Some ideas for a healthy lunchbox

A survey by the Food Standards Agency found that nine out of ten children take packed lunches to school that contain too much saturated fat, sugar and salt.
It might seem hard to find a balance of ingredients that will keep the kids interested without complaining, but it's not as tricky as you might think.
A good starting point is to remember to include a variety of food from the four main food groups. These are:

• One portion of vegetables or salad and one portion of fruit (fresh, canned or dried all count)
• One portion of milk or dairy (yoghurt, cheese, yoghurt drink etc)
• One portion of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, peanut butter, beans or any other protein.
• One portion of a starchy food such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes.

Portions don’t mean boredom. There are plenty of exciting combinations to experiment with even for the most finicky:

Monday
Small portion of tuna (in water) and sweetcorn salad
Currant bun
Apple
Bottle of flavoured milk

Tuesday
Small slice of deep pan pizza with ham and pineapple
1 pot of low fat yoghurt
4 cherry tomatoes
1 pear
Bottle fizzy water

Wednesday
Peanut butter bagel
1 cereal bar
1 peach
Yoghurt drink

Thursday
Cheese & salad sandwich on wholemeal bread
1 medium tomato
1 packet of reduced fat crisps
1 plum
Carton unsweetened apple juice

Friday
3 mini pitta bread filled with chicken salad and low fat mayo
Pack of 3 small chocolate coated sponge cakes
1 satsuma
Bottle flavoured water

Remember the five a day rule – we should all be eating five portions of a variety of fruit and veg a day.

These recipes were taken from www.food.gov.uk

Healthy hints

• Add variety by using different bread – wholemeal, pitta, bagels, tortilla wraps.
• Alternatives to crisps and cakes are yoghurt, fromage frais, fruit scone, fruit bun, oatcakes, breadsticks, piece of fruit cake, a small bag of dried fruit/nuts etc.
• If crisps are non-negotiable then use small bags and look for reduced fat and salt versions
• Aim to make chocolate, pastries or cakes an occasional rather than an everyday treat.
  For more information or more ideas, visit www.eatwell.gov.uk

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