As the kids settle back into school routine, the daily grind of lunch box packing begins again. It’s stressful, don’t get me wrong. Between wrangling the kids in the morning, getting ourselves ready, and constantly reaching for that morning coffee, there’s next to no time to think about what you’re really putting in their lunch box. It’s a mine field of trying to balance health, economics and time. A little extra time prepping on the weekend goes a long way, and reading the back of food labels will save your kids teeth, and overall health from the dangers of hidden sugars.
Here’s five healthy lunch box swaps your kids will actually enjoy:
1. Flavoured yoghurt for Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit
Calcium is great for our children and yoghurt is a healthy snack in itself. Unfortunately, not all yoghurts are created equal in the sugar department. This ‘healthy’ snack we get our kids can sometimes contain more sugar than soft drink. Stick to the Greek variety or natural yoghurts, and add fresh fruit for flavour rather than the artificially flavoured yoghurts.
2. Custards and fruit cups for home-made chia puddings
Flavoured custards and fruit cups both contain added sugar with approximately 15 grams per serving, sometimes more. A great swap would be homemade chia puddings with vanilla for flavouring. This reduces the sugar considerably, and provides a nutritious and energetic snack on the heathier side.
3. Sandwiches for sushi
Swapping white bread and sugary spreads for homemade sushi rolls is a great way to decrease overall sugar content. The process of making sushi rolls is fun for the kids to get involved, and provides a tasty lunch alternate.
4. Muffins for boiled eggs
The average store bought blueberry muffin contains 36 grams of sugar; this is 11 grams more than the total recommended daily intake for children. Muffins are often advertised as a healthy snack, but to be honest they are simply a cake in an oversized cupcake tin. Hard boiled eggs for example are a great healthy snack for kids – added protein and omega 3’s, minus the sugar.
5. Potato chips for popcorn
Snack chips and biscuit packets can have up to 25 grams of sugar per serving. You may or may not be surprised to learn, this is more than a can of Coke! I can’t imagine many parents putting a can of Coke in their 5 year old’s lunch box…
However, many parents pack snack sized packets of chips and biscuits, simply because they are not aware of the added sugar content. A great swap is home-made air popped popcorn – fun and tasty.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tabitha, Dental Hygienist at AIRFLOW Dental Spa, has 22 years’ experience in the dental industry. She graduated from Newcastle University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Oral Health and has since worked in private practice and as a dental educator at Sydney University. Tabitha has a passion for community dentistry, preventative care and implant maintenance. She has volunteered clinically both within Australia and overseas and volunteers on a regular basis for the Dental Hygienists Association of Australia (DHAA). She is the current DHAA National Vice President, Northern Territory Director and Chair of Continuing Education nationally.