Feeding your child a healthy lunch at school is important as it will help them be successful in their studies. Packing your child a nutritious meal that offers the necessary daily food group categories can help your child focus on their lessons as well as maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Many parents do not realise that when they allow their child to digest junk foods, they are inadvertently contributing to the potential malnourishment or obesity of the child. This article will offer some creative ideas for packing a healthy school lunch.

Before we share some great healthy lunch ideas, it is important to look further at the implications that can occur based on the food that is provided to a child while at school.

The correlation between eating healthy and learning is impressive

Childhood obesity is on the rise in staggering numbers. There are several causes for this and most, if not all are preventable. Packing your child a lunch that is rich in lean protein, includes vibrant fruits and vegetables, and offers them a tasty meal in between their lessons can make a difference in whether or not your child is successful in getting good marks.

Research conducted by the Action for Health Kids draws attention to the fact that those children who survive off of processed foods are not only at a greater risk of developing obesity, but they are also more likely to be teased in school which could relate to higher absenteeism.

Obesity can be detrimental to the development of your child emotionally as well as physically. In addition, if your child is not in school, they are not learning at the same pace as the other pupils.

Benefits to eating a healthy lunch

There are many benefits to eating a healthy lunch. Maintaining focus, having sustained energy throughout the day, and satisfying hunger are all important elements to helping your child have a great day at school. If you are too busy to pack our child a lunch, consider looking into schooling options that offer a variety of nutritious meals in the tuition package.

No matter how old your child is, educational establishments with great merit such as Harmony Early Learning Centres offer well balanced meals that are selected by a highly trained medical doctor and cooked by a chef on school property. The convenience of having your child’s meals prepared is quite relieving for busy parents who do not have much time to spend managing lunches on top of all other household responsibilities.

Food is love

In many cultures, food is a sign of love and compassion. Food can bring people together and can positively impact a person’s outlook on life. When packing your child a lunch for school, consider adding a note letting your child know you love them. If you’re child is unable to read, instead of writing a note, consider drawing a picture.

There are many ways that you can express your love for your child by packing them a healthy lunch that they will be sure to eat in between lessons.

One of the key components to getting your child to consume the healthy lunch that you packed, is to switch up the options every now and again. Also, consider adding a surprise to the lunch box sporadically to bring a smile to your child’s face. Here are some tips and ideas for packing the most epic healthy school lunch for your child.

5 ideas for making healthy school lunches

1. Involve your kids

Make packing your child’s lunch fun. If they are old enough, you can begin to involve them and teach them about the food groups. Give your child some ideas for what fits into each food group and let them help you select what to put on a two-week meal plan.

2. Create a two-week plan

Be sure to add all food groups to your child’s lunch on a daily basis. To help you stay organised, try creating a two-week plan that will outline ideas of what you will pack over those days. This list can also serve as a grocery shopping list and can help you inventory items that you already have so that you don’t over buy at the supermarket.

3. Get creative

Turn healthy foods into fun and appealing foods that your child will enjoy eating. Look around your home for cookie cutters, scoops, stickers, washi tape, and other small toys that you can use to make mundane foods more fun. For example, instead of packing a turkey sandwich, consider using some fun shaped cookie cutters to create smaller turkey sandwiches. Perhaps every now and then surprise your child by making a themed lunch. Here are some ideas:

  • Pirate lunch. Create fun shapes with your cookie cutters to make a pirate out of cucumber, olives, and white cheddar cheese.
  • Zoo. Create zoo animals out of cheese, bread, and small deli meats.
  • Monkeys. Your little monkey will love opening their lunch box to find bananas, peanut butter, crackers, fruit, and cheese for lunch!

4. Try making snacks on your own

While it may take you a great deal of time to make snacks instead of buying them from your local market, at least you will know what your child is consuming. Many snacks that can be purchased at the supermarket and are pre-packaged are often processed, chemical-ridden, and lack the nutritional value that is important to your child’s growth and development.

5. Pack a water bottle

Help your child understand the importance of drinking water by packing a water bottle instead of juice. Your child needs to drink up to 8 cups of water a day to help stay energised and focused during school. Steer clear of sugary drinks such as lemonade or juice and pack your child a bottle of water or milk.