Confused about making a healthy lower-carb lunch box?
Take the stress out of your mornings and look at these super easy ideas + lunch box FREE PLANNER + FREE kid's guide book.
LOW CARB KIDS: Want help getting started? Join my FREE Facebook group - Low-Carb Lunch Box hacks. Come and join in the fun and let me help you get organised when it's time to go back to school.
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How to make a healthy lunch box (lower-carb friendly)
This is my 4th in the series of Low-Carb Kids. You have all asked for more examples and inspiration for easy healthy lower-carb lunch box ideas.
If you are new here these are great pages to start with.
- Top 10 Myths Of Low-Carb Kids
- Low Carb Kids 1 - Why, tips and tricks.
- Low Carb Kids 2 - a printable guide to get your kids involved. How to plan your lunchbox each day.
- Low Carb Kids 3 -a 2-week guide on low carb lunch boxes.
- Low Carb Kids 5 - healthy sugar-free snacks for after school
- Printable PDF of Healthy Sugar-Free Snacks for after school
- Low Carb Kids 6 - an entire month of school lunch ideas
- Low Carb Kids 7 - My guest post on Diet Dr, "How To Raise Children On Real Low Carb Food".
- Low Carb Kids 8 - How to help your child eat real food - with an action plan
For quick inspiration for making a healthy lower-carb lunch box use my recipe finder.
TOP TIP: Don't forget to use last night's dinner for lunch (or even breakfast). Make a bigger batch of quiche, meatloaf, save leftover roast meat, cook extra sausages etc. Anything to make life easier in the morning has to be good.
Confused about making a healthy lower-carb lunch box? Take the stress out of your mornings and look at these super easy ideas + lunch box PLANNER.Why go lower-carb?
All children will benefit from ditching the ultra-processed junk food and lowering their sugar and wheat intake.
My children are lower-carb kids, not NO-carb kids. I emphasise their meals should be from whole food sources that are naturally lower in carbs and nutrient-dense. When you base your children’s meals on whole real food, they almost become low-carb by default.
Here are just some of the low-carb lunch boxes I have made.
Lower-Carb Lunch Box Recipes - savoury
Almond flour bread - the first step to removing processed bread from their lunch box.
Coconut flour mini cheese loaves - another lower-carb bread, especially for those who can not tolerate almonds
Devilled eggs - the perfect high-protein punch. Throw away your protein powders.
LCHF chicken nuggets - these are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser
Salmon and cream cheese bites - sounds tricky but it's a one-bowl recipe that my kiddos LOVE.
Easy egg salad - a real tummy filler. Why not add some crunchy celery too?
Paleo scotch eggs - a powerhouse of nutrition and portable too.
Lower-Carb Lunch Box Recipes - sweet
Coconut flour choc chip cookies - perfect if your child attends a nut-free school
Grain-free granola bars - no sugar-free lunch box is complete without a granola bar.
Lemon and blueberry cupcakes - who doesn't love a cute cupcake (sugar-free of course) in their healthy lower-carb lunch box?
Chia berry fresca - perfect to come home to a colourful and healthy drink.
Healthy Lunch Box Planner
So how do you start to plan a healthy lunch box? As easy as you can. Don't make life difficult.
Leftovers are KING! Cook once. Serve twice.
- Look at what leftovers you have - quick, easy, cheap and nutritious.
- First, choose your quality protein. Chicken. Canned tuna. Boiled eggs. Ham (from the bone, not ultra-processed).
- Give some colour with vegetables such as carrot sticks. Celery. Stuffed peppers. Broccoli. Cherry tomatoes.
- Add some healthy fats (and probably some more protein). Cheese. Nuts. Cream cheese. Cheese dips.
- Finally, add a little treat such as berries. Low-carb cupcakes. Grain-free granola bar. Fruit kebabs.
The Ultimate LOW-CARB Lunchbox Book: This isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing things DIFFERENTLY!! - CLICK HERE
If you would like to learn how to become a low carb family that ditches the soda and junk food, you may wish to look at my latest eBook "Low Carb Easy Family Meals - 35 easy recipes."
