To become... mum / food: #FloraLunchbox challenge

I've always struggled with lunchtime planning, for me and for Ethan. I think it's hard to be imaginative, particularly during the busy working / preschool week, to create balanced options and to make sure lunchbox prep doesn't take too long.

I'm even more uninspired when it comes to myself, so when I heard about the #FloraLunchbox challenge, I was keen to see what ideas they had to offer and to give lunchtimes a rethink.

Armed with Ethan's new trusty lunchbox, here are a few ideas and tips I've come up with to make lunchboxes more fun and filling:

* Pick a fun lunchbox - a good starting point, picking a fun design that your child will love will help, plus think about the size. You want something where you can fit lots in, and multi-compartment ones I think are a great idea as you're prompted to add variety to what they will be eating.

* Make it fun - sandwiches don't just have to come in squares or triangles, and we have a few different cookie cutter shapes that make the humble sandwich something a lot more exciting to eat. You could try hearts for Valentines Day, bats for Halloween, gingerbread men for Christmas... get creative!

* Hidden gems - if you can sneak in more salad and veggies, you'll know they're getting plenty of good things so jazz up a tuna sandwich with diced cucumber, pepper and sweetcorn - the same works for cheese.

* Try something different - replace sliced bread with rolls, wraps or pitta bread for a change and try different fillings every other day so they don't get too bored. Wraps and pitta are a great idea as they can construct their own perfect lunch for themselves.

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* Plan ahead - I try to plan meals ahead each week and this goes for what we will all be having for lunch too. This way, I have time to think of some ideas and I only buy what I will need, to help cut down on waste.

* Make in advance - preparing lunch beforehand makes life so much easier, and if you're making lunches for a few days, you can get a head start by doing this all together.

The helpful team at Flora has created a meal planner to help busy parents put together tasty and nutritious lunchbox combinations. In a Flora-commissioned University of Leeds study, it was revealed that only 1.6% of children in England receive a packed lunch that meets the nutritional standards set for school meals, with just 17% of lunches containing any kind of vegetables or salad. 

I'm not that surprised really; it's easy for children to pick things out from sandwiches and it's challenging to come up with different filling ideas that they will like. 

This post is an entry for the #FloraLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Flora. Check out their lunch planner and recipe ideas here.

More info about Flora: Every Flora tub contains plant oils, such as sunflower, rapeseed and linseed oils. Flora is lower in saturated fats than butter* and provides a source of healthy Omega 3 and 6. These essential fats contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels and are also needed for normal growth and to support the development of children. Flora also recently launched Flora Freedom. This is a 100% dairy free product, which is free of preservatives, artificial colours and flavours, and like the rest of the Flora range is approved by The Vegetarian Society.

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