Three lunch-box swaps that put sandwiches on the sidelines

Australian dietitian Heidi Sze suggests pasta salad, chickpea smash and wholemeal pikelets as practical ways to add variety, protein and fibre to children’s lunches.

For parents looking to move beyond the usual sandwich routine, Australian dietitian and nutritionist Heidi Sze has shared three lunch-box recipes designed to be both practical and appealing to children. Her collection includes a pasta salad, a chickpea-based smash and wholemeal pikelets, each aimed at adding variety without making school-day food more complicated. A number of other lunch-box recipes from family-focused food sites point in the same direction: pasta salads built around vegetables, beans, eggs or yoghurt-based dressings can provide a balanced mix of carbohydrate, protein and fibre while still being quick to assemble.

The pasta salad is the most straightforward swap for a standard sandwich, especially in warmer weather. Sze’s version uses slow-roasted tomatoes, fresh corn, basil and cannellini beans, which bring extra protein and fibre, and she suggests adding rocket if children will tolerate a little extra green. That approach fits with similar lunch-box pasta salads from Tesco, which pair pasta with peas, basil and vegetables, and from Healthy Little Foodies, which recommends a colourful salad that can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. The main practical point is food safety: Sze advises keeping the salad chilled with a frozen drink or in a cooler bag.

For a savoury filling that can do double duty in sandwiches or wraps, Sze’s chickpea smash is built to be flexible. She combines chickpeas with leftover roasted pumpkin, gherkins and other ingredients to make a mixture that is filling, keeps well in the fridge and can be adapted to what is already in the kitchen. The pumpkin adds sweetness and a softer texture, while the gherkins provide crunch, making the recipe more likely to appeal to children who prefer familiar flavours with a bit of bite. That same make-ahead, protein-rich logic appears in other school-lunch ideas, such as pasta salads with chickpeas or eggs, which are designed to be prepared in advance and packed without fuss.

Sze’s third idea is a batch of wholemeal pikelets, which she says connect to a family tradition dating back to the treats her own mother made for her after school. Using spelt wholemeal flour gives the pikelets a denser, more nutritious base, though regular wholemeal flour can be used instead, and the recipe can be made dairy-free by switching to plant milk and coconut oil. The result is a versatile option that can be served with butter and jam, maple syrup or other sweet toppings, and it offers parents another way to vary lunch boxes without relying on packaged snacks.