School resources

• Veg sticks with salsa/ guacamole/pea dip/sugar free peanut butter/cottage cheese/cream cheese
• Sugar free jelly
• Eggs - boiled, poached, scrambled, egg muffins/ omelette (with tuna/ham/chicken/cheese)
• Nuts (not sugar coated) and seeds (toast with spices and keep in a pot)
• Veg soup (no potatoes)/miso soup
• Dhal
• Cheese strings/Babybel (only occasionally due to high fat and salt content)
• Pepparami style snacks (only occasionally due to high fat and salt content)
• 1 satsuma/clementine; 1 plum; 1 kiwi; handful of strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries etc.

• Toast/crumpets/roti/crackers/oatcakes/rice cakes/corncakes/breadsticks (toppings ideas are sugar free peanut butter/cheese/eggs/houmous/baked beans. Toppings are carb free except baked beans)
• Glass of milk/plant based milk (add sugar free cocoa powder to make into milkshake)
• Yoghurt (with chopped fruit)
• Popcorn (plain, spiced)
• Fruit (except for above)
• Weetabix/soaked cold oats/porridge with milk
• Pierogi
• Samosa/bhaji/pakora
• Aloo paratha
• Paszteciki/croquettes
• Zapiekanka
• Babos pogacsa (only occasionally due to high fat content)
• Bundas kenyer (only occasionally due to high fat content)
• Crisps/pretzels/tortilla chips (only occasionally due to high fat and salt content)
• Veg crisps, eg veg crisps, lentil or chickpea crisps

Ingredients

6 eggs (0g)

2 teaspoons oil (0g)

Veg – small florets of broccoli, peas, pepper, mushrooms, spring onions, chilli etc (0g)

Ham or prawns (0g)

Cheese (optional) – about a matchbox size, finely grated (0g)

Method

1. Heat oven to 180°C
2. Beat the eggs together with a fork. Season
3. Fry your veg in 1 teaspoon of oil for about 5 mins
4. Brush your muffin tin with the remainder of the oil
5. Divide the beaten egg in the muffin tin and add your chosen filling into each. Top with the cheese if using
6. Bake in the oven until the egg is set and they look golden brown
7. Can be eaten hot or cold

Ingredients

150g cashew nuts (0g)

3 bananas (about 300g) (60g)

60g puffed oats (37g)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (0g)

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (0g)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (0g)

1 tablespoon cacao nibs – optional (0g)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a 20cm non-stick tin with a strip of baking parchment. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the cashew nuts, put the rest in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped.
• Break in the bananas and add the puffed oats, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla extract. Whizz for 2-3 minutes until fairly smooth, then pulse in ½ of the cacao nibs if using. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon.
• Finely chop the reserved cashew nuts and sprinkle over the top with the remaining cacao nibs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and golden. Leave to cool completely, then cut into 16 bars. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Total carbs = 60 + 37= 97g = 97÷16 = 6g = 6g per slice

Ingredients:

• 100g pitted medjool dates (67g)
• 100g pecan nuts (0g)
• 50g pumpkin seeds (0g)
• 50g rolled oats/oatmeal (36g)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (0g)
• 2 heaped tablespoons unsweetened almond/peanut butter (0g)
• zest of 1 orange (0g)

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor.
2. Blitz until chopped and starting to clump together.
3. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls with lightly oiled hands. Pop 2 or 3 into a lunchbox for a snack. Keeps in a sealed container for 2 weeks in the fridge.
4. Can use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon if you do not like chocolate orange.

Total carbs = 67 + 36 = 103g   = 103 ÷ 18 = 6g carbs per ball

Ingredients

• 200g self-raising flour (160g)
• 5 very ripe bananas (70g)
• 2 eggs, beaten (0g)
• 120g spread (0g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (0g)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper
3. Mash the bananas
4. Melt the spread and allow to cool slightly. Add the vanilla extract, eggs and mix well.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the flour.
6. Fold the mashed banana into the batter mixture. Pour into your tin and bake until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean

Total carbs = 160 + 70g = 230g. Each slice = 230 ÷ 12 = 19g carbs per slice

Ingredients

• 100g melted butter/spread
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 75g sweetcorn (0g)
• 1 small onion , finely chopped (0g)
• ½ red chilli , deseeded, finely chopped (0g) optional
• 200g self raising flour (160g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (0g)
• 50g strong cheddar , grated (0g)
• 2 eggs (0g)
• 100ml milk (5g)

