Cool, healthy lunchbox ideas for kids

Jida Sheikh Amin, UAE-based mum of two and creator of colourful lunch boxes, says she started making fun and healthy lunchboxes ever since her daughter started pre-kindergarten. “She’s not a picky eater and there was no particular reason other than I loved to surprise her and make lunch time super special. Creating these lunchboxes and thinking of new ideas is actually something I enjoy,” she says. Here are a look at some of her creations and some tips for cool-looking munch boxes.

Making faces out of ingredients that you already have in the fridge is the easiest thing to do, even if you don’t own sandwich cutters. This labneh sandwich smiley is made with cheese and blueberries for the eyes, a grape for the nose and a strawberry for the mouth.

She adds: “This is an octopus spaghetti lunchbox, I made it using a hotdog that I cut on the bottom to make tentacles and added raisins for his eyes. Then I added some fruits, cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, oranges and some oat cookies.”

“For special occasions, especially Halloween, I like to make themed lunchboxes for the entire week leading up to it. Here, I made a haunted house with cheese and tortilla bread, added some eyes to the watermelon balls and a date. Then I cut a scary face on the Babybel cheese and added a spooky corn character,” she says.

She does the same thing for Christmas. ”This was one of my favorites, turkey and cheese reindeer sandwiches with pretzel antlers and grape and blueberry noses. I made Rudolph out of the Babybel cheese too and used candy cane cookie cutters for the watermelon,” she says.

“Sandwich cutters make the lunchbox instantly more fun, and they are super easy and quick to use. I use food coloring pens from amazon to colour it in and make it even more special. My daughter loves to eat off these cocktail sticks so I try to add different fruits/food whenever I can,” she says.

She admits she doesn't always have time to be elaborate in the mornings. She says: “I don’t always make shapes and designs, sometimes a simple sandwich is all I have time for in the mornings!”

“I like to buy frozen croissants for days when we are running late. They are life savers! So are edamame and corn. You’ll always find these in my freezer,” says Amin.

“This unicorn sandwich is my girls’ favorite! The filling is cream cheese, which is my go-to sandwich spread. I mix up the fruits depending on what they are liking more of during that time and try to always add a cracker or something crunchy,” she concludes.