-
Healthier lunchboxes and picnics
Pick a healthier packed lunch or picnic! We've got loads of tasty and easy to prepare ideas that everyone can enjoy - and they're great value too.
Plan your shop by taking the lunchbox ideas list - it will help you from reaching out for tempting, less healthy foods, and it could save you time and money too!
Just choose a week from the list below, and in no time you'll have delicious lunchbox ideas for all the family.
Lunchbox list
For kids aged 5-8 - first week
Monday
- Banana sandwich with wholemeal bread
- Tomato
- Boiled egg
- Low-fat fruit yoghurt
- Small box of raisins
- Semi-skimmed milk
Tuesday
- Tuna and sweetcorn wholemeal roll
- Reduced-fat cheese triangle
- Satsuma
- Apple juice, unsweetened
Wednesday
- Pasta and sausage salad (with spring onion and red pepper)
- Stewed apple and blackberry with crumble top
- Reduced-fat natural yoghurt
- Bottle of water
Thursday
- Edam cheese, ham and lettuce pitta pocket
- Tomato
- Small flapjack
- Nectarine
- Reduced-fat yoghurt drink
Friday
- Houmous, red pepper and grated carrot wrap
- Grapes
- Creamed rice pot
- Slices of malt loaf
- Bottle of water
For kids aged 5-8 - second week
Monday
- Tinned sardine bagel
- Tomato
- Kiwi
- Bottle of water
Tuesday
- Egg and tomato roll
- Two oatcakes and low-fat cheese
- Carrot sticks
- Dried apricots
- Semi-skimmed milk
Wednesday
- Potato and sausage salad (with spring onion, pine nuts and low-fat plain yogurt)
- Fruit and low-fat fromage frais
- Slices of fruit bread
- Pear
- Bottle of water
Thursday
- Corned beef sandwich on wholemeal bread
- Low-fat soft cheese with vegetable dippers (cucumber sticks, red and green pepper strips)
- Banana
- Yoghurt drink
Friday
- Wholemeal English muffin pizza (with cheese, cherry tomatoes and spinach)
- Nectarine
- Banana and blueberry smoothie (made with semi-skimmed milk)
For kids aged 9 and over, & adults - first week
Monday
- Double-decker sandwich with ham (reduced salt) and salad
- Mini blueberry muffin
- Mixed dried fruit
- Kiwi
- Bottle of water
Tuesday
- Tuna pasta salad (with spring onion, green pepper and cherry tomatoes)
- Fresh fruit salad with low-fat fromage frais
- Slice of banana cake
- Apple juice, unsweetened
Wednesday
- Mexican chicken wrap
- Carrot sticks and baby corn
- Mixed fruit salad
- Slices of malt loaf
- Yoghurt drink
Thursday
- Spicy beans and vegetables
- Mini pitta pockets
- Raspberries
- Low-fat fromage frais
- Fruit smoothie (made with semi-skimmed milk)
Friday
- Tinned salmon salad baguette (with cucumber, lettuce and low-fat plain yogurt)
- Flapjack with dried apricots
- Orange
- Bottle of water
For kids aged 9 and over, & adults - second week
Monday
- 6 oatcakes
- Double Gloucester cheese
- Chutney
- Salad
- Fruit scone
- Apple juice, unsweetened
Tuesday
- Cold spicy chicken strips
- Rice with beans and peas
- Slice of Jamaican ginger cake
- Low-fat plain yoghurt
- Fruit smoothie
Wednesday
- Smoked mackerel and potato salad (with mushrooms and spring onions)
- Yoghurt
- Slice of carrot cake
- Apple
- Orange juice, unsweetened
Thursday
- BLT (grilled bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich)
- Mixed seeds
- Grapes
- Dried apricots
- Drinking yoghurt
Friday
- Poppy seed bagel with liver pate and cucumber
- Carrot sticks
- Small box of raisins
- Semi-skimmed milk
For kids aged 9 and over, & adults - third week
Monday
- Wholemeal muffin with tinned pilchards, cream cheese and cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Date slice
- Kiwi fruit
- Bottle of water
Tuesday
- Ham and tomato sandwich on wholemeal bread
- Vegetable dippers and guacamole
- Dried apricots
- Milk smoothie
Wednesday
- Egg and tomato pitta pockets
- Slices of malt loaf
- Yoghurt
- Slices of canned fruit in juice
- Bottle of water
Thursday
- Pasta salad (with spring onions, yellow and green pepper)
- Fruit fromage frais
- 2 plums
- Apple juice, unsweetened
Friday
- Sliced beef roll with cucumber and lettuce
- Reduced-fat coleslaw
- Low-fat fruit yogurt
- Pear
- Semi-skimmed milk
For kids aged 9 and over, & adults - fourth week
Monday
- Meat spread and cucumber sandwich
- Low-fat soft cheese and carrot sticks
- Nectarine
- Apple juice, unsweetened
Tuesday
- Turkey ham baguette with lettuce
- Tomato
- Low-fat fruit yoghurt
- Fruit cocktail
- Grapefruit juice, unsweetened
Wednesday
- Egg, cress and reduced-calorie mayonnaise in granary roll
- Plain popcorn (small packet)
- Cucumber and carrot batons
- Canned peach slices in juice
- Milkshake
Thursday
- Potato salad with spring onion, mixed beans and avocado (in low-fat plain yogurt)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Ready-to-eat apricots
- Mango slices
- Bottle of water
Friday
- Mackerel and rice salad with tomato sauce and mixed vegetables
- Orange
- Fruit fromage frais
- Semi-skimmed milk
For kids aged 9 and over, & adults - fifth week
Monday
- English muffin toasted, with reduced-fat hard cheese, tomato and ham slices (reduced salt)
- Grapes
- Slices of malt loaf
- Orange juice, unsweetened
Tuesday
- Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich (brown bread with reduced-calorie mayonnaise)
- Kiwi fruit
- Muesli yoghurt, low-fat
- Scotch pancake
- Bottle of water
Wednesday
- Chicken salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce) with West Indian bread
- Mango slices
- Pepper slices
- Fruit scone
- Semi-skimmed milk
Thursday
- Rye bread and low-fat cream cheese
- Green salad with celery sticks and apple slices
- Small packet of mixed seeds and raisins
- Low-fat fruit fromage frais
- Grapefruit juice, unsweetened
Friday
- Skinless chicken drumsticks
- Salad with sweetcorn and tomato
- Banana bread
- Melon
- Bottle of water
For kids aged 9 and over, & adults - sixth week
Monday
- English muffin toasted, with reduced-fat hard cheese, tomato and ham slices (reduced salt)
- Grapes
- Slices of malt loaf
- Orange juice, unsweetened
Tuesday
- Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich (brown bread with reduced-calorie mayonnaise)
- Kiwi fruit
- Muesli yoghurt, low-fat
- Scotch pancake
- Bottle of water
Wednesday
- Chicken salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce) with West Indian bread
- Mango slices
- Pepper slices
- Fruit scone
- Semi-skimmed milk
Thursday
- Rye bread and low-fat cream cheese
- Green salad with celery sticks and apple slices
- Small packet of mixed seeds and raisins
- Low-fat fruit fromage frais
- Grapefruit juice, unsweetened
Friday
- Skinless chicken drumsticks
- Salad with sweetcorn and tomato
- Banana bread
- Melon
- Bottle of water
Pack the perfect picnic
You could take some of the combinations from the lunchbox list, above, on your picnic. Or for more suggestions, why not try some of the recipes below? They're easy, and what's more they're delicious too!