Easy Peasy Lunches

17th August 2011

Lunchbox_blue

How many times have you struggled to think of something different for lunch? And how many times have you wondered how healthy your lunchtime diet really is?

To help you and your kids eat well and avoid packed lunch boredom, we’ve put together a few healthy and easy-to-make lunches that don’t cost the earth and mean you should come home with an empty lunchbox and a full tummy!

First thing you need to consider

Have you got something from each of the 4 main food groups?

A balanced lunchbox should contain an item of food from each of the 4 main food groups of the government recommended ‘eat well plate’. Foods from the smallest group should only be eaten in small quantities.

Food Wheel

Crown copyright: Department of Health in association with the Welsh Assembly Government, the Scottish Government and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland

Getting you started...

Here are a few lunchbox ideas to help you and your kids get a healthy start to the new term!

See if you can use the lunchbox checklist to plan your lunch for the rest of the week.

Checklist

Day One

  • 2 small wholemeal rolls with spread and 2 thin slices of beef or a sliced boiled egg with thick slices of tomato and some lettuce
  • A low fat yogurt
  • A pear – this will count as one of your five a day
  • Pure Fruit juice – source of vitamin C and 1 of your 5-a-day

Day Two

Multifruit Bottle

  • Plain bagel, spread with low fat soft cheese, filled with some canned pink salmon and slices of cucumber – addresses some key food groups. The bagel will give you the starchy carbohydrate you need for energy while soft cheese is lower in fat and salt than most cheeses and a good source of calcium, and tastes great with our favourite fish, the salmon.
  • Water (tap or bottled) – it’s important to stay hydrated.
  • Box of raisins - a more-ish snack that is also another of your recommended 5 a day
  • Actimel – There are 11 flavours including delicious Multifruit to fabulous Strawberry and Banana - you’ll find an Actimel to suit any taste!