Frozen Bread & Hot soup - packed lunch ideas from Devon CC

Following Okehampton People's Back to School feature last week, Devon County Council have come up with some original ideas for not only improving childrens' packed lunches - but also avoiding waste.

Here's what they say:

"With Autumn coming and parents gearing up to get the kids back to school, the Don’t let Devon go to waste campaign has again teamed up with Love Food Hate Waste to provide some tasty tips for packed lunches.

Councillor Roger Croad, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services at Devon County Council, said: “Preparing packed lunches for school needn’t be expensive or time consuming. With a bit of preparation, parents can take advantage of shop offers and be sure they are giving their kids healthy meals without breaking the bank.”

Bargain packs of yogurts can seem a good deal but end up left in the fridge past their sell by date. Pop the extra pots in the freezer and add them to a packed lunch – they’ll still be cold at lunch time and ready to eat.

Soft fruit can also be added to yogurts and frozen in containers – the kid’s will have eaten one of their 5 a day without even realising.

Sandwiches can be made with frozen bread so that they’ll still be lovely and fresh at lunchtime, it also keeps the fillings cool. Butter the bread and make the sandwich as normal with sliced bread straight out of the freezer.

When the days start getting colder, invest in a thermos mug for soups. In the Autumn, shops often discount vegetables, which need to be used up. Making them into a delicious vegetable soup can be quick and easy.

Leftovers also make great soups and these can be made and kept in the freezer. Defrost and reheat them for older children or busy parents. Simply decant the heated soup into the mug for a warming lunch.

Further recipes, ideas and tips for taking the strain out of food storage and preparation as can be found at www.recycledevon.org/"