Lunch

Quick tips

• Choose a variety of bread, such as rolls, Lebanese bread, pita, bagels etc, preferably wholegrain, wholemeal or high fibre.
• Choose low-fat meats and fillings.
• Include a frozen bottle of water. It will still be cold at lunchtime, and keep the food cool too.
• Try to include at least one piece of fruit and one dairy product every day.
• Include treats like chocolate or chips only occasionally, not every day.

Lunch ideas

With the combined wisdom and imagination of Australia’s leading health and nutrition organisations, you’ll be sure to find something to make lunches healthy and interesting.

Easy lunch and snack ideas
A handy brochure from NSW Health.

Kids’ lunch ideas
A ‘kids only’ website showing how children can make their own lunches and what to put in them (Children & Youth Health, South Australia).

Lunch ideas for a healthy heart
Pamphlet (pdf 114kb) with many healthy snack ideas and nutritional tips (National Heart Foundation).

The magic lunch box
Practical suggestions for a balanced lunch, combining sandwiches or leftovers, fruit, dairy and healthy snacks (My Dietitian).

Sporty lunch ideas
Sports Dietitians Australia pamphlet (pdf 381kb) on what a lunch box should contain, plus ideas for lunches, snacks and drinks.

Lunch box tips
What to put in your child’s lunch box, and how to solve the problem of them not eating what you give them (Better Health, Victoria).

Lunch ideas for school and home
Factsheet with lists of basic lunch ideas for kids to either take to school or eat at home, plus nutritional tips (Westmead Children’s Hospital).

When it just isn’t working

If your child doesn’t eat their lunch, ask yourself:

• Is the lunch box wrong? Your child might prefer a brown paper bag, or the latest fashion in lunch boxes.
• Is lunch boring? Try to pack a different lunch every day. For younger children, cut the sandwiches in different ways, for example.
• Is it too much? If so, offer smaller servings. Half a sandwich might be more appropriate than a whole one.
• Is it too fiddly? Some children are put off by fiddly packaging or don't like getting sticky hands. Try removing the orange peel or cut a kiwi in half and add a spoon.

And if all else fails … try to at least ensure they have a nutritious breakfast and dinner. Trust that your child will eat when hungry.

(Source: Adapted from Lunch box tips, Better Health, Victoria.)