For years, parents have had the opportunity to hand-select and monitor what their child eats for lunch. Now it is time to test their ability.
It is only natural for your child’s eyes to wander and notice, and be envious of what the other kids are eating.
Here are a few tips that may help your child’s lunch be healthy, fun and get noticed by the other kids.
It is important to have the right gear and the lunchbox is an important asset. Consider letting your child pick out his own lunchbox, or purchase one and let him decorate it with paint or markers.
Make sure your child’s name is on it with a permanent marker or paint.
There is no reason a homemade lunch needs to look dull and unappetising.
Buy colourful containers in different shapes to pack your child’s lunch. They are better than plastic bags and less wasteful too.
If your child is drawn to characters, buy some stickers and decorate the containers.
Put your child’s name on the containers, but it is inevitable that some containers may not make their way home.
Another option is to purchase inexpensive or “semi-” disposable containers that will not disappoint you if they accidentally end up in the dustbin.
Providing your child with plenty of variety is not hard or time-consuming.
Many lunch foods can be prepared, in advance, in large quantities.
Each morning, simply fill up small containers with different foods.
Quick lunchbox food suggestions include:
* Dried fruit.
* Nuts.
* Fresh fruit pieces or a piece of whole fruit.
* Celery sticks filled with cream cheese and raisins, or white bean dip.
* Sugar snap peas with Ranch dressing for dipping.
* Yogurt or a smoothie.
* Lunch meat roll-ups with cream cheese and an asparagus in the middle.
* Hard boiled egg.
* Cheese cubes.
* Peanut butter sandwiches.
* White bean dip or hummus with carrots and mini pita breads.
* Wholegrain crackers or pretzels.
* Trail mix made from cereal, nuts and dried fruit.
Don’t assume that your child’s uneaten lunch is sign that he did not like the food. If you ask a few questions, you may find that your child does not have enough time to eat lunch or that he is spending more time socialising with his friends than actually chewing.
Asking questions will give you the opportunity to help him learn other important skills such as managing his time and selecting times to socialise.
Try this recipe for blueberry and banana muffins to give the children something delicious in their lunchbox.
You will need:
* 200g wholewheat flour.
* 60g brown sugar.
* A quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
* Half a teaspoon of baking powder.
* A quarter teaspoon of baking soda.
* 190g mashed bananas.
* Three egg whites.
* One teaspoon of vanilla extract.
* 120g of fresh blueberries.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix the wholewheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas, egg whites, and vanilla extract.
Mix the banana mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in the blueberries.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
Bake for 16 minutes in a preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
