With the new school year now under way, check out these easy and healthy packed lunches your children will love! There’s no need to resort to sandwiches every day with Perfetto’s pasta shapes combined with healthy vegetables that are perfect for lunch boxes. Remember to also pack your child a healthy dessert like an apple or a banana.

Rainbow Bow Tie Pasta Salad

As well as making all the colors of the rainbow these veggies offer an array of health benefits - so your little ones stay fighting fit! Sweet bell peppers are full of vitamin C, which means they help stave off the common cold. Tomatoes are also a great source of vitamin C, while pineapple helps maintain eye health and bone strength. Cucumber is loaded with vitamin K.

Olive oil contains lots of healthy fats (omega-6, omega-3 and oleic acid) and antioxidants. While the herb basil is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and contains anti-oxidants. All these healthy vegetables are combined with delicious Perfetto Farfalle pasta.

Ingredients:

1 C Perfetto Farfalle pasta

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 orange sweet bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup crushed pineapple

3/4 cup cucumber, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

Small handful basil, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil, or to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• Cook the pasta according to instructions on the pack. Rinse and allow to cool as you prepare your vegetables.
• Pour over the oil and stir to coat, then season to taste with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.
• The flavor intensifies after keeping the salad in the fridge overnight.

Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta

Ingredients

1 C  low carb, high protein Perfetto fusilli pasta.

1 tin tuna, in water

1 small tin sweetcorn

3 tbsp mayonnaise

Method

Boil pasta in boiling water until cooked, drain.

Add tuna and sweetcorn. Stir in mayonnaise and black pepper if desired.

Egg and broccoli pasta

Ingredients

1 C Perfetto Pennettine Rigati Pasta

1 C broccoli florets

6 large eggs

4 tbsp pesto sauce

Method:

• Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water for 10 mins or according to packet instructions, adding the broccoli florets for the final 4 mins of the cooking time. Drain in a colander.
• Put the eggs in a small pan, cover with cold water; bring to boil. Boil for 7 mins; drain, rinse in cold water, tapping shells all over. Peel away the shells. Roughly chop.
• Stir the pesto sauce into the pasta and broccoli. Stir in the eggs and plenty of ground black pepper.

Do you like the recipes for your kids? Share your reviews and comments on Perfetto’s social media pages, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.