Healthy School Lunch Box Inspiration
Schools are back in business this week and with that there’s a lot of talk about healthy lunches.
1 in 4 children are overweight or obese here in Ireland with many children not meeting the government dietary recommendations for daily intake of fruit and vegetables.
I don’t have too many fond memories of my primary school lunch which usually consisted of a limp ham and cheese or maybe a banana or jam sandwich with a sour smelling flask of milk. It was a great day when I was upgraded to a flask of sweet milky tea and sometimes I’d get an aul Mr Kipling almond slice or chocolate Penguin bar thrown in as a treat. Whatever they consisted of, they definitely weren’t very inspiring or colourful and didn’t include much fruit or vegetables. A lot of the time they went uneaten (apart from the Penguin bars… I loved them!) unless I was absolutely starving.
But lunches don’t have to be uninspiring. We begin eating with our eyes so making food look appealing with lots of colourful fruits and veggies and novel presentation can make children excited about them (and maybe eat some fruits and veggies too!).
I love the idea of bento box lunches. They can translate to a lot of colour with a variety of flavours and textures to keep the novelty factor up. Here are some ideas that I think would be great for school-goers with some I wouldn’t mind trying myself! And there’s not a limp sambo in sight!
Photo: Following in My Shoes
Rachel from Following in My Shoes has some great colourful ideas with a handy printable list of items to include. I love that each lunch box has a variety of colours, textures and a mix of cooked and raw foods. And the little note is a super cute idea!
Photo: Happy Little Bento and Our Paleo Life
How good is this panda egg wrap bento from Happy Little Bento? Seriously imaginative and inspirational stuff!! Novelty factor through the roof!! And I love the practical suggestions from Our Paleo Life – these lunch boxes look so appetising but simple enough to put together. The crudities are a great idea and the turkey blt roll-ups is something I’ve tried myself. So good!
Photo: Nom Nom Paleo
Nom Nom Paleo has an amazing series of lunch box ideas on her website. So. Much. Inspiration This chicken and roast veggie bento would be a great use of leftovers! I’ll definitely be looking for my own lunch box inspiration here.
Photo: Primal Kitchen
Finally, Primal Kitchen has some practical advice for getting buy-in from children as what’s the use of making a great lunch if it’s not going to get eaten.
I think I’m going to start doing a bento box style lunch box myself in future!!!
A Healthy Happy Glow 