Healthy Lunchboxes
The importance of a healthy lunch box
Every parent wants their child to do well at school and the contents of their lunchbox can play a big
role in their ability to learn, especially in the afternoon. This leaflet explores ways in which you can
make your child’s lunch box interesting and tasty while keeping it healthy too.
Five reasons for eating healthily
1. High sugar foods and drinks often give a short-lived burst of energy but then, as the blood
sugar levels drop, your child may become lethargic and unable to concentrate effectively.
2. Sugary food is not good for the teeth and can cause your child to have discoloured teeth or
need to have teeth removed /have fillings if consumed regularly.
3. Children that consume high levels of saturated fats and sugar are much more likely to become
obese.
4. Children who eat a balanced diet are able to learn more effectively and do better at school.
5. Children who eat a balanced diet are less likely to become ill.
Check your school’s policy
Most childcare settings will have a healthy eating policy and some will also have a list of foods that
are not allowed in lunch boxes (such as sweets, chocolate, crisps etc.) It is worth checking what the
policy of your setting is to prevent sending your child in with the wrong food which may be removed
from their lunch box and cause unnecessary upset. Each setting has so many children that it is
unlikely that exceptions will be made for your child unless there is a medical reason for them having
foods on the ‘not allowed’ list. This makes sure everyone is treated equally and fairly at the setting.
The main event
Sometimes the main part of the lunchbox is the hardest to vary and keep interesting for your child
so here are some ideas for you:

Try different breads e.g. wholemeal, granary, pitta, bagel or wraps

Use different fillings e.g. tuna, ham, chicken, salami, cheese or egg

All of the above fillings can be complimented with cucumber, tomato, lettuce, cress

Make sure you don’t overfill the lunchbox as your child will struggle to eat it and food could be
wasted. It can also take a small child a long time to eat.
Drinks
The best drinks to give your child are milk and water and the occasional diluted fruit juice.
Making healthier food
Sometimes it is difficult for us to get our children to eat healthy when there are so many treats out
there. It may take a while for some children to get used to eating a healthy lunchbox but it will be
worth it in the long run so keep going!
It is helpful for you to make healthy food part of all your daily meals as early as possible. This means
that your child will be used to the food in their lunchbox and recognise it as part of their daily diet.
Make sure that your child gets lots of praise for trying new things as it will encourage them to do it
again.
Get your child to help you choose what goes in their lunchbox. Give them a choice of different
healthy foods and save chocolate and treats for special occasions.
Good foods

1 portion of cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, pepper sticks. Why not add
hummus or cottage cheese to dip!

A piece of fruit (banana, apple, orange) or fruit bag, or a portion of blueberries or
strawberries

1 small box of raisins or yogurt covered fruit

1 portion of dairy e.g. yogurt, rice pudding, cheese triangle
Foods to avoid

Sweets, biscuits, cakes, chocolate

Crisps

Sugary drinks

Sausage rolls, pasties, pastries

Nuts – there may be other children at the setting with a nut allergy

Processed cheeses or high quantities of cheese