Cathal BarryNow that the kids are starting back at school it’s time to think about feeding your children properly during their long hours away from home.
When packing your child’s lunch, be sure to include an adequate amount of healthy protein, carbohydrates and fat for staying power.
Try to also include at least one piece of fruit and one vegetable to help them get enough of the recommended servings into their daily diet.
Skip the sugary drinks – offer cold water or homemade juices instead. If you must opt for the pre-packaged option, choose a juice with the least amount of additives and that contains all natural ingredients.
This can all be achieved with the traditional sandwich-style lunch. The bread, provided it is of a high quality, will provide ample amounts of carbohydrates for your child.
In a recent column on these pages I recommended spelt bread which could be one good option.
Ultimately, the key to selecting your choice of bread is avoiding wheat and gluten. Many shops now offer such a range to cater for those affected by coeliac disease or just for the ultra-health conscious among us trying to avoid heavily processed carbohydrates.
For the fillings, chicken, turkey or any other cold meat will ensure protein levels are maximised. Sliced deli-style meat is usually heavily processed so try to use meat you have precooked yourself. Make sure to add in some leafy greens too such as spinach, rocket or kale.
Snacks on the side can be tricky. Chocolate bars, crisps and sweets should be kept as a treat for the weekend, so try to tempt your children with some fruit instead. When they get bored of bananas, apples and oranges, try some blueberries, raspberries and strawberries for a change!
When packing your children’s lunch, keep in mind that kids aren’t given much time to eat during their break, so make sure the portions are reasonable and don’t include any foods that are complicated to assemble or unwrap.
Making their sandwich neat and easy to eat will make it more appealing too. Try cutting it into quarters and avoid using wet or runny fillings which can get messy.
Cutting veggies into sticks and slicing full-sized fruit like oranges and apples into segments will also help ensure they are eaten too.
As the weather turns colder, kids will naturally start to crave denser and warmer lunches. Using leftovers from dinner is an excellent way to make a lunch box meal work well during those cold autumn and winter months – while saving time, money and energy.
When organising your dinner, think about the next day’s lunch. Make extra servings at dinner, set them aside, and when they are cool put them in lunch containers and refrigerate for the next day so they’re ready to go. You can even bring them to work for lunch yourself!
Remember, lunches don’t have to be elaborate. Keep things simple but a little bit of effort goes a long way.