HEALTHY LUNCHBOX IDEAS
Try to ensure lunchboxes contain nutrient-rich foods, it's a large proportion of a child/teens' daily food intake!
Whether you’re packing lunches for your 8 year old or your teenager, it’s important to include food
that is nutritious, nourishing, and yum (we don’t want full lunchboxes coming home!). If kids are
missing out on nutrient-rich wholesome food in their lunch boxes, their overall nutrition will be at
risk. A balance of macronutrients (carbs, proteins & fats) and variety of micronutrients (vitamins &
minerals) is needed to support:
- Sustaining their energy
- Their mood & behaviour
- Learning & concentration in the classroom
- Immunity & gut health (reducing frequency & severity of sickness)
- Optimising their growth & development
Some guidelines to nutritionally balance a lunchbox
- INCLUDE PROTEIN: Often lacking in lunchboxes but essential for children’s rapid growth. Protein helps fill them up and provide sustained energy required at school to concentrate, focus, run and play
- MAKE IT COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES. If making sandwiches choose wholegrain or sourdough bread and ADD some VEGETABLES or SALAD. Try to mix up the options to add some variety & include a rainbow of colors. If your kids are fussy try using dips like hommus or pesto they can dip some veggies sticks in or add some plain crackers. Remember to aim to get 5 serves of veg per day
- A SOURCE OF GOOD FATS: Essential for healthy growth and development, important for brain and nervous system health
- SNACK ON FRUIT: One to two serves
- WATER: Best choice for kids to keep hydrated
- LIMIT PROCESSED FOODS & ADDED SUGAR: Include low sugar, whole food treats. Try greek yogurt with berries, some cheese with seeded crackers, homemade or pre-packaged organic popcorn (this needs to be easy on you too!). Another good idea is to makeup batches of homemade snacks like banana bread, protein balls, biscuits, slices or muffins and freeze if needed
Choose options from each group to build a lunchbox that will keep kids fuelled and nourished throughout the day!
PROTEIN:
– Chicken or chicken drumsticks, meat or meatballs, dinner leftovers, fish/tuna, boiled eggs, quiche, quinoa, cheese, seeds, chickpeas, felafels, hummus or wholegrains. Nuts
also a great source if allowed.
COMPLEX CARBS & VEGGIES:
– Wholemeal bread or wraps, brown/black rice, quinoa,
savoury muffins or muesli bars, rice crackers, rice paper rolls, sushi or homemade sausage rolls
– Fresh vegetables like beans, beetroot, broccoli,cucumber, carrot, capsicum, lettuce,snow peas, spinach,tomatoes, ANY! Could even pack homemade pumpkin or veggie soup for those cold days!
FRESH FRUIT:
– Apple, apricots, banana blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, kiwifruit, mandarins, oranges, pear,plums,passionfruit,peaches, plums, strawberries,raspberries,watemelon – whatever’s in season!
GOOD FATS:
– Avocado, tahini, olives, sunflower or pumpkin seeds,
greek or coconut yoghurt, cheese, hummus, eggs, chia
seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, home made guacamole,
almonds & walnuts (if allowed)
For more lunchbox ideas take at look at the following websites:
Lunchbox packing tips:
- Ask the kids to help shop, choosing a different colored fruit/vegetable each time to increase variety!
- Get the kids in the kitchen: They can choose some recipes and help you make snacks they want to eat at school
- How can the kids help? Can they wash and cut up the fruit or vegetables or make their own sandwich/wrap?
- Make extras at dinner time to use as leftovers for lunchboxes the following day!
- Keep up to date with your school’s guidelines for allergy considerations.
- Introduce one new food each week to increase variety, alongside some of the regular inclusions.
- Prepare snacks in advance, bake and freeze to take the chore out of packing lunchboxes.
