Pack a great lunch...
If your child has a packed lunch at school and you want to make up a healthy lunchbox, here are my tips. You should also consider my
list of snacks.
Here is one week's worth of healthy lunch box ideas:
Lunchbox one:
• brown pita bread with smooth peanut butter
• small container of trail mix (see above snacks)
• cut up fruit – apple, pear, and orange
• fresh apple juice
• healthy yoghurt
Lunchbox two:
• bagel with soft cheese and cucumber
• small container with cherry tomatoes and strips of carrot
• cooked apple puree – home made – very easy to make (see recipe)
• handful of raisins and dried apricots – in a small plastic bag
• fresh orange juice
• Cooked apple puree: place a large granny smith apple into a steamer and leave for ten minutes on a medium to high burner. Remove it and cut in half. Scoop out the soft apple and leave until cool. Add a tiny spoonful of honey and place in a container for the lunchbox. This is just enough for a child’s portion.
Lunchbox three:
• wholemeal bread sandwich with cheddar cheese, cucumber and tomato
• cut up strips of carrot and red peppers
• fruit smoothie (bought version)
• small container of strawberries
• fresh apple juice
Lunchbox four:
• wholemeal pita bread with salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato) and tuna fish
• a banana
• small bunch of grapes
• healthy yoghurt
• fresh juice
Lunchbox five:
• small container with brown rice, add cut up cubes of tomato, cut up cubes of cucumber, cut up fish from the night before (i.e. salmon, tuna, cod), add some sweet corn and some peas (from frozen)
• Cut up avocado pear with some celery sticks
• Fresh berry fruit salad – not too large, just a taste of all the different berries.
• Fresh juice.
Some tips on lunchboxes:
• Make sure the lunch box contains a freezer pack (for yoghurts, tuna, cheese etc)
• Buy small plastic bags and containers as children like to open them and be surprised!
• Change lunch box contents every day. Children like the variety, and like to be surprised!
• Presume that water is on offer at school (it should be) and put a fresh juice into the lunch box
• Use up food from the night before, i.e. stir-fry vegetables, fish, and rice, as it won't be possible to prepare this in the morning before school.
• Wholegrain bread/pita/rice are a more nutritious option than refined grains (I explain this further in my article on bread).