Get Back to School with Perfection & Sesame Street

It's that time of year again, the festive season has come to an end and it's time to start planning for back to school (or back to work) lunches. Surprisingly, only 8.5% of Aussie kids and 6.1% of adults are meeting the recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake. But don't worry, we're here to inspire you with fresh and exciting ideas for nutritious lunches that will have everyone excited to dive into their lunchboxes.

fresh healthy lunchbox snacks

When it comes to nutritious snacks, there's nothing quite like fresh fruits and veg. These tiny but mighty snacks, including Qukes® baby cucumbers, Petite Tomatoes™, Little Gem® Bananas, and Perfection Berries, are the perfect addition to any lunchbox. Let us share some of our favorite creative ways to incorporate these healthy treats into your lunches and snacks:

BUILDING A TASTY AND NUTRITIOUS LUNCHBOX

It's important for kids to eat a variety of different foods each day to stay fit and healthy. Considering that children spend around one-third of their day at school, the contents of their lunchbox play a crucial role in promoting their wellbeing and are essential for their overall health.

 A well balanced and nutritious lunchbox should include the following:

• Protein, such as lean meats, fish, poultry, egg, nuts and legumes.
• Dairy and cheese, and/or their alternatives.
• Vegetables – minimum 2 serves vegetables
• Fruit -1 to 2 serves fruit
• Grains, mostly wholegrain and/or high fibre for more fibre and long-lasting energy.
• And a drink for hydration – a bottle of tap water is best!

Protein

The protein component of the lunchbox could include a variety of meat and fish options such as lean chicken, beef, lamb, pork or turkey. Canned tuna or salmon in spring water is quick and easy to add to the lunchbox. 

Vegetarian and vegan options include hardboiled eggs, lentils and legumes such as chickpeas and kidney beans, falafels and tofu cubes.

If you're looking for some fun and inspiring options to incorporate protein into the lunchbox, our Qukes® and Little Gem® Bananas with Nut Butters and Chicken and Qukes® Banh Mi are a great place to start!

Dairy & Cheese (or Alternatives)

Try to include a variety of dairy or dairy alternative options in the lunchbox such as a tub of yoghurt or custard, or cheese sticks, slices and cubes. For a vegan option, include calcium fortified soy or other plant-based milk. 

Top the yoghurt with juicy Perfection Berries - strawberries, blueberries or raspberries. Jazz up regular cubed cheese by creating a snackboard with fruits, veggies and cubed cheese. 

Vegetables

Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and fibre for a healthy gut, and strong immunity. Ideally, kids should be consuming at least 2 serves of veggies a day. It can be difficult to convince kids to eat more veggies, so here are some helpful suggestions from our end. 

Pair crunchy veggies with hummus, tzatziki or flavoured dips. Our Qukes^® baby cucumbers are the ultimate no waste, grab-and-go snack, perfect for hungry little hands. Pair Qukes^® with Petite Tomatoes™ and Minicaps^® Baby Capsicums to round up the lunchbox. 

Add salad vegetables or coleslaw in a sandwich to up the veg intake, and add some popped corn (without butter) as a salty treat. 

Fruit

It's also important to include 1-2 servings of fruit into your child's lunchbox each day.  They provide carbs for long lasting energy, vitamins, minerals and fibre. 

Our Little Gem^® bananas are the perfect size to add in a lunchbox. Or use them to make a homemade dairy free banana bread, that's far healthier than the storebought options.

Swap out sugary treats for fresh and natural Perfection berries or Perfection Grapes. Our Lunchbox Perfection Berry Taco Pikelets are also a colourful and playful way of including fruit in kids' lunchboxes!

GRAINS

Grain foods provide kids with fibre and long-lasting energy through carbohydrates. These include all kinds of bread, rice, pasta, oats, crispreads. It's best to include wholegrain options as they contain more fibre. For e.g. wholemeal or multi-grain bread, wholemeal pita pockets, quinoa, couscous, and wholegrain crackers. 

Use a variety of fillings to keep children interested, and try to include 1 - 2 veggies for flavor and nutrients. This Lunchbox Vegetable Fried Rice with Qukes® and Chicken, Qukes® & Avocado Sandwiches will be sure to keep your little ones alert and energised. 

Hydration

Make sure your child drinks water throughout the day especially during the hot summer months. A bottle of tap water is best, however, plain UHT milk can also be added. You can also pack a frozen water bottle during the Summer months - this will also help in keeping food items chilled. 

Avoid adding juice, cordial and other soft drinks to your child's lunchbox as these are often high in sugar and offer little nutritional value. Swap out sugary drinks for infused flavor waters - try our Qukes® hydration waters.

Final Tips

Lastly, give kids some option about what they take for lunch, and where possible, get them involved in preparing their lunch. Kids are more likely to eat their lunchbox food if they are involved in putting it together. 

For more recipe ideas on what to pack in a school lunchbox, download our back to school e-book here.