Box clever

FEBRUARY MEANS back to school. And while parents usually breathe a sigh of relief to get back into everyday routines, it can be cause for stress: what to put in the lunchboxes that’s healthy, but also actually gets eaten? Just like lunches for grown-ups, what the kids eat in the middle of the day is important in influencing how much energy they have throughout the afternoon and evening, and how well they learn. A healthy lunch helps a child grow, develop strong bones and perform well at school. It also helps concentration and learning.

It is fantastic to see Fonterra launch the Milk in Schools programme for all 350,000 primary school kids in New Zealand. Older Kiwis who have less-than-fond memories of warm milk at the school gate can be reassured: the programme includes fridges! Ensuring kids have one of their daily dairy servings will give a boost to bone health and provide protein, calcium and essential vitamins.

Here’s a reminder of the other essentials to try to include in a healthy lunchbox (this goes for grown-ups, too):

Carbohydrates

Obviously this is where the good old sandwich comes in, and while there’s nothing wrong with Vegemite or peanut butter (if it’s allowed) every day, some kids might like a bit of variety. If you’ve got a fussy ‘‘white bread and jam’’ kid, experiment with ‘‘rainbow’’ sandwiches – one slice white and one slice wholemeal or mixed grain – to get them on to more sustaining wholegrains. Wholemeal flour wraps, pita bread or mountain bread can be appealing to some kids. If you’re struggling to get the sandwiches eaten, try smaller sizes. Two mini rolls look more appealing and are easier to eat than one large one, as do sandwiches cut into triangles or three fingers.

Protein

Some meat, cheese or other protein at lunchtime helps with sustained satisfaction. Proteinrich food also has important essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron and omega-3 fats. Add sliced cold meats or canned tuna to sandwiches and include hardboiled eggs and reduced-fat dairy (cheese sticks, cheese slices, flavoured milk or yoghurt).

Veges and fruit

Add carrot sticks, celery sticks and capsicum slices and a dip such as hummus, peanut butter (again, check the school’s nut policy), salsa or tzatziki. Kids may also enjoy eating cherry tomatoes and snow peas on their own. Fresh fruit is easier to eat when it is already cut or sliced. Squeeze lemon juice on apple quarters or halves to stop browning and pack in a separate container. If you have the time, try setting chopped fruit in homemade jelly. Or chopping fresh fruit and swirling it through natural yoghurt.

Fluids

Water is best – save the fruit juice or cordial for special occasions. At this time of year a frozen water bottle is a great idea: it keeps the rest of the lunch cool and out of the temperature ‘‘danger zone’’ where protein foods in particular can become unsafe to eat.