If I had £1 for every time I’ve silently thanked God – or more specifically Nick Clegg – for the provision of free school meals I’d be significantly richer than I am now.

That said, now BB’s in year one she’s started going to Forest School once a week, which means I’ve got to produce a packed lunch to go with her.

Coming up with healthy, varied options she’ll actually eat is proving rather a challenge, and far easier said than done.

According to a recent University of Leeds study commissioned by Flora only 1.6% of primary school kids receive a packed lunch that meets the nutritional standards set for school meals, and only 17% contain vegetables or salad. Yikes. (I’m guessing jam sandwiches don’t count towards one of your five-a-day? Anyone?)

Seriously though, so far this term I’ve resorted to sandwiches, sandwiches, and more sandwiches, stuffed with various fillings of questionable nutritional quality (although I haven’t resorted to the dreaded sandwich spread…yet).

So I’ve put my thinking cap on and come up with some easy peasy sandwich alternatives if you’re finding yourself in the same boat as me.

Super easy breadless lunchbox ideas

1. Rice cakes. You don’t get much easier than rice cakes, which you can top with a spread of your choice, stick together, wrap in cling film and bingo. BB loves peanut butter (although I actually use Wowbutter because it’s made with soya and is nut-free so ok for school, plus it’s rich in Omega 3) and cucumber.

2. Quiche. You can make this option as easy or as hard as you like – either buy a ready-made one from the supermarket like me, or you could make your own. I pre-slice it for BB so it’s easy to eat, and eggs are packed full of protein which will keep them fuller for longer.

3. Sushi. Again, this is a super easy option if you buy the pre-made stuff, or you can make your own (which is actually far easier than you’d think). Most supermarkets sell basic sushi making kits and sushi is great quality, clean food. If your kids aren’t fans of fish try making it with chicken, avocado or cucumber.

4. Pasta. As part of their #FloraLunchbox campaign to help inspire parents like me Flora has come up with a host of simple recipes such as pasta tossed with tuna and fresh herbs. It’s packed full of brightly coloured vegetables cooked in Flora spread, which is rich in Omega 3 and 6 fats to support growth and development.

BB loves this one – just don’t forget to pack a fork!

Trying out a #healthy #school #lunchbox recipe from @Flora – pasta tossed with tuna & fresh herbs! #FloraLunchbox @britmums

A photo posted by Natalie Brown (@confessionsofacrummymummy) on Oct 9, 2016 at 6:17am PDT

5. Couscous. Like the quiche and sushi, you can either buy this from the supermarket – there are loads of different flavours out there – or make it yourself. Flora has a great recipe for Moroccan couscous salad on its website, which also has loads of vegetables in it, plus it’s super easy to make.

So there you have it – 5 super easy breadless lunchbox ideas (with a little help from Flora).

Do you have to make school lunchboxes? Do you have any other breadless ideas you can share?

This post is an entry for BritMums’ #FloraLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Flora. Check out their lunch planner and recipe ideas here.

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