According to Bianca Tromp, a FUTURELIFE dietician, you can start 2021 smart by getting a head start on school lunches. How?
By making and freezing your sandwiches before school even begins!
“Sandwiches are a staple in the school lunchbox mostly because of their versatility and convenience.
“Freezing sandwiches, however, offers several additional benefits including saving time and money.
“In addition, if special attention is paid to the ingredients they can be super healthy too!” she says.
Bianca adds that sandwiches freeze surprisingly well provided you steer clear of tomato, boiled egg, fresh vegetables and most salad ingredients (such as lettuce, cucumber, onion).
“Ingredients such as cheese, nut butters, cold meats and jams work best when making sandwiches that are going to live in the freezer.”
To get the best results, Bianca offers the following additional tips:
- Use fresh bread
- Ensure that you store the sandwich in an air-tight container or in zip-lock bags (remove as much air as possible) to keep it from drawing moisture from the freezer
- Place the sandwiches on a flat surface in the freezer
- Remove and thaw the morning before school
- Remember beforehand to write what is in the sandwich on the bag/container
- If you would like fresh elements on your sandwich like tomato or lettuce, add these the morning before putting the sandwich in the lunchbox.
She also offers five easy-to-make, healthy sandwich recipes to help parents and their children start 2021 smart:
Serves: 1 person for 5 days
INGREDIENTS
These ingredients make 5 different sandwiches that can be frozen and removed from the freezer the morning before school. By break time your child will have a delicious fresh thawed sandwich. You can make more if you want them to last for 2 weeks.
10 slices FUTURELIFE High Protein Brown bread (your favourite variant)
Savoury spread like Marmite or Bovril
Margarine (not melted!)
4 slices low fat, white cheese
Unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter
Leftover chicken shredded
Leftover cooked minced meat
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
For the full list of participating products and for more information, go to: https://futurelife.co.za/back-to-school/.