Healthy lunchbox helps make healthy kids

13/03/2006 -

Eating healthy food helps children concentrate and learn, so it is important to ensure they take a healthy lunchbox to school.

The best lunches are nutritious, quick to prepare and easy to eat. Encourage your child to be involved in choosing and preparing food. It is a fun way to help them learn about making healthy food choices.

Given that sandwiches are often the lunchbox norm, keep kids interested by using a variety of breads. Try wholemeal, rye, rolls, pita, bagels, focaccia, fruit bread and rice cakes.

For plenty of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, try to include at least a serve each of fruit and vegetables in every lunchbox. One serve equals one piece of fruit or half a cup of vegetables – try a variety, including vitamin C rich foods such as citrus fruits, tomato, capsicum, kiwifruit, rockmelon, strawberries and a dark green or yellow fruit or vegetable for carotene. It is preferable to give children fresh fruit as dried fruit has a much higher concentration of sugar.