It's nearly back-to-school time and thoughts around what to put in your children's lunch boxes/how to make them diversify their love of fruit and veg beyond a solitary banana will probably start to cross your mind.
We spoke to nutrition expert Shelley Cho at Just Sensible Health around how you can keep your child's healthy eating on track even when you're out of sight.
'When preparing your child's lunchbox try to ensure that you're getting a good balance of proteins to keep your child full, slow-release carbohydrates to give them the energy and stamina to get through the afternoon, healthy fats and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables,' says Shelley.
'Balance is key – and finding clever ways to sneak in some nutritious foods they'll still enjoy is going to get you a long way.'
So how do you get kids and teens to eat better when you're not watching?
1. Make good food fun
Cut bits of salad into shapes, to make it a fun eating experience, think star-shaped tomato slices or spiralized carrots.
Focus on bright colours in the lunch-box – blueberries, raspberries, and red tomatoes – to make the lunchbox look vibrant.
2 Ditch the quick energy options
Swap the refined carbohydrates in their sandwiches for slower release options such as whole-meal or seeded bread.
Very sugary snacks can often give your child short bursts of energy, which leave them hyper, but then eventually cause the lows that leave them deflated and lethargic by home time. Instead try choosing savoury or low-sugar snacks for more constant energy levels.
If your child really can't give up sweets, rather than going for very sugary snacks, choose healthier sweet treats that also contains nuts to lower the GI of the treat and give a more sustained energy release.
3 No sugar
Swap fruit juices for water – not only will these juices upset your child's dentist, but the concentrated sugar they contain will also cause the energy highs and lows that you want to avoid.
Encourage them to eat sugar-free, salt-free nut butters, such as peanut butter or cashew butter. You can also try cinnamon apple crisps or vegetable crisps.
4 Involving your kids
A great way to ensure that your healthy lunchbox is a success is to get your child involved in preparing, packing and choosing the items that go into the lunch box.
If they've helped to make their healthy sweet treat, grow the tomatoes in the salad or cut their sandwiches into star shapes – they'll more excited and feel a little more invested when it comes to their healthy lunchtime.
5 How to snack swap
Try and choose healthy options – so instead of crisps choose sliced carrots. Sweets can also be swapped for raisins or dry mango. Homemade fruity flapjacks are also a great option as they're healthy but are still a treat.
How have you make your children's lunch boxes healthier? Tell us on Facebook.
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