As the new school term looms on the horizon, Australian parents are once again facing the daily challenge of packing appealing and nutritious lunch boxes. It's a task that can quickly become a chore, but help is at hand.
Sunrise Chef to the Rescue with Simple Solutions
On a recent segment of Sunrise for Cooking with Coles, chef and food presenter Courtney Roulston stepped in to provide some much-needed inspiration. She demonstrated a collection of quick and easy ideas designed to take the stress out of the morning routine and put fun back into kids' lunches.
Perino Tomato Caprese Skewers: A Fresh Favourite
This colourful and healthy recipe is perfect for little hands. It makes 12 skewers and requires just 10 minutes of preparation time. The beauty of this idea lies in its versatility; while the classic version uses tomatoes, bocconcini, and basil, you can easily swap in ingredients like watermelon, feta, and mint.
The required ingredients are simple: two 200g tubs of Perino tomatoes, one 250g tub of drained baby bocconcini, a punnet of baby cucumbers cut into 1.5cm lengths, and 24 fresh basil leaves.
The method is straightforward and kid-friendly. Simply thread a whole tomato onto a skewer, followed by a basil leaf, a piece of bocconcini, another tomato, a piece of cucumber, another basil leaf, and a final tomato. Repeat this process until all 12 skewers are assembled.
These skewers are perfect packed plain for the lunchbox. For a meal at home, you can drizzle them with a little pesto or balsamic glaze for extra flavour.
Choc Chip Oat Biscuits with Cranberry & Seeds: A Wholesome Treat
For a lunchbox treat that feels indulgent but packs a nutritious punch, these biscuits are an ideal choice. This recipe yields 24 biscuits and takes about 15 minutes to prepare, with a 15-minute cook time.
You'll need the following ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups of Uncle Tobys Rolled Oats (Traditional)
- ½ cup of self-raising flour
- ½ cup of desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- A pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup of dried cranberries (sultanas or apricots work too)
- ½ cup of dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup of a pepita and sunflower seed mix
- ¾ cup of honey
- 75g of butter
Start by preheating your oven to 180°C and lining two baking trays with paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon, salt, cranberries, chocolate chips, and seeds.
Gently heat the honey and butter in a saucepan until the butter melts. Let it cool slightly before pouring it over the dry ingredients. Mix everything together well with a large spoon.
Roll tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture into balls, placing 12 on each tray. Flatten them down slightly and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before packing.
Taking the Stress Out of School Mornings
These recipes from Courtney Roulston prove that preparing engaging school lunches doesn't have to be a time-consuming headache. With a bit of planning and simple, fresh ingredients, parents can create lunch boxes that are both healthy and exciting for their children. As the school bell gets ready to ring, these ideas offer a tasty head start for the term ahead.
