How to Pack a Healthy Kindergarten Lunch Box…

Packing school lunch boxes for the first time can feel a bit overwhelming... but it doesn't have to. Paediatric nutritionist Lucy Stewart shares her tips for filling kindergartners' lunch boxes with foods that support their development and learning at 'big school.

School is where most of our kids’ growth and development happens. So ideally, the food we pack in their lunch box should provide them with fuel to: get them through the day, help them concentrate, learn and socialise.

For little ones starting kindergarten, their lunch box also has the ability to help their mood, nourish their nervous system and keep any ‘big school’ anxious feelings at bay. 

Main lunch

Think outside the sandwich when it comes to main lunch and love your leftovers! Packing leftovers for lunch can add interest and variety to a school lunch box and go a long way to preventing boredom and food returning home at the end of the day. It’s also a great way to reduce waste and make packing a lunch box easier for you. Leftovers can be sent warmed up and taken in a thermos or eaten cold and packed with an ice pack.

If you’re making a sandwich, favour a traditional sourdough for easier digestion, those made from dark grains like rye and barley, or whole grain breads. Fill it with some protein and nourishing fats - and if you can squeeze extra veggies in like grated carrot or lettuce. Avoid breads that contain the preservative, propionic acid (280-283), as this can cause irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbances in some children.

Morning tea

To tide kids over between breakfast and lunch, include a morning tea snack that contains some protein, fat and fibre. Try a homemade bliss ball, muesli bar, muffin or cookie, roasted chickpeas, cheese and crackers, cheese and tomato kebabs, or hummus and veggie sticks. 

What to pack

Every school will have their own set of food requirements, and every child their own set of eating preferences; so just try including these food groups, however it works, to give them the nutritional foundations for a great day at school:

Protein

Protein is what fills hungry tummies and is essential for building, maintaining and repairing muscles and tissues in the body. Including one serving of protein (one serving equals the size of your child’s palm) in their main lunch, will keep them feeling fuller for longer, prevent blood sugar spikes and keep their mood stable.  

Ideas: tinned salmon or tuna, leftover roast chicken, sausages, sliced steak, meatballs, chicken wings or drumsticks, falafels, boiled eggs, hummus, sliced omelette, salmon or tuna, cheese, seeds.

Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates give kids the energy they need to get through the busy school day, and are also where their brain gets most of its fuel from. Favour slow-release (complex) carbohydrates as these provide a more sustained release of energy and increase stamina.

Ideas: whole grain breads or wraps, chickpeas, whole grain or spelt pasta, pulse pasta, brown rice sushi, leftover roast veggies, potato salad.

Nourishing Fats

Nourishing fats are what satiate kids hunger and signal to their brain that they’re full. They’re essential for healthy brain development and function, nourish the nervous system and help them absorb certain vitamins.

Ideas: butter, avocado, white cheese, yoghurt, seeds, salmon or sardines, seed butter.

Two serves of veggies

Veggies provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and other powerful plant nutrients. Get more ‘buy-in’ from your kids by allowing them to choose their two (or more) servings of veggies, and try including a dip like hummus or guacamole to make them more enticing.

One serve of fruit

Full of phytonutrients, fruit can also add natural sweetness and colour to a lunch box. Just be sure extra fruit doesn’t take the place of those all-important veggies. Whole pieces of fruit that are in season are preferable as they're not only cheaper, but the change of fruits-in-season keep nutritional variety in your child’s diet.