What should I put in my child's lunch box?

Healthy lunches and snacks are important for active kids. It is important to provide healthy lunch box choices.

It should contain fresh fruit, crunchy vegetables and a combination of protein, dairy and carbohydrate foods.

Eating healthy foods helps children focus and learn. However, it is not always easy to change your diet. Try setting a good example with your own lunches. Encourage children to help you choose and prepare their own lunch. They can make a list of foods they like. Praise your child when they choose healthy foods for their Lunch Box.

Children have little time to eat during the day, especially at school. Children may prefer to play with their friends rather than eat. Encourage your child to sit down and eat before play, or ask your school to ensure that all children have the opportunity to eat enough before play begins.

Lunch Box Food Suggestions

There are plenty of food choices for lunchboxes. However, sometimes it can be difficult to decide which foods are healthy choices . Here are some suggestions:

Fruits

- the best are fresh or canned fruit . Dried fruits are sticky and high in sugar, so eat them occasionally. It is best not to put in the lunch box, dried fruit bars, which are very high in sugar, low in fiber and which stick to children's teeth, thus causing cavities.

Vegetables

- try vegetable sticks such as cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, peppers and cucumbers. Chips and packets of chips are best left for parties and special occasions.

Milk, yogurt and custard

- include a small drink of milk in the lunch box. Fruit yogurts should be kept cool in an insulated Lunch Box. It is better not to put in the lunch box "dairy desserts" and flavored milks, which are high in sugar.
Cheese and biscuits - prepackaged Or homemade - are perfect. Children enjoy packaged mini cheeses . "Bake baked" crackers are as high in salt and fat as crisps and are best avoided.

The bread

-remember to vary the types of bread in your sandwiches, especially if the children are starting to lose interest in the sandwiches. Try rolls, pita bread, flatbread, bagels, fruit breads or buns, foccacias , scones, skewers, muffins, crumpets , crispbreads, rice cakes or cornbreads.

Vary the toppings

- toppings may include vegetables , peanut butter, cheese, tuna , eggs, sliced ​​lunch meats, baked beans, shredded carrots and lettuce, ground roast meat with pickles and lawyers. caviar ( taramosalata ) , eggplant, chickpeas ( hommus ) , cucumber, yogurt (tzatziki) or spinach also make good spreads. Avoid chocolate spreads, jams and honey, as well as fatty meats like salami.

Muffins and cakes

- try making your own muffins and cakes, it's a good way to include more fruits and vegetables. For example, with sultana, carrot, zucchini, banana or pumpkin. Donuts and cream cakes are better for birthdays and special occasions than in lunchboxes.
Muesli and breakfast bars are almost all too high in sugar to eat regularly, but cereal bars are sometimes better for your teeth than muesli bars sticky . Try to avoid muesli bars and chocolate bars in lunch boxes. They are expensive and usually full of fats and sugars.

Practical questions for busy families

Food should be simple and easy to prepare, ready to eat and appetizing after several hours of storage in the lunch box. Foods such as sandwiches can be prepared the day before or on the weekend, frozen, and then taken for the lunch box each day. Foods that can be frozen include to quote ;
Bread
Meat cooked
Cheese
Peanut butter
cooked beans
Eggs mashed
Vegetable spreads like Vegemite .

Food safety in lunch boxes

In most cases, food is kept in lunch boxes for several hours, so the lunch box should stay cool. Here are some food safety suggestions:
Choose an insulated lunch box or one with a freezer, or use an ice pack to keep the lunch box cool. If you are looking for insulated lunch boxes, do not hesitate to discover our insulated lunch boxes .

if the link does not work click here to access the site.

Also discover our collection of insulated bags

if the link does not work click here to access the site.

Prepare lunches the night before and store them in the fridge or freezer.
Perishable foods such as dairy products, eggs and sliced ​​meats should be kept cool and consumed within four hours. Do not wrap food that has just been cooked. Let them cool in the fridge first overnight.

Now you know what to put in your children's lunch box!

Did you like our work? If so, do not hesitate to subscribe to our newsletter to receive all our news!

For more information, please visit our blog . Discover more products and collections by visiting our MaLunchBox™ website.