It is so important for everyone to have a good variety of food.
That doesn't mean you have to stop eating chocolate or crisps though...
Instead of the usual barmcake or bread, why not try something that looks and tastes different.
- Try a tortilla wrap, pitta pockets, a bagel, pasta or a wholegrain roll.
Try to get a portion of meat or fish into your lunchbox.
- It could be chicken, ham, beef, tuna...the list is endless
Get experimental with fruit and veg. Try something you've never tried before or normally say "Eurgghhhh" at, or you can just stick to bananas, apples and oranges they're tasty and great for your health.
- Take a box of raisins with you for a tasty, filling snack. If you feel really adventurous why not make a fruit salad, ask an adult to help you by chopping pineapple, melon and strawberries into small pieces. Add some seedless grapes and pear and you've got a colourful, healthy snack which will wake you up and help you concentrate on those difficult maths questions!
Calcium is a great way to build up strong teeth and bones.
- Add a small carton of semi-skimmed milk to your lunchbox, if you can't stand the taste of milk take a pot of yoghurt or fromage frais in your favourite flavour, there's loads to choose from. If you don't like either of those choices (how can you say strawberry fromage frais is disgusting!?) ask (nicely) whoever buys the shopping if they could pleeeeeeeeease buy you a selection of small cheeses, they're really tasty and so much better for you than your pack of crisps!
Now you're probably thirsty after all that gorgeous healthy food.
- Fruit Juice is not only tastier than the horrible sugary stuff you might want, but it's also great for your skin and for giving you energy. If you've really had enough of me talking about fruit and don't ever want to see the stuff again, take a bottle of water or maybe a yoghurt drink with you these are great energy sources too and water will help you keep awake and help you to concentrate well.
If you're used to eating a completely different type of lunch to this, it may take you a while to get used to eating healthier, you might decide you don't like fruit and veg before you've even tried them and like I said before, eating healthy food doesn't mean giving up chocolate and crisps completely, it's just a lot better for your health to bite into a juicy apple than reach for the crisps cupboard.
At least try!
How to Use Your Ingredients to Make a Tasty Lunch
There are loads of great websites out there that suggest different menus which will fill up your lunchbox with tasty, colourful food. You can find links to these websites at the bottom of this page, but carry on reading for my favourites.
Meal 1
Bagel with salad, canned salmon and medium fat cream cheese
Carrot batons
Apple
Diluted lime squash
2 jaffa cakes
Meal 2
Slice of pizza, deep pan, cheese and tomato
Cherry tomatoes, 4
Nut free cereal bar
Piece of Edam cheese
Fruit smoothie
Meal 3
Spicy mixed bean wrap (flour tortilla) with grated cheese and salad
Grapes
Ginger bread
Diluted blackcurrant squash
Low-fat crisps
Meal 4
1 English muffin toasted, with reduced-fat hard cheese, tomato and ham slices
Grapes
Unsweetened orange juice
Malt loaf
Meal 5
Potato salad, onion and reduced-fat sausage
Ready-to-eat apricots
Semi-skimmed Milk
Swiss roll
4 Cherry tomatoes
See how easy it is to mix healthy food with your usual lunchbox food?
You can get really creative with your lunchbox meals, ask whoever makes up your lunchbox if you can help them to fill it. Suggest some of the menus above, or go to the websites below and take ideas from other menus, you don't have to stick to exactly what they say.
Mix and match your menus, you'll start to really enjoy your school dinner and the different tasty foods every day.
Links to Healthy Eating websites:
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4 weeks worth of interesting menus for your school lunchbox. | |
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Healthy lunchbox ideas | |
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Advice on how to keep your lunchbox interesting and yummy! | |
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What to put into your lunchbox |