It all feels crazy at back to school time! After weeks of holidays, it is so hard to get back into the routine. Prepping and getting stuff in advance will help ease the stress, but if it’s all crept up on you here are some quick back to school recipe ideas to fuel your kids’ day that they will love.
Morning
In the morning not only does food need to be filling and delicious, but it also needs to be quick to make and full of fuel for the busy day ahead. Mornings can be a little tense on school days around here, especially before my morning coffee!
A protein hit in the morning can help to get the kids through to recess without meltdowns. Have a little fun with the humble boiled egg and toast by using these cool toast cutters and egg cups, Harry Potter is our favourite! It makes dipping toast in boiled eggs so much more fun.
And while we are on the topic of toast, this Sunbeam toaster is the definition of awesome, doing 4 slices at once and also fitting large slices of bread in means that it makes breakfast time much quicker and easier. We also love the crumpet setting – as no-one wants the bottom of their crumpet burnt! And if, like me, you are always leaving your own toast in the toaster, you’ll love the reheat setting.
If smoothies are more your breakfast jam, then you’ll love the ninja blenders which turn your favourite fruit and veg into perfect smoothies every time, or the Breville range of juicers – perfect for creating fresh nutritious juices in your own kitchen. I freeze fruit and veg packs in perfect smoothie portions for smoothies to make it all a little easier in the morning. If you need recipe inspo, this strawberry kiwi smoothie is a hit here.
Lunch
To make lunchboxes easier, you really need to bake and freeze lunchbox items. It makes packing the lunchbox so much quicker when you can grab and go in the morning. I get extra baking done on weekends to get us through the week. I bake loaves ((LINK ), muffins and cookies in advance and freeze.
RECIPE IDEAS:
Ham and zucchini muffins
Lemon muffins
Chocolate chickpea cookies
Sweet potato loaf
When it comes to packing everything ready to go for school you can’t go past these awesome insulated drink bottles from Oasis. Being stainless steel and double insulated, they keep water cool for ages! I pop in extra ice blocks in the morning to make sure water stays cool all day. There are sizes and designs to suit all kids!
Russbe has you sorted for rubbish-free, easy to pack lunches with their snack bags in cute designs – no more single-use ziplock bags! They also have a range of multicompartment lunchboxes, perfect for separating foods. Their sealing lid means they are leakproof, so no more mess in the bottom of the school bag.
After school
Do all kids come home ravenous (and slightly cranky) or just mine? I have taken to making toasties after school, before activities. It helps with the hangriness (trust me, it’s a thing!) and I can sneak extra veggies in, taking the pressure off for dinner. Choose a wholemeal bread or a seeded one to up the nutritional value. We use the Breville original sandwich maker because we love the crimped edges and the way the sandwich gets cut! Plus, there is something really delicious about the cheese that touches the plates and the way it bubbles and cooks, it takes me straight back to the toasties I used to have as a kid.
After school toastie combos:
Ham, cheese and zucchini (grated)
Chicken, cheese and carrot (grated)
Spinach, fetta and pesto
Snacks
Nothing beats freshly popped popcorn for a healthy and delicious treat, either in the lunchbox or for movie night. And when you’re popping 12 cups of popcorn at once with the Sunbeam Snack Heroes Popcorn Maker, you are done super quickly. You don’t even need any oil, so you are making a super healthy treat. I like to sprinkle it with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour burst.
