Healthy and tasty snack ideas for lunchboxes

WHILE most primary schools now enforce healthy eating policies that don’t allow sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks or crisps, it is not always easy to think of healthy alternatives that children will enjoy and parents often end up putting the same things into lunchboxes every day.

A healthy lunch should provide about a third of our daily nutritional needs and include a variety of breads and other carbs, protein, good fats for brain development, fruit and ideally some sliced vegetables, says nutritionist Nicola Murphy.

“One suggestion is to cook extra pasta or rice for dinner and use it to make a salad for lunch. You can add in some cold chicken or tuna, or some cubes of cheese and it will keep in the fridge until the next day. A larger joint of meat or salmon for dinner can provide sandwich fillings too. Fresh food is better for you and cheaper, as well as saving time for busy parents.”

Smoothies have become a popular way of encouraging children to eat fruit but are they a good idea? “They shouldn’t be a complete alternative as it is important for children to get used to chewing the skins and fibres of fruit,” Murphy says. “As they are so easy to make, I am a fan of the homemade variety and they are much more economical.”

Children need to see and taste new foods a few times before they accept them, so try new ideas at home before including in their lunchbox. “Children’s input is important and the fact that they are involved in decisions should encourage them to eat their lunches.”

Murphy’s healthy lunchbox ideas:

* Good protein foods are chicken, turkey, home-cooked ham, fish, cheese, eggs and hummus.

* Good carbs include brown bread, wraps, pittas, spelt bread, pasta or rice and oatcakes. Wholegrain varieties will keep kids feeling fuller for longer and contain more fibre for a healthy digestive system.

* Colour and variety is the key to encouraging kids to eat more salads and fruit. Use cherry tomatoes as they won’t go soggy. Shred carrots and add raisins for a sweet snack. Include dried fruits like apricots or apple rings.

* Cut up fruit and vegetables into bite-sized chunks for younger kids. Add a dip like hummus, a cheese dip or homemade tomato salsa. A squeeze of lemon juice will stop fruit or veg going brown.

* Still water is best option to drink. If it is difficult to get them to drink water alone, choose fresh pressed juices and dilute with water.

* Choose unsweetened yoghurts with added fruit, rather than added sugar or artificial sweeteners. A nice break time snack could be stewed fruit, with a little natural yoghurt and granola.

* Investing in small sealable containers for lunch boxes is a good idea as it will keep foods fresh and separate, preventing smells and flavours from mixing.

* Nicola Murphy is a nutritionist with Wholefoods Wholesale; www.wholefoods.ie