Method

• Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and add muffins cases
• Put the corn kernels in a pan with the onion, chilli. Gently fry for 5-10 mins until golden and soft.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder and cheddar with ¼ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk.
• Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and the corn and onion. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk
• Fill the muffin holes evenly and bake for 25-30 mins or until golden brown and cooked through – poke in a skewer to check.
• Can add other fillings, eg diced pepper, grated courgette, bacon bits
• Freeze until required and defrost fully

Total Carbs = 160 + 5 =165g. Per muffin 165÷10 = 16g per muffin

• Use the food label where you can
• Use the carbs and cals app to picture match your portion
• Monitor BG post meal (2hrs and then 4hrs) to see if there is a rise or a fall
• Adjust amount of carbs entered (more or less) the next time you eat this food based on the post meal results
• Try to avoid foods that will make your BG spike – give insulin!
• Contact the team if you need support with foods/meals that are not listed above
• If you take a packed lunch, pack the night before and pre carb count

Try and compare food portions to a shape to help you when you are unable to weigh the food, for example:

• 1 x egg sized potato = 10g carbs
• Hand with fingers together = pizza slice = 30g carbs
• Fist of hand sized jacket potato = 40g (see carbs & cals book)
• Digestive biscuit size of pastry discs = 10 g carbs (how many ‘discs’ in your portion?)
• Fist of hand sized portion of pasta = 30g carbs (see carbs & cals book) - you would then visualise how many ‘fists’ of pasta are on your plate and you can estimate how many carbs are in that food.
• Tennis ball sized piece of fruit = 10g carbs
• Ice cream scoop of mashed potato = 10g

Measuring spoons, small tubs, zip lock bags, bowls or cups can be used as a standard measures

Breakfast example

1. Weigh your breakfast cereal and calculate the amount of carbs in your portion.
2. Find a cup or tub that fits your portion exactly to the top.
3. Make a note of the amount of the cereal, the carbs and the container you used.
4. Use that cup or tub to measure the cereal every time as you know how many carbs there are in it.
5. Repeat for the milk

You now don’t have to keep weighing your cereal every morning!

For more help, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnsc1SlLRIY

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To keep your little (or big) ones powering through their school day, they need filling, tasty and nutritious foods to munch on. There are so many foods for packed lunch boxes; it can be difficult to choose something healthy. This factsheet aims to give you some ideas for healthy, filling lunches.

Packed lunches can be so much more than a sandwich, bag of crisps and a biscuit. Include colour, and texture to make them appetising. Always include a fresh fruit and a portion of veg. Why not try:

• Pasta, rice, noodle and potato salads (add lots of veggies and salad)
• Couscous, quinoa or bulghur wheat salads, can buy these grains ready cooked in packets
• Soups, homemade
• Pizza slices/ wrap pizzas
• Wraps, crackers, rice cakes, oatcakes, corn cakes, breadsticks, pittas, savoury scones/muffins and rolls as well as sliced bread
• Paratha – flavoured with beetroot or, sweet potato
• Potato spinach cakes
• Samosas
• Fritatta, quiche, veggie scotch eggs
• Pierogi and latkas, polish dumpling and rosti
• Lots of veg/salad, this is essential for a healthy lunch
• Use spices and garlic to add extra flavour
• Dips – houmous, salsa, yoghurt dips (ask us for recipes)
• Whole fruit, dried fruit and fruit salads
• Yoghurt/yoghurt tubes, natural yoghurt with fruit (freeze and add to the lunch box frozen but will have safely defrosted by the time lunchtime comes)
• Koftas, chicken (drumsticks/kebabs), ham, beef, eggs, cheese
• Tuna, salmon
• Beans and pulses, falafels and veggie koftas
• Low sugar banana muffins, lemon and blueberry cake ( ask for recipe)
• Water, sugar free cordials

Healthy foods are those that have been processed the least.

Keeping these foods out of the lunch box helps you to manage BG and stay healthy: sweets, chocolate bars, biscuits, cakes, sweet cereal bars, sugar free fizzy drinks. Its easier to manage BG with sweet foods when you are at home and can monitor BG and give correction if needed.

Pop in a little ice pack to keep everything fresh, especially in the summer

The websites below offer some great ideas:

• https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes#lunchbox-recipes
• https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/lunchbox-recipes