Let me kick things off with full disclosure: I am not a very good baker. As a general rule, I live my life a little haphazardly, and this is reflected in the kitchen. However when I’m baking for the kids, I generally bake with the kids. It’s a great activity to do together, and I find I’m more inclined to follow the recipe closely when I’m working with them (monkey see, monkey do I hope?!). So with that in mind, you can believe that these 5 easy lunchbox snacks are exactly that: easy.
3-ingredient pancakes by Lucy at Bake Play Smile
I’m always overly optimistic on our banana consumption, therefore always searching for ways to use them up once they inevitably begin turning brown. These pancakes are super easy (I’m talking, throw it all in a blender easy) and I always add a handful of spinach for extra green power. I made them for breakfast this morning actually – usually I double the recipe and any leftovers go in the freezer. Then on school mornings I pull them out, slather a bit of butter on them (because everything is better with butter) and they’re the perfect temperature by recess!
Healthy banana bread by Kate and Cookie and Kate
Another excellent way to use up my plethora of overripe bananas. Again, I usually throw in some spinach (and chocolate chips for good luck!) and keep it in the freezer, ready for the morning lunchbox rush.
Nut-free chocolate bliss balls by Bernadette from Goodie Goodie Lunchbox
Finding nut-free bliss balls that my kids actually like has been a ride. Thankfully, I finally hit the jackpot when I stumbled upon this recipe a few months ago. One thing I have noticed with the recipe is that I always need to add a bit of water or coconut oil at the end to help the balls bind properly. Could be user error – see how you go. We keep a supply of these and my post-partum bliss balls in the freezer at all times – highly recommend!
Mini blueberry muffins by Kate at Cookie and Kate (again)
What can I say, I like her style! Kate’s recipes are easy to follow and her ‘notes’ section is always super helpful – you’ll find options to suit food intolerances dietary preferences (which I found super helpful back when we were dealing with lots of food allergies – more on that in another post later). These muffins are super yummy and light, but not overly sweet. I’ve got a container of them in the freezer right now, ready for school next week.
Spaghetti bolognese muffins by One Handed Cooks
If I don’t have bolognese in my slow cooker, fridge or freezer at any given moment, I start to panic. It is my go-to, staple, eat-it-every-week meal… I make it with lamb mince (I don’t eat beef), load it with veggies and blended butter beans and cook it in the slow cooker for eight hours. It’s deliciously rich and super nutritious, and has become the base for some dubious dinners. Bolognese with rice? Yes please. Bolognese nachos? Absolutely my friends (but please don’t tell your Italian friends any of this). So you can see that these bolognese muffins tick a lot of boxes for me, and they’re SO EASY for kids to eat! I pop one in a little thermos and voila! A protein rich snack (or lunch) for school.
I’m always on the hunt for easy lunchbox snacks for kids, so please drop a comment below if you’ve got one to share! And if you’re looking for more connection, more community and more mum life, please join our private Facebook group!