20 FEBRUARY 2001

Solving the Lunchbox Dilemma

It’s back to school time again and that means organising books, uniforms and of course the school lunch box. We all know how difficult finding something quick, tasty and healthy for lunch boxes can be. However, providing our children with a healthy lunch to give them the energy and vitamins for their active days has never been more important.

Nutrition Australia Dietitian, Rachael Bradford gives some timely tips on making healthy lunch boxes that your children won’t want to swap.

The basis of a healthy lunch box is to provide something from each section of the Healthy Eating Pyramid every day. A healthy lunchbox contains at least two-three serves of breads and cereals, one dairy product, one meat product and at least three fruit and vegetables. Encourage your children to split up the breads and cereals between morning tea and lunch.

Try these tasty combinations -

¨ Pita wrap (with hommus, grated cheese, carrot, capsicum, snow pea sprouts), frozen milk, plum, raisin bread

¨ Homemade pasta salad (with corn, capsicum, shallots and peas), dried apricots, fresh blueberries and wholemeal pikelets

¨ Double decker sandwich (chicken, mayonnaise, celery and carrot) on three slices of bread, apple and kiwi combo, cheese slice and rice crackers

¨ Wholemeal bread roll with egg and lettuce, frozen yoghurt, bunch of grapes and a scone

¨ Vegetable noodle salad, banana bread, frozen milk drink, dried fruit and nut mix

¨ Water is the best drink – drink juice just once a day.

And to keep things really cool:

¨ Place the frozen items (e.g. frozen water bottle, freeze brick, frozen fruit juice) next to the sandwich or fruit that needs to stay cool.

¨ Take lunch in an insulated cooler bag

¨ Add colourful napkins, greaseproof paper with string or stickers to add more interest into the lunchbox.

ENDS

Rachael Bradford
Dietitian/Nutritionist
Nutrition Australia
Phone: 07-3876-2677
Fax: 07-3876-2254
Email: qld@NutritionAustralia.org

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