With the kids going back to school, we’re all thinking about how to save some money on packed lunches, while making them healthy meals as well. Of course, sandwiches are the classic option, but I thought I’d put something a little bit different together, so it doesn’t get too samey. These recipes also work really well as quick lunch ideas for adults, too, so if you’ve been looking for a nice, cheap work lunch, these are for you. If you’re in a hurry, Iceland currently have a really good lunch essentials offer on, where you can get 1 bread, 1 filling, 1 snack and 1 cake all for just £4! Check out the offer here!

If you’ve got about 20mins to make packed lunch, though, this first recipe is a yummy light meal!

Ham and Cheese Toastie

My ham and cheese toastie is a filling, cheesy and garlicky lunch treat. It takes only five ingredients and 5mins to prep, with 15mins cooking time, so it’s really easy to make, but all the tastier. This is what mine looked like…

You’ll need:

Garlic baguette for £1

Mature cheddar for £1.50

Cooked ham for £2

Spring onion for 79p

Mustard leftover, or 1 jar for £1.50

Apart from these, you only need a little oil and salt and pepper. Find the full recipe here.

Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Tarts

These tarts are something else! They’re a bit like pizza, but much healthier, because we know what goes in them and we can keep the nasties out. They only need 4 ingredients and just 20mins in the oven! Read the recipe here.

You’ll need:

Puff pastry for £2.35

Tomatoes for 79p

Mozzarella for £2.50

Tomato puree for £1.25

Other than that, you only need a little fresh basil, black pepper, beaten egg or milk to glaze and a dusting of flour. This is what my tarts turned out like…

Other Packed Lunch Ideas

Salami & Goat’s Cheese Puff Pastry Tartlets – If you or your kids enjoyed the Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Tarts, these are sure to be a hit as well! You can, of course, add any toppings you like!

Garlic Cheese Toastie – If you liked my ham and cheese toastie, you’ll love these too. They’re a vegetarian option and a nice variation if you like toasties.

Scotch Eggs – These are a great lunch box filler or addition to any sandwiches you may have put in. Who doesn’t love Scotch Eggs?

Chicken and Rice Soup – This is a lovely warming lunch if you have a microwave to hand to warm it up wherever you’re having lunch. It’s certainly a healthy and filling packed lunch idea and perfect for the autumn months!

I hope these recipes have inspired you to be adventurous with your packed lunches, as they are yummy and healthy lunch ideas too! If you give any of these lunch recipes a go, please comment below or share it in our Feed Your Family Facebook Group! I’d love to hear what you think! If you’d like to see more autumn recipes, do feel free to sign up to my newsletter here and you can get access to 4 weeks of autumn meal plans across the following weeks!

Please note: All prices were correct at the time of posting.