10 Tips For A Healthy Lunch Box

Written by Suzie Garmeister of Branch and Vine Nutrition – Fd. Dip Nutrition & Holistic Health

Feeling overwhelmed about how to feed your kids a healthy school lunch?

With 3 boys, 3.5 years apart, I have spent much “loving” time in the kitchen ensuring they are not hindered in their development by what they eat. I have seen firsthand the consequences that unhealthy food choices can have on behaviour and learning.

What’s an unhealthy lunchbox? Unfortunately it’s often the most common, because it is quick and easy! It includes processed packet foods such as chips, cakes, biscuits, cookies, white bread with a basic spread, high-sugar muesli bars, flattened “fruit” roll-ups, flavoured milks, juices and soft drinks. These “foods” are laden with sugar, vegetable oils and additives that do not support the growth, energy and focus that children need.

A healthy lunch box consists of a balance of fresh healthy proteins, healthy fats and unrefined (whole) carbohydrates to provide longer-term, sustainable energy, growth, brain function and balanced behaviour. Home-made is best by far.

But a healthy lunch box takes know-how and time! I hear you! Over the years I have learnt some time-saving tricks to make this important task more achievable. Read on for my top 10 tips for making healthy lunch boxes…

1. Hot Hot Hot: Invest in a good hot food thermos for easy serving of leftovers & other healthy alternatives to sandwiches. (Can also be used to keep food cold, e.g. salads.)
2. Fro-Zone: Have frozen ice packs on hand to put in each lunchbox to keep dairy & protein at safe temperatures.
3. Love Leftovers: Make extra for dinner, reheat and serve in a hot food thermos (e.g. spaghetti bolognaise, curry, casserole, fried rice).
4. Batch it Up: On weekends, cook up batches of: a) Beef, salmon or tuna patties ready for easy heating in the morning. Add to a salad with avocado or cheese or serve hot. b) Chicken, bacon or other protein, chopped and frozen for easy use in hot meals, salads or sandwiches. c) Homemade healthy additions, e.g. choc protein balls, muffins, quiche.
5. Muffin Fresh: Make a few days’ worth of homemade healthy muffin mixture and store in a sealed container in the fridge, ready to spoon out into baking cups and into the oven in the morning while the rest of the lunchbox is prepared. (Particularly good for gluten-free, which can dry out if pre-made in batches.)
6. Chop to It: Pre-chop 3 days’ worth of veggie sticks and store wrapped in a damp tea towel in a sealed container in the fridge. Serve with mashed avocado or salsa dip.
7. Take 3: First thing in the morning, place sausages* in a baking dish with 1/2 cm of water and place in the oven (20–30 mins). Go about your morning routine. Once cooked, use in salads, wraps or a hot food container. *Go for quality, organic, preservative-free.
8. Mix it Up: Buy good quality plain yogurt. Divide it up into smaller sealed lunchbox containers. In zip-lock bags, add a palmful of fresh or frozen berries, seeds and nuts (if permitted by school) and freeze. Add the yogurt container, zip-lock bag and spoon to the lunch box, ready for kids to mix before they eat. (Add ice pack.)
9. Popping Good: Instead of packet chips laden with vegetable oils and additives, whip up some popcorn the old-fashioned way. Takes 5 mins. Take a saucepan, add butter, kernels and Himalayan salt. Pop away. Add more melted butter at the end to taste.
10. Night Before: Think about what healthy choices can go into the lunchbox. What can you do tonight while cooking dinner, to save you time in the morning? Do you need to defrost anything? Boil an egg and store in the fridge for a salad or snack. Think healthy proteins, fats and unprocessed carbohydrates.

Try out these tips and let me know how you go!

– Suzie

You can also check out Alison and Suzie’s mini-series video collaboration about children, teens and nutrition on Newcastle Speech Pathology’s YouTube channel or Facebook page.