Lucinda’s top ten lunchbox tips

1. NORI SEAWEED

It’s great for cutting shapes into for decorating your box.

You’ll be able to find Nori seaweed from any supermarket, but they’re best from Chinese supermarkets.

2. LUNCH BOX BAG

Buy a lunch box bag that is wide enough for you to pack it upright to keep your decorations in place.

3. CUTOUTS

To cut shapes into the food, either print an image onto paper to cut around, or buy some cookie cutters.

The best cookie cutters to use are on my Etsy account: Lunchladylucinda.

4. STOP SLIDING

Put a base layer of spinach or salad at the bottom of your lunch boxes to prevent the design from sliding about.

5. TIME-SAVING

Bulk cut your veggies into shapes to use throughout the week and then store them in the fridge.

6. SET A CUT OFF

Limit yourself on how long you spend making the boxes. I have a cut off of an hour. When I reach the cut off time, I fill gaps in the lunch box with quick carrot sticks, for example, rather than cutting special shapes.

7. WASTE FREE

Don’t waste any offcuts, instead, blend in a smoothie for your kids’ breakfasts.

8. CHECK GUIDELINES

Lots of schools are strict on what foods aren’t allowed to be brought into school.

Make sure you are clear on these before starting your lunch boxes.

9. HEALTHY SIDES

For the hungrier kids, add a small pot of pea crisps or healthy popcorn to bulk out their lunches.

10. RICE SAFETY

Be clear on how to work with rice safely as if cooled or reheated incorrectly it can make you very poorly!

Make sure you read up on the safety of cooking rice on the NHS website if you are unsure at all.

As an alternative, you could always use noodles or pasta.