Packing your child's lunch box can quickly become repetitive, costly and stressful. We take a look at simple tips and tricks that'll help you pack fun and exciting lunch boxes for your kids and get everyone out the door on time while keeping the budget in check.

It's not just what's inside the lunch box that matters, it's the lunch box as well. Help your kids get excited for lunch with fun designs while functional lunch boxes with several compartments will make it easier for you to pack it. Try this llama bento box from Rex London.

Fussy eaters might be tempted to eat their lunch if it's made more fun, so invest in a cute, fun-looking lunch box that will make your kid excited for their meal. Buy it from Amazon (US & UK).

Bento lunch boxes have several compartments to keep all foods separate, which will appeal even to the fussiest eaters. We especially love this lunch box from Amazon (US & UK) that tells you how much of essential food groups to pack.

A good way to save money on endless rolls and boxes of cling film and sandwich bags are buying reusable bags instead. We love these fun bags from Amazon (US & UK) that are eco-friendly, BPA-free and dishwasher-friendly.

 

Another alternative to cling film and plastic bags are reusable sandwich cloth wraps. They're eco-friendly, easy to clean and keep food fresh for longer. The Velcro fastener keeps the sandwich safe and kids will love the fun patters. 

 Alternatively, try reusable sandwich wraps from Amazon (US & UK). They're made from beeswax and cotton, are fully biodegradable and come in a variety of patterns that kids will love.

One of the most important parts of packing great lunchboxes is being organised. While you'll probably want to make sandwiches and wraps in the morning, dry snacks, non-perishables, cheese and ham and fruit and veg can be packed the night before and kept in the lunchbox in the fridge overnight.

Firm lunchbox favourites, sandwiches and wraps are a great lunch meal, however, they can get very repetitive very quickly. Here are some ideas how to make the lunchbox a bit more exciting.

If you’re looking for an alternative to sandwiches, try making fun kebabs out of your leftover meat – it works especially well with leftover chicken pieces. Alternatively, slice or pull apart leftover chicken breasts and use in a wrap.

It's no secret that kids aren't the biggest fans of bread crust. Fun cutters will not only make the process of cutting off the crusts easier, but will also bring a smile to your child's face at lunch time. Try this adorable bear bread cutter from Amazon (US & UK).

Tip: Don't throw away the crusts – they make a tasty snack when baked in the oven. Try a sprinkling of Parmesan and dried thyme for a savoury breadstick or cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat.

There's nothing worse than opening the cupboard on a busy morning and realising you've run out of bread. Keep an emergency bag of tortilla wraps in the freezer. When you need one, simply thaw it on the countertop for a few minutes or pop into the microwave for 5 seconds if you're in a rush.

By the time lunchtime rolls around, wet ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes or sauce will have seeped into sandwich bread making it soggy and extremely unappetising. Buttering the bread is one good way of protecting it from wet ingredients, however, if you don't use butter, lettuce leaves will do the job just as well. Choose larger leaves that cover the whole area, pat them dry with a kitchen towel and stack the rest of the ingredients between the two leaves.

It's great if your child has an access to a microwave at school and can heat up the meals there, however, there are certain hot dishes that you can heat up at home in the morning and in a food flask they'll stay warm until lunch. You can buy insulated food flasks from Amazon (US & UK).

Tasty and nutritious, soup is a great way of using up ingredients in your fridge and keeping the costs down. Simply heat it up in the morning and then pour in a thermos – by lunch time it will have cooled down to an edible temperature. It's a soothing and warming alternative to sandwiches, especially during the colder months.

When packing a hot meal for a school lunch, it's most important that the food retains the heat until lunch time. Saucy pastas, casseroles and stews are among the top picks as there's enough liquid to retain the heat for long periods of time. We can't imagine a kid who'd refuse a gooey macaroni and cheese for lunch.

Dinnertime is an opportunity to make extra so it's not just sandwiches and wraps for the school lunch every day and it will save waste, money and time as well. You'll have to invest in a food thermos, however, it means your kid can enjoy a wider range of lunch meals.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when using a thermos or a food flask for soups and other hot meals is not heating it up beforehand. Boil some water and pour it into the thermos; leave it to warm up for a couple of minutes before pouring the water out and filling with food– this will help keep the food hot for longer.

It's important to make sure your kids eat enough servings of fruit and vegetables every day. An easy way to do this is pack some in the lunchbox for them to snack on. A small handful of fruit or veg is a good rule to go by, either it's a whole fruit or smaller fruit pieces.

A great way to make a few pieces of fruit last a bit longer, fruit skewers are colourful and sweet yet packed with vitamins. Berries, grapes, pieces of kiwi, pineapple and mango are all good options. You'll want to avoid fruit like apple, that brown easily and look unappetising after a while.

If your kids love either a sweet or savoury dip for their snacks, it's easier and cheaper to make a big batch ahead of time and portion the dip into ice cube trays, then pop one or two frozen dip cubes in a small container. They will have defrosted by lunch time and will be ready to eat.

Cooking with vegetables over the weekend? Prep a few more than you need so you have carrot, red pepper and cucumber sticks ready to go. Keep them in the fridge already portioned for the lunchbox for quicker packing.

Apple slices are a great lunchbox snack for kids but it doesn’t take much for them to turn brown. Keep the apple slices fresh by putting them back into the shape of an apple again and tying it together with a rubber band.

Alongside fruit and veg, make sure you include other snacks. It's best to refrain from unhealthy options like crisp bags, chocolates and sweets and pack cheese or ham slices, wholegrain biscuits or nuts.

Got a big block of cheese in the fridge that just isn’t going anywhere? Use fun shape cutters for ham, cheese and other snacks to make your kid's lunch more exciting. We love these mini stainless steel cutters from Amazon (US & UK) that you can also use on fruit and veg.

Muffin trays are genius for obvious reasons, but they’re also great for whipping up a batch of mini omelettes your kids will love. Simply whisk up your mixture, and instead of pouring it into a pan, pour it into the muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes. Freeze the tray and you’ve got a week’s worth of lunch snacks ready to go.

Save money and time on baking a batch of muffins or banana bread over the weekend and then freeze slices for the week ahead. To save even more time, wrap individual portions ready for the lunchbox.

Instead of buying several small single-serving packets or bags, buy in bulk. Biscuits, crackers, popcorn, nuts and other snacks will be cheaper in a bigger pack. At home, divide the bigger pack into single portions yourself – this will save you money and will allow you to control the portion size. If your kid's lunchbox doesn't have separate inner containers, try muffin liners – they're the perfect size for a single serving.

Mini fruit juice carton might seem like an obvious option for the lunchbox, however, there are several alternatives to this sugary drink. Contrary to what you might think, the drink is one of the most important parts of their lunchboxes as after running around the playground, they need to get re-hydrated quickly. Here are our tips on what's best to pack.

It's not a secret that fruit juices are extremely sugary and not always the healthiest option. Help your kid get in the habit of drinking water by packing it instead of juice. If your kid isn't a fan, try flavoured water or home made ice tea so you can control the sugar content.

Smoothies are a tricky thing to pack, however, these reusable pouches from Amazon (US & UK) are absolutely perfect for it. If you make the smoothie with frozen fruit, the pouch will also double up as an ice pack. 

There’s nothing worse than sipping on warm juice so pop a juice in the freezer overnight and take it out in the morning. By lunchtime, the juice will be perfectly cold and drinkable plus it will double up as an ice pack and will prevent the food from getting too warm.

Another way to save money and cut down on single-use plastic is to buy a reusable bottle. Order a fun bottle from Amazon (US & UK) with patterns your kids will love.