What to pack in a healthy Top tips for packed ... lunchboxes! • Use one slice of white bread and one slice of wholemeal A portion of starchy bread to make checkerboard Base the packed lunch on starchy such as • Make colourful fruit kebabs bread, bagels, pitta, chapattis, crackers, potatoes, pasta, rice, couscous and noodles. Choosing • Use a cutter to make fun sandwich shapes wholegrain varieties (e.g. wholemeal bread) • Vary the types of bread used (e.g. bagels, wraps, pitta) wherever possible will provide more fibre for a healthy digestive system. • DIY lunchboxes – lunch can be more exciting if they can put their own together (e.g. components of wraps) At least one portion • Children love dipping - why not try vegetable sticks or pitta The of fruit and vegetables bread as dippers and hummus, mackerel pate, tzatziki or Fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit and vegetables baba ganoush as dips

can all count towards your child’s 5-A-DAY and provide healthy • Use leftovers to save on prep time (e.g. leftover pasta, vitamins and minerals. Try adding salad to sandwiches, noodles, cooked meats) – make sure they are cooled making fruit kebabs, chopping up vegetable sticks, and stored properly adding frozen or canned vegetables to pasta dishes lunchbox

or frozen fruit to yogurt. • Get children involved in choosing and preparing what goes into their lunchbox to help encourage them to eat it guide A portion of beans, pulses, meat, fish, eggs, or other Keeping safe non-dairy sources A portion of dairy • Wash your hands before handling food of protein or alternatives • Wash fruit and vegetables before preparing or them Add some foods such as sliced Include foods such as cheese, meat (e.g. chicken, ham, turkey, • Add an ice pack or a frozen /yogurt and use an yogurt or milk in your child’s beef), fish (e.g. tuna, mackerel), insulated lunchbox to keep the lunch cool packed lunch for a source of cooked eggs, meat alternatives • Keep chopped fruit and veg or grated cheese fresh in a calcium, important for the (e.g. tofu, Quorn pieces), beans small box with a lid development and maintenance or pulses (e.g. hummus, mixed • Keep sandwiches moist in sandwich or tin foil of strong and healthy bones beans, lentils). These provide and teeth. Choose lower fat and • Store the lunch in the fridge until it is time to protein which is needed for lower sugar options, and make go to school growth and repair. sure dairy alternatives such as • Throw away any perishable items at the end of the day soya are fortified with calcium. • Wash and dry reusable water bottles, lids and lunchboxes in warm, soapy water every day Ideas for A drink choosing Make sure your child has a drink at Leaflet developed by Manchester Healthy Schools a balanced lunchtime to help keep them hydrated – (www.manchesterhealthyschools.nhs.uk). For further information water and milk are good choices. on packed lunches, please contact your School Nurse. packed lunch! Packed lunch 7 • Hummus Lunch box ideas... • Carrot and pepper sticks • Wholemeal pitta bread • Strawberries Packed lunch 4 • Yogurt • Frittata (eggs, cheese, peas, • Bottle of water Packed lunch 1 • Tuna, sweetcorn and pepper pasta peppers, sweetcorn) • Banana • Slice of crusty brown bread with • Handful of raisins low fat spread • Carton of semi-skimmed milk • Small tub of seeds, sultanas and Packed lunch 8 chopped dried apricots • Chicken, cream cheese and • Bottle of water grated carrot wrap • Fruit kebabs • Sugar free jelly • Carton of semi-skimmed milk Packed lunch 2 • Egg, cress and cucumber Packed lunch 5

seeded roll • Pitta bread, falafel, tzatziki • Rice pudding (yogurt and cucumber dip), • Satsuma lettuce and tomato Packed lunch 9 • Vegetable and lentil pasta • Bottle of water • Small pear (chopped tomatoes, carrots, celery, • Handful of plain popcorn • Bottle of water onion, red lentils, pasta) • Small tub of grated cheese • Canned peaches in natural juice • Low fat custard • Bottle of water Packed lunch 3 Packed lunch 6 • Mackerel and potato salad • Wholemeal bagel with ham and (peppered mackerel, new potatoes, soft cheese

watercress, pepper, cucumber, • Pot of cherry tomatoes chives, low fat mayonnaise) • Frozen cherries mixed with Packed lunch 10 • Vegetable cous cous (roasted • Fromage frais fromage frais courgette, peppers, onions, • Raspberries • Bottle of water chickpeas, cubed cheese) • Bottle of water • Canned pineapple in juice All images are suggestions only. • Soya yogurt • Bottle of water

Preparing a packed lunch can often be • Free school are also provided to families who receive time consuming and expensive, so why not qualifying incomes such as income support, universal credit. Research by the University of More information is available from the Manchester City try your child on school meals? Leeds has shown that only 1.6% of Council website or from your school. • Since September 2014 every infant (aged 5-7) is entitled primary school children’s packed • Schools are required to meet School Food Standards which to a free, healthy and nutritious school lunch, which could lunches met the nutritional ensure the school meals provided are healthy, balanced and save you approximately £400 per year. standards set for school meals. varied over the week. FACT