School Lunchbox Ideas

School Lunch Box Ideas
Children need to eat a variety of foods everyday to stay healthy, so it is important to pack their lunch box with foods that are good for them and taste great too.

A lunchbox should always include:

• At least 2 pieces of fruit (fresh, dried or tinned)
• At least 1 serve of dairy food such as yoghurt, milk or cheese
• At least 3-4 serves carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, crispbread, grain and fruit based bars, pasta, etc.

Here are some healthy lunch, snack and drink ideas to fill their lunch boxes.

Lunch Box Lunches

• Bagel with Vegemite and cheese
• English breakfast muffins with tomato and cheese
• Pita bread with peanut butter, grated carrot and cheese
• Corn or rice cakes with peanut butter
• Cold pasta spirals mixed with salad vegetables and lean ham
• Mini pizza with cheese and pineapple
• Sandwiches with various fillings such as:
  o Vegemite and cheese
  o Lettuce, grated carrot and cheese
  o Peanut butter
  o Tuna/chicken/ham with mayonnaise
  o Avocado or cream cheese and salad
  Hint: cut sandwiches into different shapes for younger children and vary the bread from day to day, eg. white, wholemeal, rye, bagel.

Lunch Box Snacks

• Fresh, dried or tinned fruit or fruit salad – bananas, apples, pears, mandarins, nectarines, grapes, sultanas, dried apples or apricots
• Uncle Tobys grain and fruit based bars
• Grissini sticks (thin Italian bread sticks) with cheese dip
• Crackers with spread
• Plain popcorn
• Fruit muffins or fruit loaf
• Cheese sticks
• Yoghurt
  Hint: freeze yoghurt overnight to prevent bacterial growth
• Carrot and celery sticks with cheese dip
• Sultana and peanut mix or mixed nuts
• Small can of baked beans or spaghetti
• Creamed rice with fruit
• Hard boiled egg
• Pikelets or scones

Lunch Box Drinks

• Water
• 100% Fruit juices or vegetable juices
• Flavoured or plain milk (Longlife)
  Hint: frozen water or tetra packs can be used as a freezer brick to keep foods cold such as yoghurt and meat.