one of my most popular ever posts (40 Toddler Lunchbox Ideas). I thought I’d share an update and some photos with you of what I’ve been packing up for them this term.

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I’ve been trying to avoid sandwiches as they seem to get pretty bored with them.

The eagle eyed will notice that one with sandwiches did sneak into the photos, but they were super cute sandwich squares so I’ve allowed them to be forgiven for their sandwich title.

 

Which compartment lunchboxes should I use?

Anyway, whilst I’m nowhere near a Bento queen like my lovely pal Grace at Eats Amazing, I try to keep the lunches fun, colourful and interesting.

YumBoxes (available from Amazon) have definitely helped with this.

I don’t really stick to the allocated suggestions for what goes into which section (oops) but they definitely make packing up a quick, easy and interesting lunch so much easier.

 

 

We have the Classic Yumboxes, which are £24.95 each.

 

Lunchbox Ideas for PreSchoolers - with no boring sandwiches! Inspiration for more interesting pack ups for kids | https://www.tamingtwins.com

Lunchbox Ideas for PreSchoolers

Carbs

Really important to give our kids energy to fuel them through the day.

    1. Mini breadsticks
    2. Cold cooked pasta (often with pesto)
    3. Mini rice cakes
    4. Wraps, turned into filled pinwheels, by cutting them into thin slices
    5. Brioche pieces (kind of a treat too)
    6. Cheese twists (from the bread stick aisle, these can be high in salt though so watch out)
    7. Toasted pitta fingers

Protein

Vital to keep them fuller for longer and for growth.

    1. Hummus for dipping
    2. Pieces of cooked chicken
    3. Strips of ham
    4. Pieces of quiche
    5. Cold hard boiled eggs (they only get this when my husband is making, as I can’t bear them!)
    6. Cold cooked sausage pieces

Calcium

Don’t forget calcium for growing bones. Try to keep to natural yoghurt versions if possible to avoid too much added sugar.

    1. Cheese cubes
    2. Yoghurt tubes
    3. Plain yoghurt mixed with fruit

Fruit & Vegetables

I find colour and a variety of textures and shapes really helps to add interest and variety.

    1. Blueberries
    2. Cherry tomatoes
    3. Cucumber strips
    4. Carrot sticks
    5. Pieces of mango
    6. Raspberries
    7. Strawberries
    8. If they are having pasta (see above, I’ll often mix in peas or broccoli pieces)
    9. Raisins
    10. Grapes, cut in half
    11. Dried apricots
    12. Satsuma segments

Treats

  1. A few chocolate buttons
  2. A piece of fruit leather, or fruit string
  3. A biscuit
  4. A mini Creme Egg or similar
  5. Flapjack pieces
  6. Cake pieces (banana cake for energy goes down very well)
  7. Kids type crisps
  8. Popcorn

Hope this gives you some lunchbox ideas for your kids, let me know if you have any gems I haven’t included!

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Lunchbox Ideas for PreSchoolers - with no boring sandwiches! Inspiration for more interesting pack ups for kids | https://www.tamingtwins.com

 

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8 Comments

  1. Great ideas, thanks for the inspiration! My toddler is so picky with her lunches! I have toddler approved meals on my blog as well because they are so hard to please! I’ll be trying some of these ideas with my little one!

  2. Thank you for re sharing this, I was looking at getting a yumbox for my toddler ready for summer picnics! But I struggled to come up with ideas for each section, this is perfect!

  3. Thanks for some inspiration! Love the ideas (except for the dairy ad we have 1 child who turns into something from the exorcist if any is consumed! Have you tried falafel with them? Mine inhale them!

    1. I have an they weren’t keen, but I think they were quite a dry brand, maybe I should try homemade, they love hummus so hopefully they would go down well! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