As summer tries to break through the cloud, it’s the perfect time to revitalise school lunches, swapping cosy comfort food for cooling snacks and zesty salads.

Many teachers and children will be crossing the finish line of exam season and preparing for the end of term; give them the healthy brain food they need by loading up on refreshing berries packed full of fibre and super foods such as avocado, which can improve memory.

If you’re stuck for seasonal recipes, don’t fret. Here is a selection of ideas to keep school lunch boxes healthy as the weather heats up.

Summer berry slush

Staying hydrated is just as important as getting the right nutrients, but it can be hard to tempt children away from fizzy, high-sugar drinks. This frozen flavoured water bottle is a fun thirst-quencher, which stays cool as it melts. It’s also very easy to make a few to keep in the freezer for the week, taking one out each morning.

Ingredients (makes one 500ml bottle of cordial):
250ml water
150g sugar
Approximately 500g of summer fruits (we’ve used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries), keeping a small handful aside
Squeeze of lemon
Any other fruits to go in the bottle, such as lemon, lime or orange peel and kiwi pieces

Prepare the summer fruits. Dissolve the water and sugar together in a pan. Add the summer fruits and bring to the boil. Once they have heated through, mash with a potato masher and strain through a sieve or muslin (depending on how smooth you want the cordial), squeezing out all the juices.

Add lemon juice to taste, and more sugar while it’s warm if needed. Store what you’re not using in a sterilised bottle.

To make the drink, add one part cordial to four parts cold water and pour into a plastic bottle. You can put the fruit pieces in the bottle too, leaving a little space at the top. Put the bottle in the freezer, giving it a shake every now and then while it’s in there to spread out the fruit pieces.

When you’re ready to take the drink into school, pop it in the packed lunch in the morning. The drink will slowly defrost, keeping everything cold until lunchtime (wrap it in some kitchen roll to soak up any moisture while it defrosts).

Smoky sweetcorn lunch muffins, Cookery Doodle Doo

Ingredients (makes four):
150g self-raising flour
1 egg
160ml milk
Sprig of chives
45g melted butter
1 tsp baking powder
40g cheddar cheese cut into four cubes
3 tbsp tinned or frozen sweetcorn
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Finely chop the chives and put to one side (use children’s scissors if available – it’s a great way for little ones to get involved).

Put the flour and paprika into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the milk, chives, softened butter and egg mixture. Slowly pour this into the flour with the sweetcorn. Mix until the ingredients are well combined.

Spoon a little of the mixture into each of the cupcake cases. Press a cube of cheese into each case and cover with the remaining mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the muffins are well-risen and lightly browned.

These muffins taste delicious warm with melty middles, or you can bake in batches and freeze.

Chicken and guacamole wrap, Nicki Cresswell

The brains behind this recipe is Nicki Cresswell, an expert in wellbeing and spokesperson for the Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association (CABA).

She says that avocado is a great super food and, if you use it in smaller amounts, you don’t need to worry about the high fat content.

“The avocado has essential vitamins for improving memory and focus, which improves wellbeing. While chicken and turkey are great sources of protein, they also contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which is linked to the release of good brain chemicals and has a calming effect,” says Cresswell.

Ingredients (makes one):
38g avocado
2 tomatoes
25g red onion
1 lime
1 serving of lettuce
125g chicken fillet cut into strips
1 wholemeal or seeded tortilla wrap
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
50g tinned sweetcorn
1 tbsp grated carrot
⅓ red pepper
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Place the chicken strips under a pre-heated medium grill until thoroughly cooked. Set aside to cool.

To make the guacamole, mash the avocado with the back of a fork in a bowl. Finely slice the tomato and red onion and combine with the avocado, lime juice and coriander. When it’s ready, place the guacamole on the tortilla and top with the chicken and remaining ingredients, before rolling up tightly.

This wrap is a great one for the summer as it’s filling but not too heavy.

Things to think about when preparing summer lunches

• Get your kids to join in the lunchbox preparation. As Katie Elfer, founder of children’s cooking school Cookery Doodle Doo, explains: “Fussy eaters are far more likely to eat something when they understand how it is made, or better still, had a hand in making it themselves.”
  
• You need to think about what you’re putting lunches into, says Cresswell. “It’s key to invest in the right lunchbox for the summer; you can get some great ones with a compartment for a freezer block.” This means no melting messes which might turn kids off.
• Finally, healthy food matters. “We need to make sure pupils are getting healthy, balanced meals at school so they have enough energy to see them through the school day,” says Greg Wallace, celebrity namesake and head chef at Yarm School. He adds that studies have highlighted the link between nutritious lunches and better educational attainment.

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