Healthy back-to-school lunchbox guide

  Katie Cameron, Nutritionist

It’s back to school time again, which for some families means the start of a whole new routine.  

Wherever your family is in your school journey, one thing is for certain: the ‘what should we pack in the lunchbox?’ question echoes throughout kitchens Monday to Friday and can feel like an endless challenge!

Healthy eating is important at all ages, but it’s particularly important for children as they are rapidly growing and developing. Kids consume a large portion of their food at school – often around one-third of their daily intake. This makes packing a lunchbox that’s nutritious, as well as tasty and easy to eat, essential. Research consistently shows that nutrition plays a key role in a child’s ability to learn. A well-balanced diet supports everything from focus and mood to memory, brain function and behaviour.

To help take some of the stress out of daily prep, we have put together our top tips and resources to make this year’s lunchbox journey easy, healthy and yummy for all.

What should I pack?

When packing the lunchbox, think about the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating as this can be a useful tool. We encourage parents to pack a variety of foods from the five food groups shown here. These include:

The Australian guide to healthy eating

  • Fruits

  • Vegetables

  • Milk, yoghurt and cheese, and alternatives

  • Lean meat and alternatives

  • Grain and cereal foods

And of course, don’t forget to pack water!

There is no one size fits all model. Just do your best and remember to celebrate the small wins.

The Main, Mini, Munch method!

Main

Aim to pack a lunch with some grains, protein and veggies. This can include a sandwich, wrap, sushi, pasta, curry, falafel or any dinner leftovers. Where needed, add an ice pack to keep food safe.

Mini

Reach for a healthy snack such as cheese and grainy crackers, hard-boiled eggs, homemade muffins, plain yoghurt, popcorn, tinned tuna, baked beans or fruit. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive.

Munch

If you think your child needs more food, pack some extra fruit and vegetables for them to enjoy. Pick seasonal, tinned or frozen to save money and encourage variety.

lunchbox

What does that look like in the lunchbox?

Lunchbox inspiration Healthy lunchbox inspiration Lunchbox ideas

For more ideas and inspiration, we run a free parent nutrition education session called Packed with Goodness. For more information, please visit our website.

Tips to keep in mind when packing the lunchbox

1. Keep it grab and go
Keep in mind that breaks at school aren’t very long (20 – 30 minutes), and most kids want to eat quickly and move straight to playing. Aim to keep the lunchbox simple with a main, a mini and a munch that are easy to eat, or grab and go. 

2. Power of choice
Encourage kids to get involved with packing the lunchbox; allowing them the opportunity to make some decisions with their food can help them to feel more engaged and excited about eating.

3. Maximise your leftovers
Don’t forget about the leftovers lifeline! Pack lunches using leftovers from dinner, you can even do the prep and pack the night before to save time in the morning. Just make sure leftovers are kept food safe. We have a handy blog about food safety, which you can read here. 

4. Snack attack solutions
Pre-packed, store-bought snack foods are often quite expensive and not so healthy as they contain cheap nutrient-poor ingredients. This means they don’t give your child the fuel they need to play, learn and grow. Making your own snacks can save money, boost nutrition and minimise waste. Plan ahead and stock up your fridge or freezer with homemade and easy to grab snacks such as cheese and cracker packs, mini yoghurt pots or healthy fruit or veg filled muffins.  You can make enough snacks to last the week or cook in bulk and freeze, leaving you a constant supply of snack attack solutions.

Some of our favourite freezer friendly snack recipes include:

 For more recipes check our website 

Resources for parents

Developed by nutritionists, our Crunch&Sip® healthy lunchbox resources are full of handy information to help parents and caregivers navigate the task of lunchbox packing, you can find all our printable resources here. 

Lunchbox handout Lunchbox planner Sandwich builder Healthy snack ideas
Healthy Lunchbox handout 
Weekly Lunchbox Planner
Sandwich Builder 
Healthy snacks handout

 

Along with these fantastic tips, recipes, and resources, we also have a podcast, Crunch Bites, where we chat about all things children’s health and nutrition.

Be sure to check out our lunchbox episode below!

https://embed.acast.com/6634526db472840012b34ecd/66345b5d956e900012d252db?theme=light