Do your children take lunch boxes to school? Do you find it difficult to come with the healthy options?
With the start of the school year looming in the very near future, nutritionist Azmina Govindji put together some ideas for the lunchbox swaps.
1. Trade a regular bag of crisps for Popchips, they are literally popped with heat and pressure, so there's no fat used in frying and kids will love them (ahem, not just kids. After I reviewed Popchips a couple of months ago, I have been regularly buying them for myself, I am particularly addicted to the BBQ flavour).
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2. Go for squeezy yoghurts over ice cream for a good fix of calcium and protein.
3. Leave the chocolate on the shelf and opt for jaffa cakes as a lighter sweet treat.
4. Stir up a calcium-rich milkshake and forget those sugary soft drinks! (that's better for the after school treat).
For two big glasses of milkshake you will need a glass and one third of semi-skimmed milk, a small tub of fromage frais or yogurt, a handful of blueberries, one small banana, a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (Haagen Dazs is the best, but we also love the Cornish style ice cream). Put all the ingredients in the blender and whizz well. Serve at once. If you use fromage frais, the milkshake will be creamier in consistency and slightly sweeter. If you prefer to use the yogurt, the taste will have a sharp note. Experiment with different yogurts and ice cream, add strawberries or raspberries instead of blueberries.
5. Choose low fat cheese spread as a source of calcium and protein over processed meat, which can be higher in salt.
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My children love chopped carrots or grapes in theirs and I always give them water to drink.
ReplyDeleteplenty fruit
ReplyDeleteapples and raisons
ReplyDeleteBrown Rice salad with grapes and raisins in it
ReplyDeleteMake up your own sandwich paste mixing in protein & salad/veggies to cram in some hidden goodness!
ReplyDeletePitta bread slices with houmous.
ReplyDeletepasta and fruit
ReplyDeleteVeg sticks and a pot of salsa or hummus to dip them in
ReplyDeletecarrot sticks and dip
ReplyDeletepitta bread and hummus
ReplyDeleteSince Despicable me my ones loves bananas.
ReplyDeleteAlso some hummus with cheese in goes down well with veggie stick!
Lots of nice seasonal fruit
ReplyDeleteA small flask of homemade soup, particularly good in the Winter months!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a bowl of salad when I was a kid - with a bit of lite thousand island, YUM!
ReplyDeleteMy girls love carrot and cucumber fingers xx
ReplyDeleteLean Protein, raw vegetables and salad
ReplyDeleteTry to incorporate all the colours of the rainbow
ReplyDelete@littleboo_21
lots of fruit xx
ReplyDeleteSome nice pot's of mixed homemade fruit cocktail.
ReplyDeletefruit, homemade soup in winter, and let the kids bake something for there lunches
ReplyDeletefruit and yoghurt
ReplyDeleteFruit kebabs.
ReplyDeleteMum used to make them for me called 'traffic lights' when I was little, arranged with kiwi (green) at the bottom, followed by pineapple or banana slices (yellow) and topped with strawberry (red).
To make them safe and child friendly, thread the fruit on to used ice lolly sticks instead of sharp cocktail sticks. Children actually enjoy eating healthy if food is presented as creatively as this! :)
Carrot sticks, cucumber sticks,raisins. I'm fortunate that my little 3 year old loves her fruit and veg. x
ReplyDeleteUsing wraps instead of bread :) Tastes just as nice but normally healthier
ReplyDeletecucumber sandwiches
ReplyDeletehomous and cucumber or carrot sticks
ReplyDeletebreadsticks and dip make a nice alternative to crisps
ReplyDeletetuna & mayonaise sandwich - Omega 3 is good for their brain
ReplyDeleteMy kids like Houmous and Pitta with carrot and cucumber sticks. I also buy dried apple rings as a snack
ReplyDeletePasta salad and fruit
ReplyDeleteVegetable crisps with a low fat dip :)
ReplyDeleteCheese & crackers with vegetable crudités
ReplyDeleteChopped up fruit and veg :)
ReplyDeleteMash veg into potato to give texture and colour. And fruit and veg smoothies are fantastic
ReplyDeletei give my girls cous cous with extra veggies chopped into it they love it and it makes a nice change to sandwiches
ReplyDeleteI suggest a hunk of cheese, crackers and a piece of fruit that's not too messy to eat - like an apple.
ReplyDeletesmoothies
ReplyDeleteI just like a plain crusty cob and some fruite.
ReplyDeletecarrot sticks and humous followed by fruit
ReplyDeleteFrozen bananas are great in lunch boxes over summer and pitta bread stuffed with salad and greated cheese always goes down well too!
ReplyDeleteI put in little carrot sticks, grapes and cherry tomatoes for nice heathy nibbles.
ReplyDeleteI give rice portions as a healthier alternative to bread which both my children get very bored with
ReplyDeleteany fruit and veg that you can chop up well, yogurt, raisins, cheese cubes, home baked mini veggie pizzas, ...
