Do not make healthy school lunches TOO healthy

June 7th, 2010 | 1 Comment

Kids need a bit of energy to get them through a school day. They do a lot at school, 5 days a week. It does help to give school kids healthy meals and plenty to drink, especially water, but do not let those meals be outrageously “healthy.”

How much energy are kids going to get during a school day if all they have in their lunchbox is lettuce and tomato? They might even get sick of totally bland school lunches and not eat at all while they are at school!

I’m not saying throw in some chips and sweets, a chocolate or two, or a doughnut (keep the treats for weekends, and even then, try limit the amounts somewhat), but do think about what your kids are eating at school.

Below is a rough example of what I give my 11 and 12 year old boys for their school lunches (each), Monday to Thursday (Friday is treat day.):

Monday

1 x 500 ml Oros;

1 x 500 ml water;

4 brown bread sandwiches (4 slices bread) with just a scraping of margerine (Basti) and no margerine for Zooty, and peanut butter;

A small packet of peanuts and raisins;

2 apples;

2 little triangles of melrose cheese;

3 very very thick slices (more like chunks) of cucumber.

Tuesday

Same liquids and brown bread as Monday, but with sandwich spread instead of peanut butter;

A low fat cereal bar;

2 or 3 small naartjies;

a small yoghurt (one from those little packs of six);

a whole raw carrot, just washed, chopped off near each end, and scraped with a knife, and 6 or 7 cherry tomatoes.

Wednesday

Same liquids as Monday, and two small bran muffins this time instead of bread, as well as 3 or 4 digestive biscuits;

a small packet of salted peanuts;

two bananas;

two slices of cheese;

5 fresh green beans and 2 “chunks” of cucumber.

Thursday

Same liquids as Monday, same brown bread as Monday, but with one slice cold meat on the bread (so two slices cold meat for their 4 slices of bread each) with mayonnaise;

A low fat cereal bar;

One banana and one apple;

a small yoghurt;

6 or 7 cherry tomatoes, and 4 or 5 sugarsnaps (new fresh flat pea pods with tiny tiny little peas inside.)

The above is just a rough idea of what I do. I do mix and match, and include other fruits too, when they are in season.

I DO NOT give the boys sweet biscuits for school, or put jam or syrup on their sandwiches. These things are kept for weekends.

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