The school term is well and truly underway and full steam ahead!
The morning routine is hopefully in place and working smoothly and the children are all smiles and loving school life 😊
For parents of younger children, you may feel your life has become a never ending cycle of washing and ironing school uniforms, school notes, events and of course packing lunchboxes!
There are so many articles available for families , showing us pictures of beautifully presented character inspired lunchboxes, offering a smorgasbord of options and delicacies to feed our children during their school day.. But lets be truly honest and ask the question: Is this really what is important when packing lunchboxes for growing bodies?
If your answer was no, then you may be interested in these 5 tips for packing school lunchboxes:
1) Pack enough food for your child to eat, without going overboard. Generally a sandwich or main meal equivalent for lunch + a snack and 2 snacks (fruit/ vegie + other) for recess, 1-2 extra snacks if needed and enough drinking water to last the day
2) Pack foods that you know your child likes and will eat. The school lunchbox is not the time to try your child with new foods. (It would be awful to learn that they didn’t like the new food and have spent the day hungry)
3) Safe storage- what can I pack in my child’s lunchbox that will stay stored safely ie ham sandwiches and yoghurt require an ice brick top keep them safe to eat.
4) Variety vs favourites- while it is nice to provide a variety of different things throughout the week, if your child prefers a specific thing for lunch ie vegemite sandwich on wholemeal bread, every single day of the school term, that’s OK!! It’s their lunch
5) Get the kids to help pack their own lunchboxes- with you to guide them on what is an appropriate option or not, allow the children to make choices of what to take to school to eat today.
Please also remember that some schools may have certain nutrition policies and safety policies such as no peanut butter or Nutella, so always be aware of these.
Below are a list of handy links that you may find useful when you pack your next lunchbox 😊
Cancer council healthy lunch boxes https://healthylunchbox.com.au/.../packing-a-healthy...
Raising kids network
Victorian government
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