Ideas for toddler lunches

Meals should provide a variety of foods from each food group so when making lunch for your toddler think something starchy (to provide energy), something with protein (to keep them full) and something vege/fruity (to provide essential vitamins).

Sandwich Ideas: Is your toddler getting bored with marmite and cheese?
Use 2 slices of whole grain bread, a pita pocket or tortilla wrap and choose a tasty filling:

* Grated carrot + crushed pineapple
* Cottage cheese + chopped nuts + pinch curry powder + sprouts
* Grated carrot + crunchy low salt peanut butter
* Creamed corn + chopped celery
* Mashed egg + unsweetened natural yoghurt
* Lite cottage cheese + finely chopped dates
* Mashed banana + squeeze of lemon juice
* Low salt peanut butter + honey
* Sardines + spring onions
* Smoked chicken + lite cream cheese + dried apricots
* Salmon + low-fat mayonnaise
* Mashed banana + lite cream cheese + walnuts
* Shaved ham + lettuce + cucumber + tomato relish
* Mashed pumpkin + feta cheese + lettuce + tomato + hummus
* Shaved ham + crushed pineapple + lettuce + tomato relish

If you are feeling a bit adventurous try these lunch recipes below:
Tuna, Chickpea and Roast Tomato Salad
Lamb Mince in Pita
Chicken or Tuna Wrap
Roast Pumpkin Soup
Crunchy Chickpea Salad
Quick Bean Pasta
Zucchini frittata
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Cauliflower and Cheese on Toast

And here are some other ideas!

Tuna, Chickpea and Roast Tomato Salad
1 x 400g can chickpeas + 1 punnet cherry tomatoes + olive oil spray +
1 x 185g can flavoured tuna + 2 cups salad leaves.

Preheat oven to 180?C (fan bake). Place chickpeas and tomatoes in baking dish lined with baking paper and spray well with oil spray. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Transfer chickpeas and tomatoes to a bowl and toss with tuna and rocket.

Lamb Mince in Pita
Lamb mince balls + 1 cup salad leaves + 2 slices tomato + 4 slices cucumber + pita pocket + natural unsweetened yoghurt.

Prepare lamb mince mixed with onion, egg and breadcrumbs into balls, cook until brown, stuff into pita pocket with salad leaves, tomato and cucumber and drizzle with yoghurt.

Chicken or Tuna Wrap
½ cup cooked chicken or 1 small can of tuna in water + 1 tortilla bread wrap + hummus + chopped avocado + red pepper + salad leaves + bean sprouts.

Spread one end of the bread wrap with hummus. Top with avocado, red pepper, rocket leaves, bean sprouts, chicken or tuna. Roll up and cut in half. Can keep in freezer.

Roast Pumpkin Soup
1 pumpkin peeled and seeded + 5 cloves garlic, peeled + 4 -6 cups vegetable stock + 1 tbsp of iodized sea-salt + 1 tbsp curry powder + 1 cup of lite coconut milk + parsley + grainy bread.

Preheat oven to 180?C. Put pumpkin and garlic on baking tray, bake for 20 minutes. Once cool puree pumpkin and garlic along with remaining ingredients. Transfer to a saucepan, heat and serve with chopped parsley and a slice of grainy bread.

Crunchy Chickpea Salad
200g chickpeas + 1 carrot + 1 celery stalk + 1 tomato + 30g feta cheese + lemon juice

Drain chickpeas and rinse. Combine with chopped carrot, celery, tomato and feta cheese. Drizzle with lemon juice. Optional extra: add 1 small can of tuna in spring water.

Quick Bean Pasta
1 packet pasta + 1 440g can of cooked dried beans + 1 440g tomato based pasta sauce + 1 finely chopped onion + 1 carrot chopped into cubes.

Drain the beans. Add all ingredients except pasta. Heats gently in a saucepan until the vegetables are cooked. Meanwhile cook the pasta. Drain and serve pasta with sauce on top.

Zucchini frittata
Beat 4 eggs + 2 small grated zucchini + 1 clove garlic crushed + 1 tbsp basil leaves.

Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil. Pour in egg mixture. Cover. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until set.

Roasted Vegetable Salad
1 sweet potato + 1 red capsicum + 1 zucchini + 1 red onion + 1 clove garlic crushed + 2 tomatoes + 2 tbsp orange juice + 1 tbsp chopped parsley.

Preheat oven to 180?C. Line a baking dish with baking paper. Chop vegetables, spray with olive oil and toss. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Poach 4 eggs. Divide vegetables among plates. Top each with poached egg. Drizzle with orange juice and chopped parsley.

Cauliflower and Cheese on Toast

Simmer in a pot (for about 15 minutes) ½ head of chopped cauliflower + 1 cup chicken stock + ½ onion finely chopped, once tender puree. Add 50g of blue cheese at the end of cooking and serve with wholegrain toast.

Check out our Eat Play Grow section for more ideas for feeding your little one.
If you would like to find out more about Eat Play Grow and how Play and Nutrition Consultant Alissa can help you and your family click here.