Lunch is an important meal for everyone, particularly children. For many people, getting inspiration for what to include in a child’s lunchbox can be a difficult task.

This document provides you with some helpful suggestions to make your child’s lunchbox appetising and nutritious. It also shows that nutritious eating does not mean missing out on foods you enjoy eating. It is simply a matter of getting a balance and eating a wide variety of foods.

Nutritious Lunchbox Checklist

Have you included…

• A good portion of starchy food, e.g. wholegrain bread roll, thick sliced wholemeal bread, sesame pita pocket, pasta or rice salad?
• Plenty of fruit and vegetables, e.g. an apple, handful of cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks, tub of fruit chunks or small box of sultanas?
• A portion of milk or dairy food, e.g. individual cheese portion or tub of yoghurt?
• A portion of lean meat, fish or alternative, e.g. ham, tuna, egg or hommus?
• A drink, e.g. a small tetra pak of fruit juice or bottle of water?

ENJOY YOUR LUNCH!

MONDAY

Nutritious sandwich tips:

• Introduce variety by using a selection of breads, e.g. sliced rolls, baguettes, bagels, tortilla wraps, pita bread and crispbreads.
• Try making sandwiches with one slice white and one of wholemeal, or use white bread with added fibre.
• Use spread sparingly, e.g. butter, margarine or mayonnaise. If using a sticky filling you may not need any spread.
• Pick lower fat fillings such as ham, turkey, chicken, fish (e.g. tuna), cottage cheese, egg or reduced fat hommus. Serve with slices of tomato, carrot and/or shredded lettuce.

Monday’s lunchbox:

• Ham and tomato, sliced wholegrain bread sandwich (or peanut butter*)
• Small banana
• Fruit yoghurt
• Muesli bar or pikelet
• Tetra pak of apple or orange juice

*Safety tip: Nuts are a good source of protein and other nutrients, but check the school policy first because of allergy issues. To reduce the risk of choking, eat whole nuts when sitting down, and not when running around the playground.

TUESDAY

Healthy drinking tips:

• No lunch is complete without a drink.
• Keeping hydrated helps children to be alert, improves concentration, and keeps skin and hair healthy.
• Try a variety of drinks including:
  bottled water, flavoured water, milk, flavoured milk, tetra packs of unsweetened fruit juice and yoghurt drinks.

Tuesday’s lunchbox:

• Canned salmon salad (or tuna salad) bagel*
• Cherry tomatoes
• Individual cheese triangle
• Box of sultanas
• Slice of banana cake
• Bottle of water

*Healthy hint: Some foods are naturally high in salt, e.g. smoked fish, foods canned in brine, cured meats and cheese. However, they all provide other important nutrients. To keep the salt content down, limit the frequency of salted savoury snacks and use sauces and pickles sparingly.

WEDNESDAY

How to eat more fruit and vegetables at lunchtime:

• Use fruit and vegetables from all colours of the rainbow, as they offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
• Seasonal varieties that are easy to peel and eat are good choices.
• Peeling and chopping fruit and vegetables into ready-to-eat bite-sized pieces makes them more appealing.
• Add fruit to sandwiches (e.g. cheese and pineapple) or use vegetables as a main ingredient in a pasta salad or as a topping on a pizza.

Wednesday’s lunchbox:

• Egg (or bacon), lettuce and tomato roll
• Bunch of seedless grapes
• Small tub of fruit chunks*
• Chocolate biscuit or sponge finger biscuit
• Carton of milk or low fat milkshake

*Healthy hint: Remember, fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced fruit and vegetables all count towards 5 a day.

THURSDAY

Tips for bone building lunches:
For a good supply of calcium, go for lower fat dairy foods such as:

• A tub of low fat yoghurt or fromage frais
• Individual cheeses and cheese spreads
• A carton of semi-skimmed milk (flavoured or unflavoured)
• Yoghurt smoothies
• Drinking yoghurt

Thursday’s lunchbox:

• 2 mini pita pockets with hommus (or cubes of feta or edam cheese) with sliced red and yellow pepper and lettuce
• fruit scone or gingernut biscuit
• Plum or pear
• Carrot sticks and small cream-cheese dip
• Bottle of mineral water

*Activity tip: Being physically active is important for you child’s overall health and bone development.

FRIDAY

Make lunchboxes bright and colourful, including different tastes and textures:

• Healthier choices include: currant buns, rice cakes, unsalted nuts, plain popcorn, breadsticks, unsalted pretzels, cheese scone, vegetable sticks.
• Foods such as biscuits, cakes, crisps, savoury snacks, pastries, pies, chocolate and carbonated drinks may form part of your child’s lunchbox from time to time. These foods are better eaten as part of their lunch, rather than between meals.

Friday’s lunchbox:

• Chicken pasta twist salad with a mushroom, sweetcorn and tomato sauce
• Small vegetable samosa
• Rice pudding dessert
• Sliced red apple or nectarine
• Puffed savoury snack e.g. popcorn
• Low sugar juice drink

Tips

Keep your child’s lunchbox interesting and appetising by varying what you put in each day. A good variety of foods will help to provide all the nutrients children need to grow.
A nutritious lunch should be part of a healthy lifestyle, which includes physical activity and good dental hygiene.

Tips to make your lunchbox nutritious and safe to eat:

• Use an insulated lunchbox or freezer pack.
• Freeze a Tetra Pak of fruit juice or bottle of still water the night before. Add this to the lunchbox in the morning. This will act as an ice pack and keep the food cold.
• Make the lunchbox the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight.
• Plan ahead if you can to ensure a good variety of foods.
• Involve children in decision making, shopping and preparation of foods where possible.
• Pack food carefully, avoid using glass bottles or jars, and place soft fruit and crushable items at the top.

For healthy teeth:

• Children should brush their teeth thoroughly twice a day for at least two minutes, using a small pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste.
• Young children need adult supervision to make sure they brush properly.
• Visit the dentist for regular check-ups.
• Chew savoury foods, such as a small piece of cheese after meals, to stimulate saliva flow and neutralise the acid.
• For a snack between meals, e.g. at break time, provide a piece of fruit or vegetable.