Lunch-box surprises

Emma Parkin gives us some school-friendly recipes for this time of year.

The school lunchbox is all about striking a balance between what you know is good for the children and what they will eat. Try and make lunch-box snacks and sandwiches as interesting as possible for your kids. Make food fun to eat! For example, cut sandwiches into shapes or include food that they can eat with their fingers.

Wholewheat bread (in sandwiches), brown rice (in a salad) and oats (in crunchies) are high in fibre and complex carbohydrates, which keep hunger pangs away. Replace crisps with lightly salted popcorn, breadsticks, nuts, pretzels or rice cakes. Offer muesli bars, dried or fresh fruit and yoghurt instead of sweets. Children are more likely to eat fruit if it is cut up into pieces. And above all, prepare as much as you can the night before.

Mornings are hectic enough without having to make sandwiches in a hurry! Here are lots of delicious goodies to fill children's lunch-boxes.

Crumbed chicken strips
Serves 6

4 chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
1tsp dried thyme
1tbsp barbecue spice or chicken spice
1/2tbsp lemon zest
120g wholewheat flour
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
80g breadcrumbs
2tbsp sunflower oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line a baking tray.
2. Place the chicken pieces in a plastic bag and add the thyme, spice and lemon zest. Close the bag and shake to coat the chicken. Add the flour, salt and pepper and shake again.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Put the breadcrumbs in another large bowl. Coat each piece of chicken in the eggs then transfer to the breadcrumbs and toss to coat.
4. Place the pieces of chicken on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle with oil and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
5. Allow them to cool and refrigerate until ready to pop into lunch boxes.

Fat 10g, Carbs 24g, Energy 309kcal, Protein 34g Sodium, 0.1g Fibre 2g

Cold beef and salad wraps
Makes 4


100ml low-fat cottage cheese
1/2tbsp French mustard
4 flour or corn tortillas
6-8 slices of cold roast beef or ham, cut into strips
250g tomatoes, halved
6 gherkins
lettuce leaves

1. Mix cottage cheese and mustard. Spread onto the 4 tortillas.
2. Top each tortilla with beef or ham, tomatoes, gherkins and lettuce leaves.
3. Roll up the tortillas and cut in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to pack in lunch boxes.

Fat 10g, Carbs 18g, Energy 219kcal, Protein 23g, Sodium 0.5g, Fibre 2g

Toasted health muffins
Makes 10

80g desiccated coconut
50g oats
5tbsp sesame seeds
5tbsp sunflower seeds
100g butter, melted
1tbsp honey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
220ml milk
180g self-raising flour
45g wholewheat flour
100g soft brown sugar
65g raisins

1. 1 Preheat oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4 and grease a muffin tray.
   
2. Toast the coconut, oats, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in a large frying pan over a moderate heat.
   
3. Mix together the melted butter, honey, eggs and milk. Sift together the flours and mix with toasted ingredients, brown sugar and raisins.
   
4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid, combining until just mixed (do not over-mix).
   
5. Spoon into the tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
   

Coconut fruit squares
Makes 24

250ml tin of condensed milk
75g butter or margarine, melted
150g dried apricots,
finely chopped
330g rich tea biscuits, crushed
70g desiccated coconut, toasted

1. Place the unopened tin of condensed milk in a pot of water, simmer for 2 hours making sure the water does not boil off. Remove from the water and allow to cool.
   
2. Grease an 18cm x 28cm shallow baking tray and line with baking paper.
   
3. Mix the cooked condensed milk, melted butter or margarine, apricots and biscuits. Press the mixture into the prepared tray and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Chill until firm, cut into squares.
   

Fat 9g Carbs 35g Energy 217kcal Protein 1g Sodium .6g Fibre 3g