The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) have produced a wonderful leaflet, Healthier Packed Lunches, which will be made available to schools, teachers and parents in the UK. The leaflet is designed to give them a better idea of what makes a nutritious packed lunch, for 5-11 year olds.

Many kids lunch boxes contain salt, sugar and saturated fat in quantities well above the recommended limits. When surveyed, researchers found that 23% of parents were confused about what foods should be in their child’s lunch box.

Main lunch box components

Lunches should be made up of a variety of foods from the four main food groups:

• One portion of vegetables, or salad, and one portion of fruit.
• One portion of a milk, cheese, or yoghurt.
• One portion of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, or peanut butter.
• One portion of a starchy food, such as bread, pasta, rice, noodles or potato.

To accompany the healthier packed lunches leaflet, the BNF have come up with a host of menu ideas for healthy packed lunches. All of their suggestions have been nutritionally analysed, and are consistent with the nutrient requirements of children aged 5-11 years.

You can check out their website for the complete list, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Tortilla wrap with grilled chicken, lettuce and red pepper slices (with reduced calorie mayonnaise).
• Cherry tomatoes.
• Banana.
• Fruit fromage frais.
• Carton of apple juice.

• Rice, bean and ham salad (boiled rice, kidney beans, green beans and chopped ham) with a little olive oil and lemon juice.
• Peach or nectarine.
• Low fat fruit yogurt.
• Slice of banana bread.
• Bottle of water.

• Wholemeal pitta with ham, reduced fat Edam cheese and green pepper slices (with reduced fat spread).
• Handful of raisins.
• Carton of rice pudding.
• Rice crispie cake.
• Carton of apple juice.

• Soft white roll with grilled sausage, lettuce and tomato (with reduced fat spread and a little ketchup).
• Celery and cucumber sticks.
• Small tub of fruit cocktail in juice.
• Low fat rice pudding.
• Bottle of water.

I also come across some other wonderful resources, which you may want to check out as well:

• Food Standards Agency – If you’re stuck for ideas, you’ll find a whole month of lunch box ideas here.
• The School Food Trust – For guidance on packed lunches, innovative mid-morning snack ideas, and much more.