School lunchbox ideas and food waste solutions served up on a platter for parents

If you’re worried about throwing away good food from uneaten school lunches, this simple solution from an Aussie mum is just the trick. See more ideas.

If you are sick of seeing perfectly good food come home uneaten in school lunchboxes and then your kids refuse to eat it because it is ‘old’, Emily Christos has a solution for you.

Christos, aka the Food Platter Mum on social media, was experiencing a rising amount of food waste from the lunchboxes of her son Leo, 7, and daughter Ava, 5, before she stumbled on a quick fix.

“I started chopping up the fruit and vegetables and placed them on a board and my son remarked “Oh, that looks like a face’. I served it up and he loved it and ate everything — including all the things he’s never touched before.

“So I started experimenting with serving food on different boards and platters, and suddenly my kids and our whole family were eating better.

“My friends were impressed during playdates so I started sharing it on social media.”

Emily Christos aka the Food Platter Mum.

Christos says repurposing food is the key.

“Sometimes after we come home from the park, or after school, I’ve got a box with uneaten fruit or vegetables. Just by changing the way it looks, I can get my kids to eat it.

“For example, slightly browning bananas can be turned into Banana Bites by peeling and freezing them before dipping in chocolate and covering with sprinkles, coconut or nuts, and the kids will love it.

“It’s fun, refreshing and exciting for them to help make them. It’s gone from a warm banana to now sort of like a frozen treat.”

Banana bites from Emily Christos.

Christos encourages her kids to help her cook dinner, using child-friendly knives so they can chop away with fear of injury.

“I find when they cut up a cucumber or whatever, they’re proud of it, and then they want to show it off, and they want everyone else to eat it and see their reactions once they’ve eaten it.”

Christos says small changes can help reduce the cost of living.

“Wasting food means wasting money. I don’t know any family that can afford to even throw out food right now. It’s about changing your headspace.”

TIPS TO CUT SCHOOL LUNCH WASTE

Browning bananas: Peel them, place in Glad to be Green 50% Plant Based Reseal bags and freeze. You can then make delicious little banana muffins for the kids to take to school as a delicious morning tea treat!

Mini pizzas: Vegetable offcuts have so much more life to them than you think! Reuse your veggies for mini pizzas for the kids’ school lunchboxes.

Leftovers pizza.

Extra sandwich cut-offs: Save your sandwich cut off crusts, blend them up in a food processor and bag them in a resealable bag and freeze. Add parsley, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to add extra taste. Instantly you get delicious breadcrumbs for chicken schnitzels — the kids love taking this to school for lunch the next day!

Plan school lunches: Take some time on the weekend to sit down and plan out the kids’ lunches for the week. This will help reduce over-purchasing items that will end of sitting in the fridge at home and go to waste. Get the kids’ involved in the decision, making them feel like they have contributed to the planning and get excited about their lunch.

Originally published as School lunchbox ideas and food waste solutions served up on a platter for parents