Children who eat well during the school day are more likely to be able to concentrate better at school and get the nutrition they need for good health and development.Keeping your child’s lunches nutritious and interesting can also be a challenge. Get creative and include a wide selection of different foods each dayThese tips will help make sure that your child’s lunchbox holds a few surprises as well as being a healthy and nourishing meal.
A healthy and interesting packed lunch should:
- Offer lots of different foods throughout the week
- Make sure that food doesn’t just taste good, but also looks good as well by adding lots of colours and textures, like baby sweet corn, grated carrots, sliced red peppers and cucumber.
- Include a drink in your child’s lunch box to make sure they stay hydrated. Water is always the best choice as juices contain lots of hidden sugar.
- Only offer sweets such as chocolate, biscuits and cakes as an occasional treat rather than everyday items.
- Include one portion of vegetables or salad and one portion of fruit, fresh, canned or dried all work well.
- Include one portion of a dairy item such as low fat milk, cheese, yoghurt or yoghurt drink
- Include one portion of lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans or other protein source
- Include one portion of food that is rich in carbohydrate, such as bread, pasta, rice, noodles or potatoes
