Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK:
Healthy Heart Tip: Healthier lunchbox ideas
With the summer holidays at an end, it’s time to think about what to include in your children’s lunchboxes for the new term.
Less than 2% of packed lunches meet the School Food Standards and often offer a less nutritious option than school meals.
Lunchboxes brought from home often include more processed and ultra-processed foods with higher amounts of salt and sugar than school meals. What you choose to include in your children’s lunchboxes can affect their behaviour, concentration and brain function for the rest of the day.
Here, we show you how to pack a nutritious lunchbox ready for going back to school:
Good protein source
Protein is essential for brain and body growth to help kids feel fuller for longer. Fuelling kids’ lunches with protein is crucial for helping them concentrate until the end of the day and supporting their development.
A great way to add protein is by making tuna, chicken or turkey sandwiches or wraps, adding beans and seeds to the lunchbox and including yoghurts.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, making them a great way to add colour to a lunchbox. This will help your child meet their five-a-day goal and feel energised throughout their school day.
So, why not include some vegetable sticks and hummus, or add salad to sandwiches, wraps or pitas? An easy way to ensure fruit is eaten from a lunchbox is to make it easy to eat, this might mean peeling oranges or chopping fruit into bite-sized pieces. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice over chopped fruit like apple to prevent it from turning brown.
Wholegrains
Wholegrains are a great source of fibre and energy for your child. Wholegrains, along with protein, help keep your child full and give them more energy to concentrate.
Wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta, crackers or brown rice are some examples of where you can swap white carbohydrates for wholegrain varieties.
Hydration
Hydration is essential for your body and brain to work effectively. By including a drink in your child’s lunchbox, you’re helping to keep their brain functioning and ensuring they have optimal concentration.
Using an appealing reusable water bottle that your child has picked themselves can help encourage them to drink regularly. If it’s a warm day, you could add a small frozen drink to their lunchbox to help keep its contents cool throughout the day and encourage your little one to drink more.