ReplyDeleteCarolin x
Lots of Fruit and Veg. No white bread!! (I hate the stuff)
ReplyDeleteHummus with carrot sticks or celery sticks or a nice fruit smoothie :-). gemmatranter@mail.com (gfc...gemmatranter). http://gemsi2011.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI have also commented on your k-shocolat-melting-pot-review. Just thought I'd let you know which post I commented on for the extra entries :-).
ReplyDeleteBe good to try to encourage others to switch out traditional snacks!
ReplyDeleteChopped up fruit. Always try not to give them the same every day or they will get bored.
ReplyDeleteA healthy Sandwich with plenty of Salad in it and chopped up fruit on the side
ReplyDeletelots of fruit. x
ReplyDeleteTuna, sweetcorn and pasta salad instead of a sandwich
ReplyDeletea wholemeal pitta bread with chicken salad inside. 2 pieces of fruit, nuts & raisins
ReplyDeleteLoads of fruit & cheese
ReplyDeleteBanana
ReplyDeleteI always add raisins and veg sticks with a bottle of water in my kids pack ups
ReplyDeleteFruit salad gives plenty of healthy variety and don't stick to sandwiches there's bagels and pitta bread amongst others
ReplyDeleteTuna and sweetcorn wrap with whatever salad they like. Low fat yogurt for calcium, mixed fruit salad (a couple of their 5 a day)
ReplyDeleteBread, carrot and cucumber sticks with dip
ReplyDeleteCarrot sticks are always very popular as well as raisins, grapes and apples. I think the key is to get your kids involved in making and packing their lunch and give them choices so they want to eat the healthy stuff, also they are far more creative than we are with what they want!
ReplyDeleteWraps with tuna and sweetcorn, yoghurts, fruit or if you have ran out then raisins or yoghurt covered raisins, raspberries, strawberries etc. Cheese for calcium for e.g. baby belle. Bio yoghurts with live bacteria cultures which aid good digestion and help to stave off upset tummies. If kids are fed up with sandwiches, wraps and wants something different then roast chicken pieces which are precooked and can be eaten cold with carrot sticks and cucumber with a humus dip or a little drop of mayo.
ReplyDeleteThe best idea is to take the kids with you to the supermarket and let them choose with your guidance, their own packed lunch. Makes them feel involved.
Banana sandwiches
ReplyDeletelittle pots of chopped up fruit nice and quick to eat with no peeling leaves plenty of time to play after lunch
ReplyDeletechopped carrots and cucumber
ReplyDeleteA handful of nuts helps!!!!!
ReplyDeletePitta Bread, Carrot Sticks, Humus
ReplyDeleteWholemeal bread and breadsticks
ReplyDeleteI do a big bowl of fruit salad which lasts a few days and I also do cold couscous with raisins and nuts
ReplyDeletepasta salads and lots of fruit
ReplyDeleteFruit, got to be fruit all the time. Just make it different everyday.
ReplyDeleteMy little girl loves rice cakes with a bit of marmite on.
ReplyDeletefresh rice salad with lots of veg mixed into it x x x x
ReplyDeleteMy tips for a healthy lunchbox include making sure your child has fruit everyday, anything from raisins, bananas, strawberries or even a little pot of home-made fruit salad. Sandwiches on wholemeal or granary bread with fillings including tuna and salad, cheese and tomato or egg, but also lovely alternatives to sandwiches include wraps filled with your child's favourite fillings! My little girl also enjoys little boxes of home-made salad and slices of quiche in the summer and in the winter she takes in a small flask of soup with crusty bread! A bottle of water is also a good choice!
ReplyDeletecoppelia100@btinternet.com / Hayley Todd
My boys love cold sweetcorn fritters and they are great as healthy pack lunch fillers
ReplyDeletePitta bread is healthier than normal bread and packing all your 'ingredients' separately can be fun for kids to construct their own sandwiches. They're more likely to eat veg if they've put it in themselves. If you put it in, they're more likely to pick it out!
ReplyDeletemy four children all want different things at the same time would love to try pop chips on them to see if they all agree on something, they do love their raisans and sultanas
ReplyDeleteChopped carrots and a small tub of sultanas. My kids love them and they are easy to eat
ReplyDeleteLots of choice and getting children involved in choosing their own lunch options :)
ReplyDeleteMy 2 love strawberries and grapes
ReplyDeleteA small pack of raisins - they might actually get eaten
ReplyDeleteCut vegetables like cucumber and carrot into little snack size sticks - the kids are much more likely to munch them!
ReplyDeletePlenty of fruit
ReplyDeleterice salad, dried fruit, veggie sticks with a scrummy dip and popchips bien sur!!
ReplyDeleteI commented on Cuor di bue tomatoes, stuffed with rice and minced turkey
ReplyDeletefresh fruit, nuts and wholemeal breaded sarnies
ReplyDeleteMy kids love rice salad as a change from sandwiches
ReplyDeletevegetable sticks with dip, yoghurt and berries, smoothie
ReplyDelete