Life Hack: What is biohacking and can it help your child eat healthier at school?

Plus top afternoon snack superfoods to fuel children's brains and bodies

Biohacking their lunchboxes can impact a child's overall wellbeing. Picture: iStock

The kids are firmly back at school and it’s likely many parents started the new school year with good intentions when it came to planning their lunches. However, a month into the new term, they may already be looking for an easy way to introduce healthier snack options into their child’s day.

Those parents are not alone. Recent research from Lidl Ireland found treats such as chocolate, crisps, sweets and biscuits feature for most pupils (56%) as the main afternoon snack, with nearly 1 in 4 parents saying they struggle to get their child to eat a healthier alternative. And parents of secondary students struggle more, with 49% admitting it is hard to squeeze in better options.

“We all know how hard it can be for parents to get kids to eat nutritious foods, especially when they’re in school, but this new research from Lidl Ireland really unwraps some less healthy habits that can easily creep in when preparing lunch boxes, with over half of parents in Ireland adding in less nutritious options which can often contain high levels of sugar, causing that afternoon slump feeling we can all experience at times,” says dietitian Orla Walsh, who urges parents to consider the humble snack as one way to ensure their child gets essential nutrients.

“Snacking has become an increasingly important way of ensuring that kids get the nutrients they need to be at their best when learning in school. In fact, many people don’t realise that a single healthy snack can provide many key nutrients a child needs to properly fuel their bodies and their brains throughout the school day.”

She says biohacking their lunchboxes can impact a child’s overall wellbeing.

“With biohacking becoming a big trend, small and incremental changes to the lunchbox can really help, optimise what our kids are eating and when, to match their nutritional needs. Swapping out the less healthy options for nutritious and affordable snacks is a great step to better overall wellbeing.”

Here, Walsh shares her top afternoon snack superfoods to fuel children’s brains and bodies: “These five superfood snacks really are the heroes of the lunchbox and great alternatives for parents to ensure they’re packing as much nutrition into their child’s day as possible.”

Bell peppers

Bell peppers really are top of the class when it comes to nutrition. Did you know… just one serving of pepper provides your daily recommended intake of vitamin C? Vitamin C and folate support the normal function of the immune system and contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue so they’re ideal foods for overall body and brain health. Not only do they add colour, flavour and a fun crunch, but they’re naturally fat-free, low calorie and high in fibre – a real hero.

Bananas

When you think of high-energy snack foods, bananas are likely one of the first things that come to mind. They can be eaten alone or as part of other meals and make a super portable snack for kids to take to school. Eating a banana at break time will provide kids with a bunch of nutrients like carbohydrates, vitamin B6 and potassium.

Avocados

Avocados are known for their health benefits, providing healthy fats, fibre, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin B3, B5, B6 and B9. Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity while potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system which is important for growing bodies. Slice it or smash it – it’s a superbly fun addition to the lunchbox.

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt packs a powerful nutritional punch. Its high protein levels make it a great choice for healthy snacking as protein, as well as the calcium it provides, is needed for normal growth and development of bone in children. Protein also contributes to growth in muscle mass so a great boost for growing kids.

Oats

Packed with carbohydrates, wholegrains provide energy to fuel the brain and our movement. Oats also provide beta-glucans have been shown to lower blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. A ready-made oat bar is a great alternative to chocolate or why not add raw oats to Greek yoghurt with some fruit for a sweet tasting treat.