by Jemma Watkins APD & Katie Vickers APD
Paediatric Dietitians
As school holidays are almost over and a new school year is about to begin, parents find themselves facing what can feel like an unrelenting challenge of what to pack in children's lunchboxes. Mornings can be rushed, filled with chaos and distraction, so let us help simplify the process.
4 Key Lunchbox inclusions:
Kids need enough fuel in the tank to get them through a busy day of learning and running around, and to prevent them from hangry outbursts (particularly in the afternoon)! But what does this look like?
There are 4 important components of a lunch box:
Brain break/fruit snack
Main lunch food
Other snack (s)
Drink
Brain break/Fruit snack
Some schools have a set 'brain break' (a time, usually mid-morning where children can eat fruit or vegetables in class) but even if yours doesn't, including some fruit or vegetables in your child's lunch box is a great snack option for recess/morning tea.
This can be fresh, dried/freeze dried, canned, frozen, e.g.
handful of strawberries/grapes, a mandarin, banana, apple
some dried/freeze dried apple slices, sultanas, dried mango strips
tinned peaches/pears/pineapple
handful frozen raspberries, mango
cherry tomatoes
cucumber (a splash of soy sauce/rice wine vinegar/sesame oil may appeal to some)
carrot sticks & hummus
capsicum slices
cob of corn
snow peas
Don't worry if your child doesn't eat the vegetables. Fruit contains many of the same nutrients as veg. For children who don't eat veg, we'd recommend offering veg regardless of whether they eat it (see our next post for tips for fussy eaters) but the lunchbox may not be the time you choose to do this. 1-2 serves fruit is a great inclusion in a lunchbox.
Main lunch food
Many children are happy with fairly plain, repetitive lunch boxes and that's absolutely fine! A predictable lunch box can be comforting and help the school day be less overwhelming. We can vary fruit +/- veg & snacks to keep things interesting (although keeping things interesting is often to make ourselves feel better, not necessarily our children). Also, a fed child learns better than a hungry child, so if your child will only eat jam sandwiches, that may be the most nutritious option for them.
Main lunch food ideas:
a sandwich:
possible fillings: cheese, ham, tuna, egg, leftover roast chicken (+/- tomato, lettuce, cucumber, avocado), peanut butter
cold toasted sandwiches: baked beans & cheese, ham & cheese
bread options: white, wholemeal, multigrain, sough dough, raisin bread, Wonder White/Wholemeal or Tip Top The One (both of which have added fibre and iron), rolls, bagels, pretzels
crackers/Corn Thins and cheese or hummus
pita bread pizza
zucchini slice
leftover burger
savoury muffins
croissant with ham & cheese
cheese puffs
pasta/pasta salad
sushi
Other snacks
Someone asked me once what snacks I bake for my children's lunchbox...and disclaimer, I rarely bake lunch box snacks. Partly because this requires a degree of pre-planning and preparation I struggle to fit in and partly because, when I'm balancing my kids' nutrition needs for the day, I find we have other priorities (like milk, yoghurt & cheese).
Other nutritious lunchbox snacks:
milk/flavoured milk
yoghurt, custard
cheese sticks/rounds/triangles/slices/cubes
pretzels, popcorn or mini rice cakes
roasted chickpeas/fava beans
boiled eggs
edamame
seaweed snacks
Ideally, it's great to include some:
protein foods: cheese, egg, peanut butter, roast chicken, tuna, milk, yoghurt, roasted fava beans/chickpeas,
carbohydrates: bread, crackers, pasta, rice, pretzels, popcorn
fruit &/or veg
milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives
See the 'Pick & Mix' handout for some extra ideas: link for more helpful tips and tricks: https://heas.health.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/pick-mix-lunchbox-poster.pdf
Drinks
Packing a water bottle is the most importnat drink for children. Including milk may suit some children as well.
Top Tips:
A little planning goes a long way! Include these daily staples in your weekly shop so they're available when needed (the chaotic rush hour that is school mornings!)
Give your children some closed choices
e.g "Would you like tomato or capsicum?" (not "What vegetable would you like?")
having some choice increases kids' ownership of their lunchbox contents
involving them in packing their own lunch box is a great way to foster ownership of lunch box choices
Parents are responsible for what lunch box choices are available for children to choos from but children should be allowed to decide which foods they eat & how much they eat (stay tuned for more about the 'Division of Responsibility of Feeding' in upcoming blogs)
Prepare fruit and vegetables in advance/in a batch - wash, dry, cut up and store in containers in the fridge
If you are baking, consider preparing baked goods in batches and freeze them
Consider setting up a “snack bar” with healthy options like nuts, dried fruits, and yogurt. Allow your child to pick their snacks every week. This interaction encourages them to take ownership of their lunchbox choices.
More helpful tips and tricks are available from:
Lunch box containers
Different lunch boxes work for different children. Having purchased many over the years, I'm yet to find the unicorn of lunch boxes. Some things to keep in mind:
show casing options so your child can see choices easily can help
time and competing priorities (wanting to play/not lose friends in the play ground) can impact on what's eaten
little hands need to be able to open containers
some children benefit from having all choices available at each meal/snack break, others find the choice overwhelming and benefit from a separate 'snack' & 'lunch' box/bag
dishwasher proof is a handy feature!
Keep it Simple and Flexible
Simplicity should not be overlooked. Preparing versatile staples can save time and effort throughout the week. Cooking a large batch of grilled chicken, for example, allows it to be used in salads, wraps, and with rice in different meals.
Flexibility is also crucial. If your child declares a certain lunch unappealing, be open to modifying it for the next week or trying something new entirely.
Final Thoughts
As the school year gets underway, these lunchbox tips can help you streamline your mornings and ensure that your child enjoys their meals. By planning ahead, involving your kids, considering lunch box containers and maintaining flexibility, the challenge of preparing school lunches may be less of a chore.
Remember, it is all about finding what works best for your family. Every child's lunch time experience will be different. 'Nutritious' is different for every child. Your lunchboxes don't need to be Instagram worthy to meet your child's needs, simple is often best!
We wish everyone a year full of learning, growing and nourishing, one lunch at a time!
Our Dietitians pride themselves on practical, real world advice, not Instagramable/unacheivable/too good to be true expectations. They believe 'fed is best' whatever that looks like for your child. If you'd like to discuss your child's lunchbox, nutritional needs or tips to help support them, don't hesitate to reach out: info@gutandkidsnutrition.com.au or 03 7015 1441.
Jemma is currently contemplating the 200 lunchboxes ahead for 2025 for her 2 active children (and hoping they'll take responsibility for feeding their 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs and 2 stick insects!)
Katie has an abundance of great tips, recipes and organisational skills to share. She is passionate about feeding children and helping you find practical solutions to the challenges ahead. Her enthusiasm is contagious!
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