What to put in those god damn lunch boxes!!
Back in the day (I’m a 1976 baby) the school lunch consisted of a hang sandwich, apple, orange or squashed banana, and a penguin, custard cream, bourbon or chocolate digestive. Packet of Tayto maybe on a Friday or if the hang ran out it was butter and jam sambos. The lunch box was a standard rectangular or square plastic box and to be honest that was it.
NOW or god now the pressure and stress of it all! And don’t get me started on the number of “compartments” the new jazzed up lunch boxes have! I used to be breaking out into a sweat trying to come up with ideas of filling all the slots, pots and compartments of “whoever thought it was clever to design such a contraption”. Let’s be honest I still find it a struggle!
However not all is lost. Remember – kids eat about 20% of their daily food at lunch – Fact.
So I have come up with some all essential, practical, no nonsense guidelines of how to create school lunches that will make BOTH Mummy and child happy.
So let’s get started!👇
Guideline 1 - DO NOT compare yourself to the Instagram “perfect lunches” brigade who suffocate us with images of a lunchbox filled with crudités of sweet peppers, wholemeal sandwiches filled with homemade chicken tikka, bite size carrot and courgette muffins with an array or fruit (all the colours in the rainbow!). Please give me a break. I’m convinced half of that comes home in the lunchbox or the child has traded it with some other kids lunch!
Guideline 2 – Make a list of all the foods your child LIKES. Get them involved. Get them to pick their top 3 favourite fruits. What’s their preference of sandwich fillers, is it ham, chicken, turkey, butter and jam etc. When it comes to vegetables which can always be a tricky one I love using this one “If you HAD to choose between the following – carrots, sweet peppers, cucumber or tomatoes, what top 2 would you choose”. If they say “none of them”, say if your Xbox depended on it make a choice..I tell you they’ll answer pretty quick!
Remember a lunchbox that isn’t eaten provides no nutrition!
Guideline 3 – The best bit – My Golden Nuggets when it comes to school lunches
1. Don’t overthink it – keep it tasty, easy and quick to eat and of course straight forward for yourself
2. A reminder:⬇️
👉Carbohydrates – feeds the brain and provides fuel to get them through their day
👉Protein – feeds their muscles and bones and also helps them feel fuller for longer
👉Colour – fruit and vegetables, full of an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals
This is not a competition plus it’s totally ok to have the same lunch everyday if your child likes it. It’s just food, the most important part is that your child enjoys it and you have worked together to come up with a plan that will provide them with a nutritious lunch that will give them energy and get them through their day.
So Mums you’re doing great, there is so much nonsense out there of what we “Should” be doing. You do you and arm yourself with a few tricks and ideas, a bit of a plan so that the lunchboxes don’t become the thing of nightmares at 7.30am every morning!😣
Happy Mummy and Happy Child!
Next Blog (# 7) is UNMISSABLE!! Out the end of September.
Are you a Busy Working Mum who?⬇️
✅Works from home at least 3 days a week
✅You love the flexibility but feel “boundaries are getting blurred” with work/life balance
✅Your office is at the kitchen table or in your bedroom and your routine is non existent
✅Your health has taken a nose dive in terms of your eating habits
✅You graze throughout the day, picking at food and crave sugary treats
✅Your weight is on the increase
✅AND YOU WANT CHANGE!!
If this is you, I have something for you….
I am going to be sharing my top tips when it comes to “Working from Home the Healthy Way”.
So don’t miss Septembers edition!
If you know a friend, sister, cousin or work colleague who could do with some “no BS advice”, a list of tips to get them kick-started, making Working From Home a more enjoyable, healthier experience, then why not let them in and be part of my monthly newsletter – link below!👇
Until next Blog
Susan
XXX