Sami
Help, please! My son is pickier than anyone i have ever met. Before having him, my husband and I fostered dozens of children and adopted two. We never let kids be picky. We didn't force feed but we didn't allow for second helpings or desserts or snacks if you hadn't eaten all of the food in your plate from the meal before. All of our kids became good eaters even ones that started off picky. But my son is at a whole different level. I started him off with green baby food. He'd eat anything as a baby, but at about 18 months, he started having seizures and stopped talking. Everything regressed and slowly but surely he got pickier and pickier. He eats so few foods. He doesn't even like spaghetti (which was once his favorite) or potatoes, not even French fries. The only fruits he'll eat are bananas and grapes. The only vegetables he'll eat are peas and corn. The only meat he'll eat is chicken and hamburgers. I try to get himto try things but he throws them up all over me if i do. Any help?
Corina
This is awesome! My 18mo old is type 1 diabetic so I am desperate for more ideas. I often make him: Turkey meatballs, Almond flour pancakes with almond butter, Zucchini bread and seed crackers...all easy to find recipes
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Hi Corina, have you joined Type One Grit Facebook page? It is a fabulous group for low carb T1. Many are parents who share practical solutions to their child's diabetic control and they give amazing support. I'm glad this post has helped you. Take a look at my recipe finder, I'm sure you'll find more inspiration there also. Welcome 🙂
Carey Matthews
I am at the beginning of the revolution! The kids are less enthusiastic but this website is great! It is realistic and practical! Thank you x
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Welcome, viva la revolution! 😉
Mar
Hi, does anybody here struggles with a picky eater? We started a high fat low carb diet free of grains, sugar and wheat. She was a picky eater before but now I am really concerned that she refuses all food. She stopped liking cheese, eggs, poultry, fish, pork, beef, she doesn't like to eat vegetables and sometimes she will accept a fruit... only milk... and she really wants bread, pasta, rice, things that I won't cook anymore. Any suggestions? She just turned 4 and seems to understand when I explain nutrition and whole foods but still she won't eat anything
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Oh my, I totally empathise with you. My youngest didn't even like roast chicken and now wants to eat avocados, cheese, meats, nut butters etc. Stick with it and it will get easier. So you don't have world war 3 on your hands choose, 1 thing at a time to work on, so maybe give her the pasta, rice bread etc she likes, but each time cut it back just a little. My trick is to put say 3 or 4 veggies on their plate and my youngest was allowed to choose 1 thing not to eat. He never figured out that he got an extra choice in the first place 😉 I also let them put butter, cream cheese or grated cheese on their veggies. Not every time, but especially if I knew they didn't like something. Their little taste buds are so accustomed to bland carbs or sweet treats with the 'bliss point' they will never choose broccoli or bitter silver beet. Hiding veggies is a good trick too. By making quiche or meatloaves, you can hide all manner of things in there, especially if you grate the veggies. Be proud of how far you have come, not how far you have yet to go. At the beginning I was amazed how I went from 4 loaves of bread a week down to 1, then I decided I could actually stop buying it altogether. I imagined how many loaves I saved over a month all piled up on the kitchen bench. Now my toaster, bread maker and bread bin are all gone!. Just keep trying and strive for improvement, not perfection. xxx
lerato
Hi, any suggestions for my daughter? She is allergic to dairy, eggs and fish. I can only think of chicken salad. Everything else has the three ingredients she can't have. She loves olives though. Thanks.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Oh my word, dairy and egg allergies are difficult. Avocados and bacon are always a good option, seeds, sausages, cold meats, coconut smoothies, olives and salami, granola bars made with coconut oil, just remove the egg and add some psyllium husk, more nut butters or linseed to help it 'hold' together.
thehomeschoolingdoctor
Your blog photos and ideas are beautiful!--Can I find the recipe for the salmon rolls on the blog?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Thanks, yes you can find the salmon sushi recipe. Just go to the recipe search on the top menu to find any of my recipes, or click here https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2014/02/22/salmon-sushi/ . So glad you liked the lunch ideas. x