At Art of Superwoman, we believe in thinking/planning ahead, to circumvent anxiety. So this is us, preemptively having your back in the coming months when your child is over, eating the things they swore they’d love to eat for the rest of their lives just a few weeks back. What changed in two days? Who knows with these little humans we so dearly love. What we do know is that this daily lunch box hack list will be a game-changer when you need it. Make sure you save it to your favourites, oh! You can thank us later…
COLD DELI MEAT AND CHEESE ROLL-UPS LUNCH BOX #1
- Deli meat slices, swiss and cheddar cheese slices rolled up in a wrap and sliced into mini wraps.
- Vegan/Vegetarian: cooked tofu, tempeh or vegan deli slices, and or chickpeas for vegan. Substitute the cheeses with vegan options.
- Raw almonds (leave out for nut-free version)
- Raw veggies: celery, grape tomatoes, cauliflower and baby carrots.
- Crackers with peanut, almond, butter
- Apple slices
- Grapes
DIY PIZZA LUNCH BOX #2
- Pita bread cut into triangles, Salami or Pepperoni slices, Pizza sauce or salsa, and grated cheese.
- Raw vegetables: grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber or baby marrow, grated carrots.
- Fresh fruit: watermelon cubed or thinly sliced and grapes
AVOCADO EGG “SALAD” SANDWICH LUNCH BOX #3
- Avocado egg salad: scrambled eggs mixed with avocado, Greek yoghurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper on multigrain or wholewheat bread.
- Corn on the cob broken into 4 quarters.
- Pumpkin seeds and cranberries.
- Apple slices with Greek yoghurt.
- Fresh berries: strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
EGGTASTIC LUNCH BOX #4
- Boiled egg (Olwethu says she tries to have half a dozen boiled eggs on hand. You can also write affirmations or a word of encouragement for your child)
- A mini chicken pie
- Kiri cream cheese
- Strawberry yoghurt
- Popcorn
- Apple
CHICKPEAS FOR THE WIN LUNCH BOX #5
Chickpeas are high in fibre, protein and contain iron, calcium, magnesium and folate.
- Homemade Hummus
- Carrot and cucumber sticks
- Droe wors
- Cheese
- Crackers
- Fresh strawberries
FRENCH TOAST IT UP LUNCH BOX #6
- French toast roll-ups: Cut the crust off the bread, spread some cream cheese on the bread, add thinly sliced strawberries and roll up the bread. Dip the rolled-up bread into a mixture of egg, cinnamon and milk then drop into a pan of melted butter and fry until cooked through and golden brown.
- Pretzel thins
- Grapes and pineapple
- Biltong
CHARCUTERIE LUNCH BOX #7
Who says lunch boxes can’t be fancy?
- Fresh mango
- Yoghurt
- Crackers (Variety)
- Cheese and Cherry Tomato Skewer (note: rather pack the cheese cubes and tomatoes in separate small sandwich bags)
- Mini meatballs
- Mini Chicken Wings
- Baby Carrots
- Sliced Cucumbers
Have some time to bake some tasty healthy treats over the weekend? Here are some fun ideas to add to the lunch box rotation.
TUNA MINI PITAS
Time to use that tin of tuna that’s snuck to the back of the grocery cupboard, for a Tuna Sandwich with a twist. Serve with tzatziki. See Recipe here: Tuna mini pitas recipe
VETKOEK WITH FETA & BILTONG
Kasi lunch box staple but with a twang.
Does it get any more ‘local is lekker’ than this? This Vetkoek and biltong recipe is really easy to make and has been reported to be a hit! (Make sure the biltong is dry so that you can chop it up finely with ease.) The feta in the centre adds an element of yummy surprise to it. See recipe here: Vetkoek recipe
BOEREWORS & TOMATO FRITTATA
Not sure what to do with your leftover boerewors from the weekend braai? Here’s a quick and scrumptious frittata for Monday’s lunchbox! Don’t be afraid to throw leftover veggies such as roast potatoes or mixed peppers, to keep things interesting. ( You can substitute the Wors with any other protein;
- Bacon
- Ham
- Chicken