Nothing is more demoralising than watching a lunchbox come home half-eaten after all the effort (and expense!) that goes into preparing it. But when you’re a parent trying to feed your child well, it’s often a reality.
However, those lunchbox leftovers can really hit you in the pocket if you don’t keep them in check. According to Love Food Hate Waste NZ, we throw out around 29 million loaves of bread and 157,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables every year. Bread, fruits, and vegetables are some of the most commonly wasted foods. So let’s get clever and start creating waste-free lunches that save money and help the planet.
To help us with this, Love Food Hate Waste NZ is sharing its top lunchbox ideas to kick-start a waste-free year!
Reinventing bread
Bread crusts, stale slices, or the last lonely pieces in a loaf don’t have to end up in the bin. These often-overlooked items can be transformed into delicious snacks and components for exciting lunchbox ideas. Try:
- Mini Pizza Toasts: Use stale bread slices as the base for mini pizzas. Top with tomato sauce, cheese, and any leftover veggies or deli meat. Bake or grill until crisp.
- DIY Dippers: Cut bread into sticks, toast them, and pack alongside hummus, yoghurt dip, or leftover pasta sauce for a fun and interactive lunchbox treat.
- Sweet Crust Nachos: Brush bread crusts with a little butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake until crisp. Serve with fruit compote or yoghurt for dipping.
Veggie make-over
Veggies are often the first thing left behind in lunchboxes, but they’re too valuable to waste. We Kiwis throw away $290 million worth of fresh produce every year, often because of uneaten leftovers. Here’s how to make fruit and veggies fun again :
- Veggie-Packed Muffins: Grate zucchini, carrot, or other leftover veggies into a savory muffin batter. Kids will love the bite-sized treat, and you’ll sneak in extra nutrition.
- Fruit Roll-Ups: Blend overripe fruit, spread it onto a baking sheet, and dry it in a low oven or dehydrator for homemade fruit leather.
- Banana Bites: Slice bananas, spread peanut butter between two slices, and dip them in melted chocolate or yoghurt. Freeze for a mini dessert.
The key to reducing food waste in lunchboxes is to make them appealing and varied. Get creative with uneaten items and you can turn potential waste into meals your kids will love, saving you money while also helping to tackle New Zealand’s food waste problem one lunchbox at a time.
You can find more inspiration and tips at Love Food Hate Waste NZ or at @lovefoodhatewastenz on Facebook and Instagram.
Read more: Master the art of waste-free lunches >>
