Healthy Packed Lunches

Keeping your Lunchbox cool and clean Useful contacts: • Always wash your hands before preparing food Healthy • If your lunch is made the night before, remember to store it in the fridge • Pack sandwiches and wraps in cling film, foil, sandwich bag or a clean plastic box Packed Lunches • Ensure you child’s lunchbox and drinks container are cleaned regularly • Put a carton of frozen juice, ice pack or a bottle of frozen water in your lunch box to keep food cool until lunchtime • Put chopped fruit or vegetables in a container or sealed plastic bag A healthy guide How to lower the cost of your lunchbox Patient Advice and Liaison Service for school or • Use leftovers such as pasta, rice or potato to add to a packed lunch for the next day If you have any concerns or need advice about accessing NHS nursery children • Buy store cupboard items such as dried fruit in large value packs and separate services, you can speak in confidence to the Patient Advice into small sandwich bags or plastic pots and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01234 409432. • Rather than buying individual drinks, buy a reusable drinks bottle. • Choose supermarket value or economy ranges This leaflet can also be produced in large print, audiocassette, Braille and other languages on Remember: request. Only put into your child’s lunchbox © Bedfordshire PCT 2009. This leaflet may not be reproduced in part what you would expect them to eat. or full without the consent of Bedfordshire PCT. Don’t put them off eating their lunch by putting in too much food or too many new or different foods on the same day. For children under 5, the amount of Bedfordshire Community Health Services food eaten will vary from day to day. It may be helpful to take note of how Community and Public Health Dietitians Hospital Dietitians Dunstable Health Centre Luton and Dunstable Hospital much food is returned in your child’s Priory Gardens Lewsey Road lunchbox as this may be a sign that Dunstable Luton portions need to be smaller. Bedfordshire Bedfordshire LU6 3SU LU4 0DZ If you need further advice on appropriate Tel 01582 707400 Tel 01582 497544 portions for your child’s packed lunch speak to your child’s key worker Ref no: Feb 2012 at nursery, school teacher, health visitor or school nurse. Design and print by: Artworks 01234 269088 Choose a food from each group Drinks Packed Lunch Planner to ensure your packed lunch is healthy and balanced Your school or nursery may provide a drink at lunchtime. If not, include a bottle Note: This planner is designed to provide ideas for lunchbox combinations, the of water, milk or pure fruit juice (dilute half water, half juice for 1 to 5 year olds) portions of food will need to be adapted according to your child’s appetite and age Starchy Foods (These foods provide energy and make your tummy feel full) where possible, avoid ‘fruit drinks’ as these have little nutritional value and can be high in added sugar. Vegetarian choices Tip: Offer a variety of starchy foods including wholegrain on some days Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Examples: Bread, rolls, pitta bread, pasta, potato, cous, cous, rice, bagel, tortilla wrap, chapatti, naan bread, crackers, crispbreads Healthy Swaps 1 small chapatti Hummus and Egg and cress Plain bagel with Mixed bean Pot of lentil dhal carrot in pita sandwich cream cheese rice salad bread Common lunchbox Why is this food not Better Choice Mini pancake Red pepper Cherry tomatoes Small pot of Protein Foods (These foods help you to grow) foods a good choice? Fruit yoghurt sticks rice pudding Strawberries Banana Tip: Include a portion of oily fish once a week e.g tinned salmon or mackerel dip Apple 2 fromage frais Small pot of 2 satsumas Meat pasty High in fat and salt Bagel or sandwich Small box of custard Examples: Cheese, cream cheese, tinned fish e.g sardines, tuna, cooked egg, with sliced meat and raisins houmous, sliced meat e.g ham, chicken, turkey, mixed beans and tomato or cucumber pulses, chicken drumstick, bean dip OR Non-vegetarian choices Baked chicken Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday drumstick with Fruit and Vegetables (These foods provide vitamins and fibre to keep you healthy) vegetable sticks Turkey and Chicken and Mackerel Dip Ham and sweet Cheese roll cucumber roll vegetable pasta Pita bread corn wrap Celery sticks Tip: Try to add two portions of these foods in your packed lunch e.g add salad Pear salad Grapes to a chicken sandwich and include a piece of fruit each day Crisps High in fat Homemade plain Carrot sticks Apple popcorn or breadsticks Fruit jelly Fruit yoghurt Small pot of Mini plain scone Examples: Cucumber, tomato, carrots, celery, red pepper, green pepper, Malt loaf Mini plain scone custard sweetcorn, lettuce, nectarine, apple, banana, mango, pineapple, Fried vegetable High in fat and salt Pita bread or plain Banana pear, raisins, grapes samosa naan bread and pot of dahl If your child has a packed meal each day then it is a good idea to put in some food from either of the groups below Chocolate bar High in fat and sugar Fruit or plain scone with spread or low-fat Sandwich or Wrap Dairy Foods (These foods are needed to make strong bones and teeth) cream cheese spread Filling Ideas Tip: For children over 5 years choose low fat varieties e.g semi skimmed milk Jelly sweets High in sugar Chopped fresh or Tuna and sweetcorn and low fat yoghurt dried fruit e.g mango, Humous, carrot and raisin pineapple or apricots Examples: Hard cheese, cheese triangles, cottage cheese, plain or fruit yoghurt, Egg, lettuce and cress pot of custard or rice pudding, fromage frais (if having dried fruit, Cottage cheese and tinned pineapple consume at mealtimes to protect teeth) Mixed bean, cucumber and red pepper Energy Boosters (These foods are nutritious energy boosters, if you play sport or Cream cheese and pepper are very active you may need extra energy) Chocolate spread No protein and high Sandwich with sliced Chicken and avocado or jam sandwich in sugar meat,cheese, egg, Malt loaf, currant bun, teacake, plain or fruit scone, homemade plain popcorn, Tinned salmon and cucumber fruit flapjack, small slice of fruit bread, brioche hummus or tinned Ham salad r a fish with salad Avoid foods such as crisps, sweets and chocolate as they are high in fat and sugar Offe of Roast beef and tomato and low in nutrients. These should not make up the majority of your packed variety er Prawn and avocado lunch. Review your school or nursery packed lunch policy and only include these food ov k foods once a week if permitted. the wee Cheese and tomato .

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