How To Build A Healthy School Lunchbox
Giving yourkids healthy and varied lunches that they will enjoy can be extremelychallenging! Optimising kids’ health through nutrition is essential. Childrenneed adequate nutrition not only for healthy growth and development, but tomaximise learning, energy, and concentration. Over 6 hours of thinking, runningaround and creating can be draining for little ones, so it is important thatduring breaks, children refuel with healthy and nutritious food.
NUTRITION FOR KIDS
The key toproviding a well-rounded, balanced lunch for your children is ensuring they areconsuming a variety of delicious foods from the 5 key food groups, as outlinedin the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. These 5 groups are:
- Vegetables and legumes/beans: provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and phytonutrients to ensure that long-term health and immunity is maintained.
- Legumes, beans, lentils, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu: provides an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, particularly iron needed for concentration, and protein to build, maintain and repair body tissues, muscles and organs. Adequate sources of protein are vital for children as they progress through rapid growth and change.
- Grain (cereal) foods: aim to choose wholegrain varieties to sustain energy throughout theday and increase dietary fibre intake. Limit intakes of refined grain products(i.e. cakes, cookies, biscuits) as they are usually high in saturated fats,sodium and sugar.
- Fruit: anexcellent source vitamins and minerals, dietary fibre, and phytonutrients, toensure that long-term health and immunity is maintained.
- Dairy and/or dairy alternatives: This food group provides excellent sources ofcalcium and protein, essential for building strong and healthy muscles andbones, whilst keeping kids feeling fuller for longer!
RECOMMENDED SERVES FROM THE 5 FOOD GROUPS FORCHILDREN
Dairy and/or dairy alternatives
Fruit
Grain (cereal) foods
Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu,nuts/seeds and legumes/beans
Vegetables and legumes/beans
*Discretionary
Toddler
1-2
1 – 1 ½
½
4
1
2-3
-
Boys
2-3
1 ½
1
4
1
2 ½
0 – 1
4-8
2
1 ½
4
1 ½
4 ½
2 ½
9-11
2 ½
2
5
2 ½
5
0 – 3
12-13
3 ½
2
6
2 ½
5 ½
0 – 3
14-18
3 ½
2
7
2 ½
5 ½
0 – 5
Girls
2-3
1 ½
1
4
1
2 ½
0 – 1
4-8
½
1 ½
4
1 ½
4 ½
0 – 1
9-11
3
2
4
2 ½
5
0 – 3
12-13
3 ½
2
5
2 ½
5
0 – 2 ½
14-18
3 ½
2
7
2 ½
5
0 – 2 ½
NHMRC(2015) ‘Recommended number of serves for children, adolescents and toddlers’,Accessed from: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommended-number-serves-children-adolescents-and
HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHY LUNCHBOX
Coming upwith new ideas to include in your kid’s lunchbox can understandably be exhausting,and is definitely easier said than done. I have come up with an easy to followguide to mixing up your kid’s lunch, while ensuring that they are stillconsuming a healthy, balanced and sustaining meal.
TIPS FOR PARENTS TO GET KIDS TO EAT THEIR FOOD
Some kidscan be fussy eaters, and you may go to the effort of making their lunch boxextra healthy, to only receive half of it back, uneaten. To ensure your childmaximises their nutrient intake during the day, here are some tips to ensurethat your kids bring home an empty lunch box!
- Purchase a compartmentalisedlunchbox to make room for colour, variety and abundance. This allows room tokeep all foods separated, allows room to mix and match food varieties and toinclude all 5 food groups into the one lunch box.
- Take your kids shopping with you andget them in the kitchen. By allowing your kids to pick and choose theirfavourite healthy foods to include in their lunches, this will maximise theirchances of consuming something they love. Also, including them in the lunchmaking process contributes to a positive relationship with food, so they may bemore likely to consume something associated with happy memories.
- Don’t pack the same thing – kids caneasily get bored with the same foods day after day. Mix around differentcombinations of grains, veggies and fruits and be experimental! Facilitate yourchild’s exploration and try incorporating different colours, shapes, sizes andtextures within the lunch box to aid in sensory development.
If you're needing some inspiration for healthy kids snacks for after school and on the weekend, click here.
Article contribution by Nutritionist Tahlia Claringbold from the Nourish Naturally team.
