Dietitian shares her simple, five-day lunchbox plan and it means no more soggy sandwiches
PACKING school lunch boxes have proven to be quite a challenge of late. Especially when trying to make them affordable, nutritious and away from prying, judgmental eyes.
With lunchbox shaming and clean eating for kids taking trend, the pressure to make satisfying lunches has never been so high - because after all, parents want to provide foods their kids will actually enjoy.
Let's face it, no kid enjoys a half-squished sandwich or a selection of "boring" snacks, and no parent enjoys cleaning out their child's school bag each day only to find a soggy sandwich and leftover food sitting at the bottom.
So, to avoid the all too common lunchbox woes , an Australian dietician and Founding Director at Food & Nutrition Australia, has shared some handy tips and meal ideas that will make school lunches a breeze - and it includes replacing the beloved sandwich.
To increase the chance of your kids actually eating the food you prepare, Sharon suggests involving your children in planning their lunches each day by providing them with a list of healthy options and have them choose.
She also suggests providing them with a range of different fruits to keep their lunches interesting - such as mixed berries one day and sliced peaches with yoghurt the next.
A simple and nutritious lunchbox plan
Monday
Snack
- Sliced fruit (e.g. orange, mandarin & watermelon)
Lunch
- Cheese and Broccoli Fingers.
- A slice of wholegrain or high fibre bread
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
Tuesday
Snack
- Fruit salad and one tub of yoghurt
Lunch
- Tuna and pasta salad made with tuna, corn, cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes and a tbsp of mayonnaise stirred through (add olives as an optional extra)
Wednesday
Snack
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Carrot sticks with hummus
Lunch
- Chicken and avocado roll. Spread a whole grain or white high fibre bread roll with mashed avocado. Top with shredded chicken, a slice of cheese, cucumber and lettuce.
- Strawberries or mixed berries
Thursday
Snack
- Wholegrain crackers with cheese and a bunch of grapes
Lunch
- Egg muffins
- A carton of milk
Friday
Snack
- A sliced peach/plum and one tub of yoghurt
Lunch
- Turkey, cream cheese and cranberry wholegrain sandwich made with cream cheese, baby spinach, sliced turkey breast and cranberry sauce
- Cherry tomatoes and baby cucumber
And for the sake of being prepared and organised, Sharon recommends cutting up "different types of fruit on the weekend and keep it in different containers".
But what about the uneaten sandwhich? To avoid the dreaded soggy sandwiches and still provide healthy foods, Sharon recommends including options such as "snacking cucumbers, colourful cherry tomatoes, celery sticks and crunchy snow peas."
Sounds tasty AND healthy, huh?
Oh, and what to avoid? Don't include sweet drinks such as fruit juices, cordials, flavoured mineral waters and ESPECIALLY no soft drinks - instead always include a bottle of water.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
In other lunch box news, we shared how a mum was ‘lunchbox shamed’ by other mums for feeding her kids too much but reveals she was starved as a kid.
We also revealed how teachers revealed the worst school packed lunches… with some containing lager shandy, Red Bull and a McDonald’s Happy Meal.
And parents were previously furious at ‘ridiculously strict’ school dinner rules telling them to order pupil’s meals eight weeks in advance.