Their food need to be delicious, nutritious and make them feel full. It can be hard initially because you’re not used to it, or have got into habits for a whole pile of reasons or your child is picky but it’s so worth the effort to get back on the nutrition track. Your child will be more attentive in class, they’ll feel better and be in a better mood for you at the end of the day. It’s the ultimate in health prevention!
I remember being at school and feeling starved by recess, which is when I’d fill up on a small packet of chips, maybe a biscuit or two and some fruit. It did nada for my concentration and wasn’t satisfying. I would often feel a bit dizzy I’d get so hungry, which meant I needed more protein and certainly couldn’t concentrate on school work.
There is quite a gap between breakfast and recess, even more so when parents work or when kids start going to high school, so getting into good habits early will set them up well for life. Their lunch box needs to be filled with nutritional food. Of course it would be great if your kids had breakfast that started with some protein to kick off their day too!
Some suggestions for your child that will nourish their brain as well as taste buds and tummy include the following… where possible, get them to help you prepare the food as their input will mean there is a higher chance they’ll eat it:
RECESS:
- Hard boiled organic free-range egg
- Corn fritters (pop chickpeas in when making to increase protein levels)
- A mix of sunflower seeds, pepitas, dried cranberries and shaved coconut
- Miso soup, Free-range Chicken soup, Lentil soup in winter
- Blanched carrot sticks, sugar snaps and snow peas
- Fruit in season (check the side list) Blue berries, Strawberries, cut up apple, mandarins, grapes & cherries.
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Falafel (made with chickpeas so a good protein hit)
- Savoury muffins: Pumpkin and basil, Honey and carrot (when cooking you can pop in some ground Chia seeds which are packed with antioxidants).
LUNCH:
- Cooked tuna sushi
- Wraps & Sandwiches with hummus, sardines (brain food) or salmon or free-range cold meats and lettuce
- Instead of meat and fish you could also try tempeh and lentils for their protein fix in the wrap.
The key to lunch is that it’s packed with protein. So if your child is only into cheese or vegemite, it’s time to look at other ways of getting it in. You can buy tuna spread which is a good start to broadening their pallet.
by Rebecca Mar Young – Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs & Chinese dietary therapy for women and children
Learn more nutritious lunch box ideas plus how to use food as medicine to improve your child’s health in our home study program for mums, The A-Z of Home Remedies for Children’s Health.