Healthy Lunch Box Ideas
Ensuring Children Eat Their Healthy Lunch
- Keep servings small and offer variety – when foods are bite size and not overwhelming, children are more likely to eat them
- Add some colour – colourful foods are attractive for children
- Change it up – don’t give your children the same foods every day. Variety keeps things exciting!
- Vary the presentation – for example, try cutting sandwiches into shapes or make a ‘Zebra’ sandwich (one white and one brown slice of bread)
- Limit fruit juice to 1/2 cup per day – too much can cause picky eaters, not to mention tooth decay and diarrhea
Helping families create healthy lunch boxes for happy, healthy children
Include 3 meals in your child’s lunch box
- Morning Tea
- Lunch
- Afternoon Tea
Water is the MOST important fluid of the day
Always Pack a Drink Bottle every day!
What to Include
Morning Tea and Afternoon Tea Ideas
Fresh Fruit/Canned fruit (at least one every day), Vegetables eg. Small carrot sticks, Celery sticks, Dairy eg. Various cheeses – Sliced, Shapes, Yoghurt. (Children encouraged to eat these first). Other fillers may include Dried fruits eg. Sultanas, Apricots, Rice cakes, English muffins, Crisp breads, Cracker/plain biscuits, Healthy/icing free cakes, Pikelets, Muffins, Cheese dips for the veggie sticks.
Lunch
Leftovers, Quiches, Cooked Pasta/noodle/rice dishes, Fish cakes, Nuggets, Potato/Vegie Bakes, Boiled eggs, Cheerios, Salads, Baked beans, Tinned spaghetti, Pinwheels, Homemade pizzas, Use various breads – Pocket bread and wraps for sandwiches with different fillings – Avocado; Ham; Tuna; Chicken; Vegemite; Jam; Mashed banana
Please Don’t Send
Chips, Lollies, Any Chocolate Item (including biscuits), Cordial, Soft drink, Flavoured milk, Iced bakery treats, Iced/cream filled biscuits/cakes, Sticky fruit chews – roll ups/fruit tails, Any lolly looking foods, Jelly, Dried noodles, Nuts, Popcorn, LCM bars, pre-packaged dairy desserts/snacks (yogo, nutella) or Any food that is high in sugar/salt/fat content. Unsuitable foods can create inequality and confusion and can be potential choking hazards.
Make the Switch
- A child’s early years are a critical time for physical and mental development.
- This is a time when the eating habits of a life time are formed
- Healthy lunches help with concentration and learning
- Pre-packaged junk food is expensive
- Good food choices can improve a child’s behaviour
- Fresh fruit and vegies are often tastier and cheaper
Don’t forget – if in doubt, just ask!
Supporting: Mother Kate’s Early Learning Centre Philosophy, Food Nutrition and Beverage Policy and Health, Hygiene and Safe Food Policy. National Quality Framework Quality Area 2, 5, and 6