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Nutritious lunchbox ideas

Claudine Ryan by Claudine Ryan
January 10, 2011
in Food News
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Nutritious lunchbox ideas
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With the start of a new year and schools going
back soon, one needs to think about making lunchboxes again. 

According to Claudine Ryan, registered dietician (SA) for Compass Group
Southern Africa, “Keeping a lunchbox nutritious and exciting at the same time
need not be tricky.” 

“Creative efforts with your child/children’s lunchbox/es will stimulate
concentration, behaviour and energy levels during and after school hours,” says
Ryan.  

If lunchboxes were am algebra equation, it should read like this:

Nutritious Lunchbox = ½(Fruit/Veg) + ¼ Low GI Starch + ¼ Protein

Equation explained:

½ lunchbox = Fruit + Vegetables

 

Use at least 2 different colours to ensure your
child gets a variety of minerals and vitamins.

You can include some:

  • Greens
    such as cucumber wedges, snap peas, green melon balls, green grapes or
    kiwi slices
  • Pinks,
    reds or purple such as cherry tomatoes, tomato wedges, strawberries,
    watermelon cubes, black grapes
  • Yellows
    or orange such as baby carrots, mini corn (mielies), naartjie segments,
    spanspek balls
  • Whites
    such as button mushrooms, apple wedges, peeled litchis or
  • Multi-colours
    such as coleslaw, mini vegetable skewers, fruit salad, fruit sticks.

 
¼ lunchbox (1 fistful) = low GI starch 

Include low GI whole wheat and seed breads, whole wheat pita breads, mini pita
pizza slices, provita, rye vita, rye bread, low GI baked treats (such as
muffins), cooked low GI pasta (whole wheat is better) , low GI rice (brown rice
is better), barley, baby potatoes, low GI pancakes for savoury wraps and
homemade mini low GI quiches.
 
¼ lunchbox = protein (size of your child’s palm) 

Include:

  • Healthy
    sources of fish such as tuna in water, fishcakes made with pilchards or
    sardines
  • Meat
    such as shaved cold meats, mini meatballs made with lean mince
  • Chicken
    such as grilled chicken strips, kebabs, shredded chicken as filling
  • Dairy
    such as low fat yoghurt, low fat flavoured milk, low fat cheeses
  • Boiled
    eggs or
  • Lean
    biltong can be included as a treat.

 
Additions to the lunchbox
 
Add only 1 serving of fat
Examples of healthier fats include:

  • 1
    tablespoon of low oil mayonnaise/dressing
  • Mashed
    avocado or
  • Low
    fat cream cheese

 
Drink
Healthy drinks include:

  • Water
  • Diluted
    fruit juice (100 %)
  • Homemade
    iced tea
  • Flavoured
    low fat milk or
  • Hot
    chocolate with low fat milk in winter

 
Special treat
Children love special treats in their lunchboxes, which include:

  • Low
    GI home baked items like low GI chocolate muffins
  • Healthy
    snack bars
  • Fruit
    bars
  • Dried
    fruit
  • Home
    popped popcorn or
  • Oat
    biscuits

 
Remember…

1.      It takes some
planning

  • Stock
    up on healthy foods at home.
  • Plan
    ahead by drawing up a weekly lunch “menu” to avoid repetition of food
    items.

 

2.      Make time

Prepare lunchboxes the night before if mornings are rushed to prevent you from
taking the easy way out and including unhealthy snacks.
 
 

3.      Be creative
and focus on food appearance

  • Make
    sure the lunchbox packaging is big enough so that the food is not crammed
    in and squashed.
  • Use
    a variety of colourful foods to stimulate your child visually e.g. carrot
    sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, colourful fruit sticks, vegetable
    kebabs etc.
  • Cut
    sandwiches into different shapes with a cookie cutter.
  • Use
    one slice of white bread and one slice of whole wheat bread to vary
    sandwiches and compromise taste.
  • Use
    tags or stickers to label food items with interesting names.
  • Kids
    love to dip so include healthy homemade dips such as hummus, mayonnaise
    mixed with plain yoghurt or low fat mayo.

 
For more information, please contact Claudine Ryan on 082 776 6437 or claudiner@kks.co.za  

 

 

Tags: Back To SchoolHealthyLunchboxNutrition


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