Safefood offers advice on back-to-school lunchboxes

As children prepare to head back to school, Safefood offers advice on how to help create both healthy and enjoyable lunchboxes.

Joana da Silva, Chief Specialist in Nutrition at Safefood, emphasises the positive impact of well-balanced school lunches on children’s concentration and learning abilities.

Let’s explore Safefood’s top five tips for preparing healthy and exciting lunchboxes this school year:

Include all the food groups

Aim to incorporate a wide variety of foods from each food group. Ensure your child’s lunch consists of fruits and vegetables, foods like bread, pasta, and rice, proteins such as meat, beans, pulses, fish, and eggs, and dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese. This variety promotes a balanced diet and establishes healthy eating habits for life.

Vary the kinds of bread

Try out different types of bread. Instead of using plain sliced bread every day – why not try brown bread, pittas, bagels, or wraps for extra variety. Keeping a stock of different bread options in the freezer helps you with reducing food waste.

Stay hydrated

Keeping hydrated throughout the day is great for your child’s well-being. They should aim to drink at least 8 cups of fluid daily with milk and water being the best drink options. We know getting children to drink water can be challenging – you can flavour it with slices of fruits like lemon or berries for a burst of flavour. For younger children, another idea is to use brightly coloured bottles or fun containers to make water more appealing and interesting.

Get them involved

Involve your child in choosing and getting their own lunch ready. This is a great way for them to learn about healthy eating and develop good habits. If your child is starting school this year, help them to practice opening and closing their lunchbox in advance – this can save time and ensure they are independent during lunch breaks. And their teacher will appreciate it too!

Try out new ideas

Introducing new foods to children can be tricky and it often takes several attempts for them to accept new foods as part of their regular diet. To help with this, try new meal ideas during dinner time or at the weekends before including them in the weekly lunchbox.

Food safety

Here are some tips to keep in mind when putting a lunchbox together:

• Consider using insulated lunchboxes or bags to keep items cool until lunchtime, especially if including foods like yogurts or milk.

• Remind your child to store their lunch away from radiators or direct sunlight to keep their food fresh.
• Wash and dry reusable water bottles, lids, and lunchboxes with warm soapy water each day to keep them clean. Check out our guide on keeping lunchboxes clean here.

With the new school year approaching, we hope these lunchbox tips from Safefood will help you along the way. By including a variety of foods, exploring different bread options, staying hydrated, involving your child in the process, and introducing new ideas gradually, you can ensure their lunchtime experience is enjoyable.