"Oh mum not this boring lunch again. Patrick gets chips and muesli bars in his lunchbox".
Sound familiar? Running out of ideas for kids' lunches that are not only healthy but
fun and appealing too? Read on! .
- Create pita chips by cutting pita bread into wedges, sprinkle with reduced-fat
cheese and back in moderate oven until crispy (store in an airtight container)
- Instead of a sandwich give them a savoury muffin or pikelet (made from
grated carrot, zucchini, potato and/or corn kernels)
- Try a zebra sandwich by making your sandwich from one slice of white
bread and one slice of wholemeal
- Try kid sushi (use one slice of bread, top with filling such as hummus
or cheese, grated carrot and or lettuce and then roll up and slice up like sushi)
- Make up a bulk "scroggin" mix (with dried fruit, cereal, nuts - if allowed
at your school and child is over 5, and/or popcorn or bread sticks. Put into a little
container or small bag
- Throw in a treat like a sticker or a small note you've written to your
child
- Keep lunches cold by add in a frozen yoghurt or frozen fruit such as
grapes, oranges, and strawberries
- Use mountain bread or pita bread to make up sandwiches. Almost anything
will go in it, then simply roll it up - easy
- Although packaged snacks are more expensive, some parents may find it
easy and a treat to put such products in their child's lunchbox. They don't have
to be unhealthy however. When adding in packaged products - read the label. Choose
products with less fat (less than 10grams per 100g); less sugar (less than 10 grams
per 100g or less than 25g per 100gram is product has dried fruit in it; less salt
(less than 120mg per 100g) and more fibre (more than 3g per 100g)
- Good choices for packaged snacks include:
- Plain or flavoured milk
- Dairy desserts like yoghurts and fruche
- Noodle or rice snacks (without flavour sachet)
- Breakfast bars (aim for ones that are low in fat and sugar (less than
10g/100g) and high in fibre (greater than 3g per 100g))
- Rice cakes and corn thins
- Plain popcorn
- Dried fruit and nuts (do not offer whole nuts to children under 5 as
they are a choking hazard)
- Muffins, scones and pikelets
- Tinned and puree fruit
- Cheese sticks or mini round cheeses
- Breadsticks (Grissini)
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