“Shouldn’t Be Complicated”: Woman Shows Weekly School Lunchbox Inspiration Ideas

• Lutendo Mathiba, a content creator with an interest in food, shared weekly school lunchbox meal ideas
• From toasted polony and cheese sandwiches to sliced cucumbers to French fries with tomato sauce, the mother of two showed plenty of options
• A health publication shared six items to avoid when preparing school lunches, one of them being dried fruit bars

A local food content creator, Lutendo Mathiba, shared tasty school lunchbox ideas for the week. Each day differed from the other while still keeping the tummies smiling.

For some parents, coming up with school lunch ideas that don’t feel repetitive from day to day can be a challenge. Fortunately, on 31 August, 2025, Lutendo uploaded a video showcasing her love language: waking up early in the morning to prepare her kids' meals.

Here's what the mother of two packed for each day:

• Monday: A hot dog with mustard and tomato sauce drizzled on top, pretzels, strawberries, yoghurt, an energy bar, and juice.
• Tuesday: Pizza, sliced cucumbers, hashbrowns, biscuits, and juice.
• Wednesday: Chicken nuggets, French fries with tomato sauce, a naartjie, chocolate biscuits, and juice.
• Thursday: Toasted polony and cheese sandwiches, a cheese dip with breadsticks, chutney-flavoured chips, grapes, and juice.
• Friday: Peanut butter and jam sandwiches, fish fingers, pretzels, fruit, creamy cheddar chips, and juice.

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Lutendo told people online:

"Remember, what I'm showing you is just inspiration, so that you know what to prepare for your kids based on what you have in your household and what your kids like. At the end of the day, the lunchboxes shouldn't be complicated or fancy. It's all about making our kids smile at school with the little we have."

Items to avoid in school lunches

According to the health publication Better Health Channel, to keep your children's lunchbox healthy, there are six items to avoid when preparing school lunch:

1. Sweet drinks: These include fruit juices, cordials, sports drinks, energy drinks, all types of flavoured waters, iced teas, and fizzy drinks. The drinks listed are high in sugar and energy (kilojoules), which can lead to weight gain and oral health problems.
2. Dried fruit bars: While high in sugar, they are low in fibre and can get stuck in children's teeth, causing tooth decay.
3. Dairy desserts, chocolate, and muesli bars: These items are often high in fat and sugar.
4. Chocolate spreads, jams, and honey: More unnecessary sugar.
5. Fatty, salty processed meats: For example, salami.
6. 'Oven-baked' savouries: While it may sound like a healthier option, these items can be high in salt and fat.

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What to put in school lunches instead

The above-mentioned publication suggests that parents should involve their children in preparing their school meals. Here are the healthy options to choose from:

1. Fruit: Fresh or tinned.
2. Vegetables: Fresh, crunchy vegetable sticks and a tasty dip.
3. Dairy products (milk, yoghurt, or cheese): For children older than two, reduced-fat options can be used. For children who are lactose intolerant, options may include dairy alternatives such as calcium-fortified soy or rice drinks.
4. Meat and meat alternatives: Add lean meat, like chicken strips, boiled eggs, or peanut butter to your child's lunchbox.
5. Grain or cereal foods: For example, crackers, fruit bread, or flat bread.
6. Water: Always the best option.

Watch the Facebook video posted on Lutendo's account below:

3 Other stories about school lunches

• In another article, Briefly News reported that popular content creator, Ofentse Mputi, prepared her daughter's meal at 5am. The well-thought-out school lunch intrigues many social media users.
• A high school learner went viral on TikTok after he showcased his massive lunch. He explained that he needed energy for his seven-period school day spanning nine hours.
• South Africans were disappointed after watching a mother's morning routine and saw what she packed for her kids' lunch. The woman is known for making versatile lunchbox meals, and this time was no different.

Source: Briefly News