Tired of packing the same old lunch for your kids? 

Good food habits set early in childhood can last a lifetime. Lunches provide around one third of our daily nutritional needs, so it’s important to put some thought and planning into them.

Here are some tips on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox that your child will eat and enjoy.

1. Include a wide variety of foods

• For a balanced diet they need fruit and vegetables, starchy foods, protein and dairy

2. Vary the types of bread

• For example, pitta bread, bagels, wholemeal rolls – keep a stock in the freezer

3. Cook extra rice or pasta in the evening

• These can make great salads. Try a pasta salad or filled tortillas

4. Brightly coloured bottles can make plain water more interesting!

• Fluids are important for children – up to 6 cups of fluid should be encouraged daily. Milk and plain water are the best options. 

5. Get your child involved in packing lunches

• Let them help choose some element of their lunch. Pick a colourful lunchbox or let them decorate one  with stickers

6. Try out new ideas at teatime or the weekend

• Children often need to see and taste new foods several times before they accept them, so try them out before including them in a lunchbox

7. Try to offer different foods every day

• They may just want to stick with their favourites but encouraging them to eat a variety of foods is really important.

For more practical tips on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox click follow the link below.

Healthy Lunchboxes