1. Invest in a sturdy container that will last, rather than using plastic bags every day.
2. Buy items like crackers and dried fruit in bulk – it generally works out cheaper that way.
3. Use leftovers when you can, as most meals can be enjoyed cold.
4. Homemade soups are a great lunch option – just pop into a flask for your child to take to school.
5. Make muffins for the week and freeze until needed.
Try this muffin recipe for a tasty and healthy lunchbox treat that your kids will love:
Apple and cinnamon muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
1 cup (250 ml) cake flour
1 cup (250 ml) wholewheat flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon
½ cup (125 ml) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) grated apples
1 cup (250 ml) finely grated carrots
3 eggs, beaten
100 ml low-fat or fat-free milk
½ cup (125 ml) sunflower oil
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla essence
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 °C and place paper muffin cups into a 12-bun muffin pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Stir in apples and carrots until blended.
3. Beat eggs, milk, oil and vanilla together. Stir egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just mixed through. Take care not to overmix.
4. Divide batter between muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Tips
1. Mix 2 tsp sugar with a pinch of ground cinnamon and sprinkle on muffins before baking.
2. To serve as a teatime treat, decorate muffins with lemon icing. Mix ½ cup icing sugar with 1 tbsp lemon juice and drizzle over muffins.
3. Bake as a cake in a 20cm cake tin for 30-35 minutes. Use icing in tip 2.
4. The apples can be replaced with more carrots for a carrot muffin or cake.