Healthy Lunchbox Solutions

Posted on: Apr 3rd, 2017 by The Physio Movement | Categories: Sports Medicine & Nutrition

Busy, active kids need a nutritious lunch box to boost their energy levels and help them concentrate and learn throughout the whole day. The foods we send to school contribute up to 1/3 of our kids daily intake, so it’s important a balanced lunch is packed to ensure they’re getting the required nutrients.

OUR TOP 5 LUNCHBOX TIPS:

  • Keep “occasional” foods such processed muesli bars, sweet biscuits, flavored popcorn, savoury biscuits and chips out of the lunch box- (I know they are convenient but they offer little healthy nutrients)
  • Prepare lunches that provide nutrients from all five food groups
  • Use avocado for a spread instead of butter, margarine or mayonnaise
  • Always include fresh fruit and vegetables and rotate these to keep the lunch box interesting. The more colourful the better.
  • Add in a chilled water bottle and eliminate any sugary drinks/juices. No fruit boxes.

RECIPE VARIATIONS

Lunches:

Pasta spirals– Cook wholegrain pasta spirals, add peas, corn, tuna, red capsicum pieces, sliced olives and cherry tomatoes, grated cheese.

Salad turkey wrap- Multigrain warp with avocado spread, sliced turkey, cheese, sliced carrot, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber

Lentil patty wrap- served in a wholegrain wrap with cherry tomatoes, tzatziki, grated carrot and cheese.

Rice paper rolls- Tuna, diced chicken or chopped up boiled eggs mixed with pesto, grated carrot, grated cucumber and grated cheese.

Snacks:

Fruit skewers– slice banana, strawberries, rockmelon and watermelon and alternate pieces into a wooden skewer

Veggie sticks with dip– Slice carrot, cucumber and red capsicum length ways, served with a dollop of hummus

Whole fruit- Mandarin, kiwi fruit, strawberries, apple, pear, peach

Cheese- cheese wheels, diced cheese or cottage cheese with crackers

Yoghurt- Calcium enriched soy yoghurt, natural yoghurt and coconut yoghurt

Tofu bites- Bite sized tofu pieces baked with Parmesan cheese

TOP TIPS FOR ADDING FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

  1. Freeze fruits in the summer or for sport days.  Simply pop chopped frozen fruit into an airtight container.
  2. If including whole fruit in the lunchbox, select fruit that is a suitable size for a child to easily hold in their hand and eat (this is particularly important for younger children)
  3. If you’re adding tomato to sandwiches, place the tomato between fillings and not directly onto the bread/wraps.  This prevents sogginess.
  4. When using avocado or cut up apple, drizzle with a little lemon or lime juice to prevent discolouring.
  5. Add leftover roast pumpkin or sweet potato to sandwiches and wrap fillings.  Naturally sweet and loaded with beneficial antioxidants.
  6. Use a vegetable peeler to slice cucumber into thin ribbons for sandwich fillings.
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