What should be in our lunchbox?

If you have been following me on social media, you would have seen some pics of what I make my 2 little boys for their lunch. Since finding out my older son has ADHD and is on the Autism spectrum I have been really big on making sure that his and his brother's lunches are well balanced. Getting the 'right' foods that they will actually eat, has truly been trial and error but each week we are getting closer to my goal of a well-balanced lunch.

For my boys, aged 6 and 9, a typical lunch will have a yoghurt, 1 sandwich, 2-3 fruit choices, and either a homemade muffin or some type of muesli bar. By giving small amounts of different foods, it has also helped Mr 9 to try different food textures that he wouldn't normally touch and it has also helped me to test my creativity skills when it comes to home baking.

In this week's blog, I go a bit deeper into lunchtime nutrition right from preschool (kindy, daycare) to a couple of ideas for what we should eat in retirement.

Let's dive right in ...

If you are a Preschooler, your no doubt always on the go and you only have a small stomach to process food. By having little snacks in your lunchbox will mean that you will get top-up nutrition throughout the day.

Rye crackers can be a good swap for multigrain bread, but rice crackers can be low in fibre and high in salt, so not such a good choice.

Weekly variety is really important as you will tend to balance your nutrients over the week.

Parents - Make sure to encourage your children to try different types of food by mixing up how you present it to them.

If you are a Primary School Student, you will be doing lots of learning and playing so you will need long-lasting energy to keep your body and brain full of energy all day. Make sure to stay away from the temptations of lollies or sugary drinks, they best way to keep your energy up is to have some healthy carbohydrates, such as high fibre breads, crackers or beans.

If you are an Intermediate School Student, at this stage of your life you are building strong bones that need to last a lifetime so lunchtime is a great chance to top up on that much needed calcium. Calcium is crucial to bone building, but this is often the stage of life where you will stop having so much milk or yoghurt. If milk and yoghurt aren't your flavour anymore, make sure to be getting lots of delicious leafy greens into your day, as these contain that building block of calcium that you need.

If you are a University Student or Office Worker, you will be doing a lot of sitting and using brain power! You can boost your brain by packing the omega-3 fats, nuts and veges into your lunch. Sticking to these foods rather than reaching for an energy drink, will give you a post-lunch energy boost rather than hitting the 3pm slump and falling asleep at your desk.

If you have a Active Job (builder, nurse, cafe worker ect) a great lunch is essential to keep your energy levels up all afternoon. Stop the afternoon slump and sweet cravings by packing protein into your lunch. Bringing your own snacks to work can help remove the temptation of an oversize muffin with your morning coffee.

If you are in Retirement you might be having a light or cooked lunch, but either way your favourite foods should include protein and fibre foods. As you get older, protein is essential to keeping your muscles strong and preventing falls. Fibre gives your bowels a workout and keeps the bowel muscle healthy as well.

If you want more help and to really get those lunches sorted you can join me on Facebook in my ladies healthy living community https://www.facebook.com/groups/2154016071497079/

Or book in a Motivate Me call where we will dive deep into finding the top 3 things to help you revamp those lunchtime meals https://calendly.com/fireduphealthfitness/15min