Healthy Lunchbox Week from 6th – 12th February is an initiative of Nutrition Australia which provides timely information at the beginning of term 1 for families as they return to the daily routine of preparing lunchboxes.
Packing school lunches can be frustrating at times as we try and navigate the wide variety of snack options presented to us at the supermarket that may not always be the healthiest choice. Throw in the joys of a fussy eater and it can become quite a daily challenge!
Research shows that having a healthy lunchbox during childhood helps to develop and sustain healthy habits throughout our life. Children consume around 30% of their daily food intake at school so a healthy lunchbox is vital to support their health and wellbeing. A healthy lunchbox provides children with the opportunity to behave well, learn better and be happy during the day. To give your kids the most enjoyment and variety and to ensure that the lunchbox actually gets eaten:
- Try to include your little ones in the shopping and preparation of lunch. Getting your kids involved in picking something from each of the 5 food groups will help keep the kids interested in their food and more likely to eat it! It also ensures they are getting all the right nutrients whilst helping them to sustain healthier choices into the future.
- Be sure to include both nutritious options as well as favourite and fun foods. Sometimes kindergarten/school can be overwhelming so it’s important that kids have some safe and familiar foods available to them.
We provide free Healthy Lunchbox Sessions to all early learning settings across the Hepburn Shire and have developed a great resource for parents/carers https://www.chrh.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Healthy-Lunchbox-Parents-Booklet-UPDATED-23-02-21.pdf to support healthy choices with practical tips for adding extra nutrients and colour into lunchboxes. For more information please email pophealth@chrh.org.au and follow CHRH socials.
CHRH also provides dietetic support to the community. If you would like to see a dietician to support your child’s nutrition needs, please contact your local CHRH campus to find out more information on how to book and what services are offered.
