If you have a fussy eater, then this is for you.
Making sure your little ones are eating a nutritious meal whilst being a fussy eater can be a tough gig for all parents. You pack them a delicious lunchbox (well you think you do) and they come home with it half-eaten.
Yep, we get it! That is why we have put together 5 healthy lunchbox ideas for fussy eaters.
4 key food elements to think about before preparing your kid’s lunchbox.
Firstly, when creating meals for our little ones, we need to make sure to tick off these four food elements to make each meal full of nutrients.
These are:
- Proteins
- Wholegrain carbohydrates
- Vegetables and fruits
- Healthy fats
If these food elements are added into each meal, you can rest easily, knowing your kids have delicious and nutritious foods that will keep your growing children full and provide energy throughout their day of learning.
Now, let’s get into the healthy lunchbox ideas:
1. Yoghurt with oats and their favorite fruits
Yes, we know yoghurt can be plain, but it is great for protein intake and calcium. Adding in oats ticks off the whole grains to provide energy and fruit to make it sweet with natural sugars. You can also add in some mixed seeds to help add in healthy fats.
2. Wholemeal salad sandwich
The classic wholemeal sandwich is a no-brainer. With wholemeal bread for healthy carbs, cheese and/or ham for protein and lettuce, carrot, or salads of your liking to add the fruit and vegetables in. Add in some avocado to give the sandwich some healthy fats. Make this fun by using a star or love heart shape bread cutter.
3. Homemade Pizzas or Bagels
Who doesn’t like homemade pizzas!? Start with the pizza base or bagel (to change things up), that is your whole grains ticked off. Add your protein, which can be ham, salami, sausage, or chicken and, of course, the cheese. Then add your vegetable toppings. The good thing with pizzas is that you can hide the veggies, too – chop them finely and hide them under the protein.
4. Pesto Pasta (contains nuts)
This delicious meal will have your kids licking the bowl! Add in wholemeal pasta, with a meat of your choice or tofu, then add in your veggies. This can be cherry tomatoes, carrot, and spinach (again, these veggies can be hidden). Add in the basil dressing – blended basil leaves, cashews, salt, pepper, and olive oil (healthy fats) and top with cheese.
5. Baked potatoes
Potatoes, the most underrated vegetable, and wholegrain carb. This is the perfect addition to a kid’s lunchbox. Bake 1 to 2 potatoes (depending on potato size), add your protein, which can be minced beef or mixed beans. Add in your salads, sour cream, guacamole and cheese and you are done! Plus, this ticks off all the food elements for your growing kids.
Snacks for growing kid’s lunchbox
Now, the snacks are the easy part, right?
Here are some healthy snacks to include:
- Boiled eggs
- Chopped up veggies (carrots, celery & cherry tomatoes for example) with hummus or guacamole dip
- Chopped fruit (strawberries, banana & watermelon, for example) with some plain Greek yoghurt
- Chocolate bliss balls (filled with seeds, coconut oil, dates, and cocoa powder)
- Smoothie (milk, fruit, and chia seeds)
- Dates dipped in chocolate
- Apples with peanut butter
- Cheese and crackers
These snacks are great to keep your little ones full throughout the day and provide energy in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
What are healthy fats?
As you can probably see, adding in healthy fats to some of our lunchbox ideas can be tough and this is also a vital element of our children’s growth and development.
Healthy fats can be added in by eating oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, and eggs, just to name a few.
But we know with fussy eaters, adding these all in is why you are reading this blog!
We have made this easy for you, though. Adding in our deliciousBalanceOil Tutti Fruttiflavor in the morning or night provides your little ones with Omega-3 (EPA, DHA & DPA) and vitamin D. It is approved by kids and backed by science.
This is our game-changing Polyphenol Omega Balance food supplement that is made with an innovative blend of oils derived from wild-caught small fish and pre-harvested extra virgin olive oil for an efficient and effective absorption for growth and development in children.
