5 tips to take the pressure off packing a lunch box

Do you feel the pressure when packing a lunch box?  Are you trying to pack one that appeals to a fussy eater, only takes a few minutes to pack, doesn’t cost too much and is healthy!?  It’s easier than you think.

Here are our top 5 tips to take the pressure off packing a lunch box.

1. Base it on the five food groups

If you choose lunch box foods from the 5 food groups, then you can be sure it provides your child with the nutrients they need to grow, learn and play throughout the day.

• Breads and cereals – such as different breads, pasta, couscous, rice, noodles and crispbreads.
• Vegies and salads – like carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce.
• Meat and meat alternatives – like eggs, tofu, chicken, fish, lentils, chickpeas and baked beans.
• Fruit – there are so many options of whole fruit, cut up fruit and canned fruit in natural juice.
• Dairy and dairy alternatives – like milk, cheese, yoghurt and calcium-fortified alternatives such as soy milk, oat milk and soy cheese.

Don’t forget a bottle of water.

Check out our Interactive lunch box builder for more good choices of foods from each of these groups.

2. Add colour to the lunch box with fruit and vegetables

We have all heard of the expression ‘we eat with our eyes’; however, this doesn’t mean you must spend hours preparing a lunch box filled with dinosaur sandwiches and star-shaped cheese.  Make it look appealing by adding colour to the lunch box with your child’s favourite fruit and vegetables.

3. Let your child help choose

If you have a fussy eater it can help to get your child involved in choosing foods from healthy options that they want to have packed in their lunch box. Watch our Lunch box video with your child to get them excited about the lunch box.

If your child is a creature of habit, you can use the lunch box as an opportunity to introduce new foods slowly. Keep most of the lunch box containing the same foods you know they will eat, then add or change one small thing at a time, like adding one baby cucumber or a cherry tomato. Once you start seeing that these new foods are eaten, then these can become regulars in the lunch box and you have successfully added a new healthy food to your child’s diet. Remember small steps make a big difference!

As kids get older they can a pack their own lunch.

4. Save time by packing leftovers

Lots of dinner foods can easily be packed in the lunch box. Cook a bit extra at night, pack leftovers straight into lunch containers and store in the fridge until the next morning. This works very well with:

• Pasta – plain or with sauce
• Baked vegies like potato, pumpkin or sweet potatoes
• Meals like fried rice, lasagne or pizza
• Koftas, falafels or rissoles – can be enjoyed on their own or added to a sandwich, wrap or roll

5. Save money by stocking up on specials

Finding the balance between saving time and money is challenging because convenience comes at a cost.  Cooking meals and preparing snacks from scratch is usually cheaper than buying an equivalent packaged meal or snack. For example, slicing cheese and putting it with wholegrain crackers will cost around $1.45/100g compared to up to $3.80/100g for pre-packaged sliced cheese and biscuits.  Buying a large tub of yoghurt and dividing it into smaller tubs for the lunch box will cost less than buying individual yoghurt tubs. Generally, the more processed a food is, the more expensive it will be.  

When you need a grab-and-go snack with no preparation stock up on specials like popcorn, cartons of dried fruit or tubs of fruit in natural juice !  Just ensure that the products you buy won’t expire before they can be eaten. For  more ideas, read our blog 8 healthy packaged snacks to grab-and-go when time is low.

Remember healthy lunch boxes don’t have to be fancy; stick to simple items from the 5 food groups.

© Cancer Council NSW 2024 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521.

Some images on this site have been supplied by Cancer Council Western Australia's Crunch & Sip website