A recent study on Australian children has found that children and adolescents consume more energy from low nutrient, calorie-dense foods than any other age-group, with the average child receiving 3 unhealthy snacks in their lunch box each day.Nutrition experts recommend that parents should pack just one packaged snack each day in their lunch box. It is also recommended that this snack is either a wholegrain snack (such as a muesli bar) or dairy-based (such as yoghurt) or a fruit based snack.Tips for best packed snacks: - Energy: Choose a snack with 600kJ or less
- Sugar: Some sugars occur naturally in foods such as milk or fruit. To check for any ‘added’ sugar, check the ingredients list. If sugar is one of the first two ingredients listed, it is likely to be high in sugar
- Fat: It is more important to look for the TYPE of fat. Look for snacks that have less than 2g of saturated fat per serve
- Sodium (Salt): Check the nutrition label for less than 100mg of salt per serve.
Healthy Snack Ideas (Meets at least 3 of the above criteria)The following snacks are available at most supermarkets and are suitable for children and adults.Wholegrain snacks
- Carman’s muesli bar ‘bites’ or ‘rounds’ (346kJ)
- Uncle Tobys muesli bars (average 560kJ)
- Ski D’lite apple and pear bars (363kJ)
- Nestle milo cereal bar (334kJ)
- Real McCoy air popped corn (439kJ)
- A row of rice crackers (415kJ)
- Small tin of baked beans – no added salt (460kJ)
- Wholegrain crackers or vegetable sticks with salsa, hummus, low fat tzatziki or natural yoghurt
Dairy based snacks- 100g tub of Vaalia (French Vanilla 425kJ) or Ski D’lite yoghurt (Vanilla crème 379kJ)
- Pauls The Wiggles Yoghurt with Real Fruit Strawberry (369kJ)
- Yoplait Go-Gurt Yoghurt Tubes Strawberry (307kJ)
- Aunty Betty’s creamed rice (417kJ)
- Reduced fat cheese sticks or cubes
Fruit based snacks- Whole fresh fruit (250-350kJ)
- Coles Farmland or Goulburn Valley or Sweet Valley Two Fruits in Juice (330kJ)
- Golden Circle or SPC Fruit Salad (335kJ)
- Golden circle Splurtz Apple and Strawberry Fruit Puree (283kJ)
- SPC fruit snacks two fruits in strawberry jelly (376kJ)
Children need to eat a variety of foods everyday to stay healthy and help them concentrate and learn at school. However, packing a lunch box and trying to keep it delicious, healthy and interesting can be quite a task for many of us - but it doesn’t have to be if you follow a few simple steps:A lunch box should always include: - Fruit (fresh is best, but tinned and dried are also suitable)
- Vegetables or salad ingredients
- A meat or protein food such as lean meat, hardboiled egg, fish or nuts
- Dairy foods such as a cheese slice or stick, milk or yoghurt
- Starchy food such as high fibre bread rolls, pita or flat bread, fruit bread or grain crackers
- Water (frozen water can be used as a freezer brick to keep foods cold)
Suggestions for lunch box meals and snacks include: - Cold pasta spirals mixed with salad vegetables and lean meat e.g. ham, pastrami
- Rice with vegetables mixed in it with lean meat e.g. ham, pastrami
- Mini pizza with cheese and pineapple
- Avocado and lemon with salad on a wholemeal wrap
- Bagel with vegemite and low fat cheese
- Corn or rice cakes with peanut butter
- Grainy crackers with slices of cheese
- Plain popcorn as a snack
- Yoghurt, low fat milk or low fat custard (freeze overnight to ensure it stays cool)
- Small packets of dried fruit and nuts as snacks
- Include extra celery and carrot sticks
- Fruit
Foods should be simple and easy to prepare, ready to eat and appetising after several hours in the lunch box. Keeping food stored in an insulated lunch box or one with a freezer pack will keep food fresher for longer - particularly important for those hot summer days.As well as keeping lunch simple, try to encourage children to help choose and prepare their own lunch. Praise children when they choose healthy foods for their lunch box. They may even want to have a Masterchef lunch box competition between siblings for some fun and variety.Most importantly - don’t forget your own lunch! Set a good example as children learn from their parents more than you may think therefore prepare your lunch and snacks while the children are doing theirs. Make it a healthy family approach for all to benefit from.
