Author: Belinda Martin, Accredited Practising Dietitian | PAEDIATRIC NUTRITION
School’s been back for a few weeks now – are you finding you are already stuck for lunchbox ideas? Sick of kids returning home with their lunch box still full and hearing “mum, I’m starving!” as soon as they walk in the door?
Let’s face it, recess and lunch are for playing and socialising not for eating. So most kids want something they can eat quickly with as little mess and fuss (and smell) as possible. Plus, it’s been pretty hot and predicted to continue – parents have to think of keeping things cool and salmonella free as well!
Then there is the added pressure of providing good nutrition and healthy school lunches, and on the other hand kids are being bombarded with messages promoting trendy unhealthy ‘snack foods’ for their lunch.
So here are some of our ideas to include with some quick recipes for time poor mums and families.
- For Crunch and Sip – Cut up veggies. Yes, that’s right – we just said VEGGIES!! New research by the Cancer Council has shown that we are all getting the message regarding fruit with the Crunch and Sip program. Most kids are now eating the recommended 2 pieces of fruit per day but only 1 in 6 eat enough vegetables! School children need 5 serves of veggies per day, where one serve is equal to half cup of cooked veggies or 1 cup raw veggies per day.
For kids eating on the run – Savoury cheese and veggie muffins. See this link from taste. http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1389/savoury+mighty+muffins . We make these regularly and just use whatever veggies we have in the fridge. You may not have chutney or mortadella on hand all the time so just make them without. They taste good and freeze easy. Replace the boring old sandwich with two of these instead.
For kids who like to ‘crunch’ – a little box of healthy nibbles – put a handful of pepitas, dried fruit and your kid’s favourite breakfast cereal – preferably a healthy option such as weet-bix bites, cheerios, muesli into an airtight container for a crunchy snack.
For the finger food kids who like to have bite size mouthfuls – how about some Californian Sushi rolls or Pin wheel wraps – see recipe suggestions here. http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18091/vegie+sushi+rolls
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/44383/roast+beef+mustard+cream+cheese+and+roasted+pepper+pinwheels
For kids who like things a little separated and fun – Veggie, fruit, cheese and ham (or whatever your kids like) kebabs. An easy one the kids can help make. Chop up a mixture of veggies (cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum), some fruit (apricots, pears, strawberries, apples), some cheese squares and some cooked ham/chicken/beef and thread on skewers. Make sure you serve with some carbohydrates to sustain their energy, i.e bread, rice crackers, corn thins, ryvitas, vita wheats.
For the kids that do sit down to eat – why not use left over rice or pasta with veggies or salad mixed through it with some cheese and/or chickpeas or red kidney beans.
For the ‘left overs’ kid – Buy some pita pockets and fill them with left over roast veggies and cheese. Left over home made pizzas always go down a treat the next day. Even left over spaghetti bolognaise can be used in lunches – see recipe here. http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/41978/spaghetti+bolognese+cups
For the organised mum – Quiche or frittatas are great to make in advance and generally freeze very well. Here are two yummy recipes to try.
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/28170/pumpkin+and+spinach+quiches
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21033/mediterranean+frittata
And some other general tips
- An ice pack is important to include especially in the Perth summer where lunch boxes can often sit inside bags outside of the classroom. It’s now easy to buy lunchboxes with insulated bags, acting like a little esky.
- Make sure you include a cold bottle of water that doesn’t leak. Aim for a 600ml container and encourage kids to refill it and drink throughout the day.
- Get the kids involved in making their lunches from a young age. If they put the effort in, they are more likely to eat it. If you’re making lunch the night before and you use a cooler bag, store it in the fridge overnight with the lid or zip open so it gets cool enough!
- Talk to your kids about the time that they eat lunch. Many schools are scheduling recess and lunch time much later these days – sometimes recess is at 11.00 and lunch being at 1.30! If this is the case at your school – it might be worth having a chat to your kids about using the recess time to sit down and eat lunch so that they can be fuelled for the rest of the day. They can then use the lunch time to have their ‘snack’ which is quicker to eat and then they can get going and play or socialise.
Finally, If you’re more of a visual person, we love this short video https://youtu.be/hy4wLh72tGQ from Nutrition Australia (http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/) with some other lunch box ideas and a good visual of what you can aim to include in kids lunch boxes to keep their little or big tummies satisfied. Good luck with the rest of first term and we hope these ideas help!
About the Author
Belinda Martin is a Perth Dietitian specialising in paediatric nutrition, food allergy, infant nutrition and pregnancy nutrition. She is the co-founder of Advanced Dietitians Group and loves working with people and families. She has been a dietitian for 20 years. She has worked as a Senior Dietitian and Paediatric Dietitian in various teaching hospitals in Western Australia and the United Kingdom. When she is not working, she is trying to tame a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old (and a 40+ year old) at home.
About Advanced Dietitians Group
Advanced Dietitians Group was founded in 2014 by Belinda Martin and Ingrid Roche, Perth dietitians with a combination of over 40 years’ experience in the industry. Both dietitians have a range of experience across the lifespan but specialise in paediatric nutrition, pregnancy nutrition, infant nutrition and allergies. They provide up to date evidence-based nutrition advice. This coupled with their wealth of experience in dietetics ensures you get the best possible nutrition service. They get a buzz out of helping their clients and their families.
