We all know that it’s vital for a child’s health and development that they leave home each day with (or are able to access at school) a nutritional lunch that they will eat and enjoy. However, as a parent of young children, one of the most difficult, and frustrating, jobs during every school year is finding a way to ensure that the food does, in fact, get eaten. There’s not likely to be a parent on the planet who hasn’t had their child bring home a half-eaten sandwich and shrivelled-looking fruit from school at least once — especially when so many other kids in the playground are likely flaunting their chocolate biscuits or other processed, refined and sugary foods. However, it is possible to pack a lunch for your child each day that is both nutritious and appealing to them. If you want to learn some of the tips and tricks you can try out this school year, prepare to take notes!

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Involve Your Children

Studies show that it’s vitally important for children to eat healthy meals at school so that their concentration and learning ability is not impaired. This is something that you should communicate to your children. Although you might have the knowledge, if your kids don’t actually eat the healthy food you pack them, the effort is for naught. Spend time at home explaining how healthy foods will help them, and children will be more likely to factor this in at lunch time.

It’s also a good idea to involve your child as much as possible in the preparation and choice of their food. When kids have a say in what they eat for lunch each day, they feel a sense of control. This feeling increases the likelihood that they will eat their food. Each day (or the night before school) you can offer some lunch options to your child to choose from. For example, let them choose between two or three fruit options, and give them a choice of sandwich fillings or bread type. After that, let your child spend some time assembling the lunch and placing into their own lunch box or bag. These simple tasks will help the child to feel more confident in their abilities and a sense of pride about their control over what they eat — all of which will encourage them to eat the food they take to school.

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Think Outside the Box

It will come as no surprise to hear that kids get bored with the same lunches served up time and again. To help combat this boredom and bring some more interest to the daily lunchtime meal, ensure that you think outside the box when it comes to food choices. Children love fast food, so search online for the many recipes that you can utilise to create healthy versions that kids will love to eat.

Also, don’t feel that you have to stick to the standard sandwich options every day. If your child enjoys many of the meals you create for dinner, pack leftovers for their lunch as well. Similarly, many kids love finger foods, so consider adding this to your lunch box repertoire. Serve up a mini tasting plate that contains a mixture of fruit, vegies, chunks of meat, boiled egg and the like, and children can enjoy grazing across a range of flavours.

 

Presentation Is Key

Kids are also driven by colour and variety, so serving up a lunch box that looks fun and inviting each day will also help encourage them to eat their food. Apart from ensuring that each meal is created from a variety of colours, you can also cut sandwiches into fun shapes, place cut up pieces of fruit on to wooden sticks to create fruit kebabs, and wrap sliced meats around cheese or veggie sticks to create interest. Utilising fun, colourful and personalised lunch boxes also helps to keep a child interested in their lunch. You can find personalised containers that kids will love to show off. You can also spark more interest in the daily lunch routine by writing a sweet or funny note each day and slipping it into your child’s lunch box. This will have them keen to open their bag every day to see what note has been left for them, as well as reaffirming your love for them and helping them to feel special.

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About the Author: Rosie Higgins is a former paediatrician turned fulltime mum. She blogs about her experiences (and misadventures) with three children when time permits.