As the children head back to school, an Irish chef shares these lunchbox hacks to make your life easier.
ALDI has teamed up with professional chef and food content creator Lou Robbie, who regularly shares family-friendly recipes and food inspiration with online. Talking about school lunches, she says:
“Lunchboxes are one of the things I get asked about most by my followers, particularly how to make them easier and more manageable when you’re juggling busy mornings. Over the years, I’ve found that the answer is really in the preparation. You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen every Sunday, but doing a little bit ahead of time – whether that’s chopping fruit and vegetables, preparing snacks or making something for the freezer – can make a huge difference.”
She also adds: “I always recommend keeping a list of your children’s favourite lunchbox foods too, because when you’re trying to get everyone out the door in the morning, having a few tried-and-tested options takes away so much of the stress.”
Here are her five lunchbox hacks:
1. The “Sunday reset” that can save your mornings
Rather than leaving lunchbox prep until the school morning, Lou recommends spending a little time at the weekend getting ahead. Gather lunchbox recipes, prepare homemade snacks and chop fruit and vegetables so there is less to do when the school run arrives.
2. Make a “they’ll actually eat it” list
One of Lou’s simplest tricks is to keep a running list of your children’s favourite lunchbox foods on the fridge. Think sandwiches, wraps, pasta salads, hot food, cheese and yoghurt, fruit and vegetables and homemade snacks. The key is to include the foods you already know your children will eat. The list becomes a go-to menu when inspiration runs low, taking away the daily guesswork and helping parents plan.
3. Give the kids the lunchbox power
Getting children involved in choosing their lunches can make the routine easier for everyone. Lou suggests letting children choose what goes into their lunchbox from the list of family favourites. Giving them some ownership over their lunch can help parents avoid the dreaded untouched lunchbox at the end of the school day.
4. Shop backwards from the lunchbox
Once the week’s lunchbox ideas are decided, Lou recommends using them to build the weekly shopping list. Rather than buying ingredients and then figuring out what to make, working backwards means parents can pick up exactly what they need for the week ahead. ALDI has a range of lunchbox staples and ingredients available in stores nationwide, helping families stock up on the essentials and with ALDI’s back-to-school price drops and ALDI Savers promotions, you can get even more value in your weekly shop.
5. Freeze your way out of the morning rush
Lou’s final hack is one for the freezer. Batch-baking homemade snacks means parents can do the work once and have lunchbox treats ready for weeks to come. Her ABC Muffins – made with apple, banana and carrot – are ideal for this. They can be stored for up to three days or frozen for up to three months, making them an easy make-ahead option for busy school mornings.
Read next: What I order, What I cook: Bridget Duggan shares why Tipperary is Ireland’s foodie haven.
