BACK TO SCHOOL – Laurann O'Reilly's top easy lunch and snack ideas

It’s that time of year again, where the children are going back to school, the uniforms, school bags and books are getting organised, but many parents are left wondering how to manage meals including healthy snacks and lunches.

We can often underestimate the importance of healthy eating and balanced meals for school aged children or simply not understand what foods to include to meet their nutritional needs.

Bord Bia discusses how “a lot of growth happens in these years and children need the right balance of nutrients to help them reach their full potential”.

They also state that “having a healthy daily eating routine is key in both the health of parents but also children as the habits we develop as a child stay with us for life”.

Here nutritionist Laurann O’Reilly and owner of Nutrition by Laurann brings us through her top easy and nourishing school lunch and snacks.

Lunch Ideas
It can sometimes be a challenge to come up with a variety of healthy lunch ideas not just for us, but to nutritionally boost those little lunch boxes.

- Tuna, Mayo & Sweetcorn Wholemeal Pitta: Pitta pockets are easy to fill, easy to hold, easy to eat and perfect for little hands.
Tip: The key is to break up the creamy tuna with sweetcorn and lettuce for crunch and colour.

- Couscous With Roasted Vegetables, Chickpeas & Feta Cheese: Such an easy one to prepare the night before, with the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates and veggies.

- Roasted Chicken & Veggie Pasta Salad : Made with light tomato-based sauce and added veggies, this is an easy and nutritious lunch recipe, rich in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Tip: Why not try fun shaped pastas to give your little extra little incentive to fuel up.

- Wholemeal Pitta Pocket With Hummus, Turkey & Red Peppers: Again, you can’t go wrong with pitta bread, this one being a great source of carbohydrate, protein and veggies.

- Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad Sandwich: Packed with protein, calcium and fibre, this one is delicious and nutritious for little tummies (see recipe below)

- Turkey, Cheddar Cheese and Cranberry Wholemeal Bagel Sandwich: Keeping it simple but delicious, this filled bagel can keep the hunger at bay whilst being a great source of fibre, calcium and protein.

- Chicken & Cheesy Coleslaw Wholemeal Pitta: Such an easy sandwich filler, by adding a little cheese to your coleslaw, this increases the protein and calcium content, helping to build strong bones, with the wholemeal providing the energy that they need

- Creamy Hummus Dip With Wholemeal Pitta Bread & Vegetable Sticks: Variety is key and sometimes nutritious finger food can do the trick. Made from chickpeas, hummus is a great source of protein. Paired with veggies and pitta bread, this one’s also packed with vitamins, minerals and a great source of fibre.

- Salmon, Cream Cheese & Cucumber Wholemeal Bagel: This is not only easy to prepare but salmon is a rich source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids for healthy brain development. It’s also a great source of fibre and calcium for healthy bones.

After School Snacks
Children of all ages will burn energy moving and learning in school so it’s always good to have some after school snacks on standby. If they say they're hungry between meals, offer something nutritious. These are particularly important if you don’t eat your dinners until later in the evening or if there is a long distance between meals.

- Healthy Snack Ideas (Suggested Safe Food)

For a Light Snack
- A piece of fruit
- Vegetable sticks
- A small pot of yoghurt
- A glass of milk
- 2-3 crackers / 1-2 oatcakes / 2 rice cakes /1-2 breadsticks
- A small handful of nuts and seeds

For a More Filling Snack
- One slice of wholemeal toast with some mashed / chopped banana
- A cheese, meat or fish sandwich using one slice of bread. You could add some sliced tomato and make a toasty sandwich
- Cheese with 2 or 3 crackers or breadsticks.
- Small bowl of breakfast cereal and milk
- Small bowl of homemade soup
- Sliced apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter for smaller children, and 1-2 teaspoons for children under 12
- Small wholemeal scone and low-fat spread
- 2 or 3 breadsticks with cream cheese for dipping
- Hummus with vegetable sticks
- One rice cake topped with cream cheese and a sliced tomato
- 1-2 crackers topped with a teaspoon of peanut butter for children up to 4, or 2-4 crackers with 1-2 teaspoons for children under 12

(Serves four Little Lunches)

Recipe - Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad Sandwich

This Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad sandwich is made with cooked chicken, cottage cheese, a little bit of mayo, and grapes. The use of cottage cheese makes it healthier than traditional chicken salad, and it's an easy make-ahead lunch recipe that's loaded with protein.

Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts
120g Whole milk cottage cheese
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Cup Red grapes sliced
½ Cup Celery thinly sliced
3 Tablespoon Sliced almonds
2 Tablespoon Dried cranberries
4 Slices wholemeal bread

Instructions
1. Cook chicken as you normally would. I like to boil mine in a large pot for 20 minutes or so. Then, use two forks to shred the chicken and place it into the bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir until the chicken is completely coated.
3. Eat it as-is or in between two slices of bread and enjoy!