I love the word ‘healthy-ish’. It implies that while you might not be getting things 100% right, at least you’re trying. Which pretty much sums up a post about making lunchbox biscuits.
Look, a kid has got to eat something. While I applaud the parents whose children are content to munch on vegetable sticks and berries alone, mine are not those kids. Somewhere along the way I raised them to expect lunchbox biscuits and other snackable carbs.
So the trick is to make the biscuits as healthy as possible. That way, the kid gets a perceived treat and a nutrition boost. Making them at home goes a long way to adding a biscuit treat that isn’t stacked with processed nonsense. I try to avoid packets wherever I can. That’s how you win the lunchbox game, right?
Note that many of these lunchbox biscuits recipes contain nuts via things like almond flour, peanut butter and the like. Please be mindful of your school’s nut policy and don’t bring in any bickies that are not suitable.
10 healthy-ish lunchbox biscuits
1. Quick chocolate biscuits
When is a chocolate biscuit ever a healthy option? When ish is added to the end of healthy, of course! There’s only half a cup of sugar in this recipe that makes 20 biscuits. Plus they’re made from wholemeal flour and are dairy-free. They also take 5 minutes to pull together. That’ll do, right?
2. Olsac biscuits
Oats, LSA and chia biscuits that are full of so much good stuff you’ll barely need to pack a sambo. They are just as filling as well!
Just in case you still need one: 10 really good lunchbox sandwich recipes
3. Coconut atta biscuits
These dough-based wholemeal biscuits are sweetened with jaggery instead of refined sugar. The dark chocolate dip will make the kids feel like they’re getting a real treat for recess.
4. Coconut lemon cookies
I Quit Sugar (now run by 28 by Sam Wood) never steers us wrong, as these lemon cookies will attest. Lots of slow-release energy in the buckwheat and a good lemony punch to jazz up a boring ol’ recess.
5. Zucchini biscuits
I know, I was reluctant to put zucchini in a biscuit as well. But I did it, and these biscuits are GREAT. Like, really, really gooooood.
6. Vegan almond and tahini cookies
Cook Republic is one of my favourite food bloggers and friend and she never lets me down. I’ve pulled many healthy lunchbox biscuits from her recipe archives, and this is my favourite. It’s super-quick to put together and the flavour is really delicious and intriguing. My whole family loves these bickies.
7. Vanilla bean shortbread biscuits
Another clever friend of mine, Alexx Stuart, creates fantastic healthy recipes, like this shortbread. These lunchbox biscuits are gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Do watch for the nuts via the almond meal.
8. Choc chip cookies
You’ve gotta have at least one healthyish choc chip bickie recipe up your sleeve and this one from Veggiekins suits. Sweetness comes from maple syrup (which is apparently better for you than refined sugar, but the jury is still out on that one). There’s plenty of other goodness here, though, so pack away!
9. Breakfast cookies
All the goodness of muesli packed into a biscuit that’s sure to satisfy the big kids. Go ahead and jam even more in there by adding sunflower seeds, pepitas and flaxseeds to Nagi’s mix.
10. Goodness loaded lunchbox biscuits
Wholefood Simply is a go-to for me for healthy eats. Bianca packs so much nutrition into these biscuits you’d be forgiven for thinking they would taste “too healthy”. But instead they taste amazing.
Got any favourite lunchbox biscuits recipes to share in the comments?