After preparing a nutritious and tasty lunch for your little one, the last thing you want to see at the end of the school day is a lunchbox still containing that same lunch. The waste of food, not to mention the time in the kitchen, is an obvious issue, but uneaten lunches can be a real worry if it starts to become a daily occurrence for your child.
If a child is not eating their lunch they may feel sluggish and unable to concentrate in school. Small children especially may become irritable and tired, which may lead to behavioural problems in the classroom and yard.
Snacking on nutritious foods during the school day is crucial to a child’s physical and mental development, and it provides them with the much-needed energy to get through a day of learning and playing.
As well as maintaining energy levels, a nutrient-filled diet can also help to protect the child’s immune system, keeping them strong enough to naturally fight off all those bugs and germs which linger around stuffy classrooms.
With 30 minutes allocated to the school lunch break, for many, playtime inevitably takes priority over eating their lunch, so one way to combat the problem of half-eaten lunches is to include small, portable items which can easily be brought out on yard.
Nutrient-dense snacks such as bananas or homemade granola bars can be consumed with ease while also providing the child with a stable energy boost.
Ideally a lunchbox should include some fruit or vegetables, a source of protein and some dairy, but including any sort of nutritious foods which you know your child to enjoy is essential.
Many children welcome the idea of being involved with the preparation of their lunch.
If the child helps to shop for their ingredients and then assembles some part of their lunch, it will give them a certain amount of responsibility, and in turn it might spark a little interest in trying out what they’ve helped to prepare.
Chicken pinwheel wraps
Wraps tend to be a great hit with children, as they are easy for little hands to manage and also take less time to consume, which leaves a few more minutes for the all-important playground. I am obsessed with keeping sandwiches cool, especially if they include meat, so I invested in some tiny icepacks a few years back, which I always tuck under wrapped sandwiches, rolls and wraps.
100g plain Greek yoghurt
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp curry powder
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
2 chicken fillets, diced
To serve:
4 flour tortilla wraps
3-4 tsp mayonnaise
½ iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Crunchy coconut granola pots
Natural probiotic yoghurts are a great addition to a lunchbox, as the good bacteria in the yoghurt is wonderful for the gut and helps to fight away some of the bugs little ones come into contact with in the classroom. There are many different flavours on the market, but if you’re using a natural probiotic yoghurt, and your little one finds it too bitter, simply stir through a little honey or maple syrup before serving. This granola will keep well in an air-tight container for up to a fortnight.
200g porridge oats
50g sesame seeds
50g sunflower seeds
25g desiccated coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
50ml coconut oil
25ml maple syrup
25g soft brown sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
To serve:
Natural probiotic yoghurt
Fresh berries