Power pack your lunchbox

When kids return to school they dive straight into long days packed with listening, learning, moving and playing. The physical and mental energy demands are high – and so is the need for nutritious food to fuel their success. Following these three lunchbox fundamentals in a smart way to keep kids well-nourished, energised and happy.

1: Food for energy

Choose wraps, wholegrain sandwiches, rice or pasta dishes. These carbohydrate-rich foods will provide sustained energy for learning and playing throughout the day.

2: Food for growth

Choose nuts, dairy, lean meats or eggs. These high-protein foods provide essential energy to help bodies and minds grow.

3: Food for health

Choose apples, berries, beans, carrots, melon, cherry tomatoes, or grapes. Go crazy providing fruit and veggies in an array of colours to fuel kids with the vitamins and minerals they need for a healthy immune system.

Packing lunchboxes with these three fundamentals will ensure a nutrient-dense diet with colourful fruits and vegetables, omega-3s, whole gains and protein. Kids stay satisfied and energised, and it can boost the growth of good gut bacteria and spark serotonin and dopamine production, which helps generate enthusiasm and positivity for any task at hand.

How to make sure lunchboxes are loved

Be creative: Surprise and delight by mixing things up. Think rolled-up wraps one day, quesadillas the next, switch out your sandwich fillings, or get creative and cut food into fun shapes.

Perfect the presentation: Using bento box-style lunchboxes is a great way to encourage a variety of food, control portions, and keep foods looking appealing (especially for any fussy eaters who don’t like foods touching!)

Pass on the prep work: Get your kids to choose and prepare what goes into their lunchbox. Encourage them to be adventurous and creative. Chances are when they create their own lunches they are more likely to eat them.

Stay naturally sweet: Choose fruits over sugary treats, sweet drinks and processed foods that can disrupt mood balance and concentration levels.

Always rock an apple: Convenient, refreshing, and nutritious, it’s no surprise that apples have been a lunchbox staple for decades.

Rockit™ apples are the ideal pick. Perfectly sized to fit into any lunchbox, they have been cultivated for maximum crunch, harvested to ensure sustained crispiness and innovatively packaged to keep them in peak condition – so kids will love rocking a Rockit™ apple every day!

Written by,
Emma Hogan