Cheree Sheldon, Nutritionist for the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge shares some tips about how to pack a low sugar lunch box for your kids:
Most schools have guidelines these days about what you can and can’t pack for school lunches. This is usually due to allergies that are present.
I suggest sending a note inside your child’s lunchbox with an ingredient list of what is in your homemade goodies so there are no issues with a teacher thinking they are unhealthy treats when really they are wholefood, hidden veggies, amazing, healthy power foods!!
Here are my top 5 lunch box ideas. They include snacks and lunch and don’t contain nuts as most schools don’t allow them. Always add water in your kid’s lunch box as well:
- Homemade chicken strips, pitted olives, cucumber rounds. Smoothie of milk, pea protein, and a children’s vitamin powder with a tiny bit of carob or cacao/cocoa powder. Popcorn. Mandarin.
- Wholemeal sandwich of avocado and banana. Hard boiled egg. Homemade muffin (like those found in the 28 Day Challenge recipe hub). Cheese and apple slices.
- Mini meat loaf slices. Lettuce, cherry tomatoes and carrot. Sunflower spread on corn thins. Pear and raspberries.
- Toasted pita triangles with hummus. Natural yoghurt with homemade fruit puree (no added sugar). Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and goji berries. Home made banana bread.
- Corn fritters with avocado and tomato. Tortilla wrap with sunflower seed spread, alfalfa and sultanas. Frozen orange wedges. Celery and carrot sticks.
As a general rule, limit fruit to two serves per day (for young kids this means a total of one piece), add some protein for every meal (egg, meat, legumes), add in some low GI carbs (wholemeal bread or wrap, quinoa or sweet potato), and a good fat (like avocado or seeds).
Try the many delicious and healthy lunch recipes and snack ideas in the 28 Day Challenge Hub to create similar suggestions as outlined above.
Cheree Sheldon, Nutritionist
