Your go-to lunch box items as kids head back to school

If lunch boxes have found their way back onto your to-do list, we're here to help. 

We asked the ABC Everyday Facebook Food Group for their tried-and-tested lunch-box fillers and so many ideas came back.

Here's what you shared: 

Buy chips and juice in bulk to save

Many recommended swapping individually packaged chips, biscuits and fruit juice for bigger bags and bottles, to save money and reduce waste.

"We use cereals as snacks," writes Leng Te. "[The kids] don't get them for breakfast so a container of them goes down well."

Linda George remembers buying 2-litre bottles of orange juice to pour into smaller bottles, which were frozen and popped into lunch boxes.

Adds another reader, "it's important to make sure kids can open containers themselves".

Small bites for small people

"As a teacher, I recommend everything in small bites," writes Annemarie Webb.

"Quartered sandwiches, apple wedges sprinkled with lemon juice to stop browning, and protein balls of yumminess can be easily popped into mouths whilst still talking to friends."

Simple, veggie-filled lunches

Mini pancakes are Tara Sing's go-to, as they're "very easy to add fruit or grated veg to and can be made when there's nothing in the cupboard".

Our recipe for wholemeal pikelets might fit the bill, along with easy and adaptable zucchini fritters.

Her kids also enjoy avocado wraps and corn on the cob. "Pop [the corn] in frozen and by lunch it's thawed and ready to eat," she writes. 

Tara follows dietician Kate Wengier's formula when aiming for a balanced lunch box, "usually 1 strength food (protein), 2 energy foods (carbs), 3 colours (fruit and veg)," she explains.

For healthy lunch boxes, the Victorian Department of Health recommends a "Pick and mix 1-6", with one item from each food group (don't stress, one is water!).  

Other popular suggestions:

Fruit:

• Seasonal fruit
• Fruit salad
• Frozen grapes
• Yoghurt cups with frozen fruit

Veggies:

• Cucumber and carrot with dip
• Caesar salad 

Savoury:

• Sandwiches with simple fillings
• Wraps with favourite fillings
• Zucchini slice
• Frittata
• Little quiches
• Muffins 
• Cheese and biscuits
• Leftover pasta
• Cheese and spinach muffins

Sweet:

• Homemade muesli bars
• Small tubs of yoghurt
• Dried fruit
• Biscuits and slices