How to make a complete school lunch
Use our simple guidelines to build a healthy lunch
Choose one food from each category to pack a healthy lunch:
Carbohydrates
Provide energy, fibre and staying power. Whole-grain products offer more fibre to keep kids feeling full longer.
Options:
• grains (bread, wrap, pasta, crackers, rice)
• sweet or white potato (baked, sweet potato fries, in risotto or soup)
• yogurt
• beans and lentils
Proteins
Supply the building blocks for the body’s growth, repair and day-to-day functioning. Combined with a carbohydrate, they keep your kid fuelled longer.
Options:
• meat
• cheese
• plain Greek yogurt
• beans, fish
Snacks
Help little ones stay energized so they can pay attention and behave in class — and out.
Options:
• hummus, guacamole
• rice cakes with tahini and fruit spread or jam
• trail mix (raisins, dried cranberries, goji berries, cereal, sunflower seeds)
• granola bar
“Good” fats
Essential for memory, concentration, stamina and overall brain and nerve function.
Options:
• oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel), tinned or fresh
• seeds (sesame, flower, flax, pumpkin)
• avocado
• omega-3 eggs
Fruits and vegetables
Provide fibre, antioxidants and powerful plant nutrients not found in proteins and carbohydrates.
Options:
• pineapple
• mango (freeze before packing to avoid browning)
• sugar snap peas • cucumber
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What do you think?
Anonymous says ....
Umm lets see nothing on this list will ever work for my kids. Maybe one day when they are much older and have their own kids they will eat this.
LateNightPlays says ....
When I changed the way I presented the food in the lunch boxes, my kids starting eating everything in their lunch! There are many great ideas out there. You can do a search for "bento" TP has covered the topic before. I love collecting different cookie cutters now to make fun sandwich shapes or cheese shapes/fruit shapes. I also use bumpy knives to cut the veggies up!
jazmin (not verified) says ....
my little girl won' eat any of these.