Had enough of packing lunches your child doesn’t want to eat? We’re only a few weeks into the new school term, but finding healthy and interesting food to offer our kids every day can feel like a full-time job. We chatted to paediatric dietitian Jordana Ventzke for some inspiration on how to avoid lunchbox fatigue for you and your little ones
That moment you open your child’s lunch box after school is one that’s often filled with dread. The sandwiches you lovingly prepared are untouched, the crudités still intact and the fruit has been cast aside. It’s an all too familiar story for parents and it can leave us feeling a bit deflated.
Take it back 20 or 30 years and, for most kids, a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a carton of juice made up a staple lunch. But these days with our knowledge on healthy eating and our obsession with making everything aesthetically pleasing, lunchtimes look somewhat different.
So, with busy lives to manage, how can we make sure we keep lunches fresh and exciting for our little ones, while also preserving our sanity?
Jordana Ventzke is a paediatric dietitian and feeding therapist. Here are her six top tips on how to avoid lunchbox fatigue:
1 Start with protein: Choose from chicken, beef, fish, eggs, cheese or beans and legumes. I like to cook meatballs, egg muffins, chicken legs or wings and croquettes and stash them in the freezer. Then, when I want to use them, I put them in the lunch box to thaw out through the day. Biltong and cubed or sliced cheese are also great options.
2 Choose a colour of the day: Focus all your fruit and veg around a different colour each day. That way, by the end of the week, you can be sure you’ve offered a variety of foods to your kids.
3 Add a serving of dairy: Pop in a yoghurt or make a smoothie. Reusable food pouches are great for this and make for easy eating for your child.
4 Don’t forget carbohydrates: Use wraps, ‘sushi’ sandwiches, rice or pasta. Muffins are easy to make, and you can load them with hidden veg for fussy eaters.
5 Make it fun: Use food cutters to create different shapes and offer variety with some ‘preferred’ foods and some new tastes. For fussy eaters, offer more snacky, finger-type foods and keep foods separate. This removes some of the overwhelm your child may be experiencing.
6 Build your own lunch box: Instead of making the sandwich or wrap, put everything in the lunch box individually and let your child get creative and make their own.
If you’re still struggling with where to start, check out what’s currently in season in your local Spinneys and be inspired. This month expect to see sweetcorn, pumpkins, peppers, potatoes, blueberries, mangoes and pears on the shelves and plenty of recipe ideas in the September/October issue of Nourish by Spinneys.
