School Dinners and Packed Lunches

Is your child's Lunch box Healthy...

Good food habits set early in childhood can last a lifetime. Lunches provide around one third of our daily nutritional needs, so it’s important to put some thought and planning into them. Here are some tips on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox. 

Seven steps to creating healthy, varied and interesting lunchboxes

1. Include a wide variety of foods - starchy foods, protein, dairy, and fruit and vegetables

2. Try to offer different foods every day - no one wants to be eating a ham sandwich five days a week!

3. Vary the types of bread e.g. pitta bread, bagels, wholemeal rolls - keep a stock in the freezer 

4. Cook extra rice/pasta in the evening - these can make interesting salads

5. Theme your lunchbox on a different country, e.g. Italian - try a pasta salad, Mexican fill flour tortillas

6. Home-made soup (in a Thermos flask) is great for cold days, while salads are light and refreshing for warmer weather. Both are packed with essential vitamins and minerals 

7. Fluids are important for children - up to 6 cups of fluid should be encouraged daily. Milk and water are the best options. Straws and brightly coloured drinks bottles can make rehydrating more interesting!