How to create nutritious school lunches that your kids will actually eat

Waitrose & Partners invites you to draw closer to inspiration through a collection of tips and recommendations designed to help you create a healthy lunchbox that not only meets school requirements but will also be well received by your children.

- Aim for at least one portion of your child’s five-a-day. As a guide, a child’s portion corresponds to the amount of fruit or vegetables that can fit in their hand. Dried fruit, such as raisins, counts toward this, but should not be used too frequently since it can adhere to teeth. Suitable options for the lunchbox include bananas, sliced grapes, satsumas and clementines, apples and pears, carrot sticks, cucumber, and red pepper slices. If your child tends to leave fruit and vegetables uneaten, you could consider alternatives such as a fruit smoothie, a dried fruit snack, or cutting melon into shapes to make it more appealing.

- Include a daily protein source. Protein supports your child’s growth. Good protein options that are easy to incorporate into a lunchbox include meat, fish, eggs, and beans. Suitable sandwich fillings include sliced chicken, egg mayonnaise, or tuna, and sliced hard-boiled eggs travel well. If you wish to vary from sandwiches, consider adding a pasta salad with mixed beans and tuna.

Include a starchy food in daily meals. Starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice, and cereals supply energy and fibre. Whenever possible, choose wholegrain varieties to boost your child’s fibre intake. If your child resists wholegrain versions of bread, pasta, or rice, consider half-and-half options. Good examples include “best of both” bread, mixing half white with half wholegrain for pasta and rice, or incorporating high-fibre cereals into regular cereals. Since this food group often forms the largest portion of lunch, it is important to diversify it. Consider a wholemeal wrap one day, pasta salad the next, or perhaps half a bagel or some sliced wholemeal pitta bread.

Add a daily portion of dairy to your child’s lunchbox. Dairy is an excellent source of calcium, essential for your child’s developing bones. Milk is the preferred beverage for lunch, but yogurts and cheese sticks also make good additions to the lunchbox, or you can include cheese as the sandwich filling, or use low-fat cream cheese as a dip for vegetable sticks. If opting for non-dairy alternatives such as fortified soya milk or yogurt, ensure they are fortified with calcium. Other non-dairy calcium sources include dried fruits, particularly figs and apricots. Quick tip: encouraging your child to finish their lunch with a piece of cheese can aid in protecting teeth against acid erosion.

- Apple slices will not brown if a small amount of lemon juice is applied before storing them in a sealed container.

- A 200 ml glass of milk provides 55% of a child’s daily calcium requirement.

- Omega-3 essential fatty acids support the normal functioning of the heart, brain, and vision when included as part of a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle.

- A small 10 g bag of salted popcorn delivers nearly 2 g of fibre.

- Children have small stomachs, so energy-dense foods are preferable to large portions. Examples of energy-dense options include nut butters (subject to your school’s nut policy), dried fruit snacks, and cheese.

- You can keep a child’s lunchbox cool by using an ice pack or by freezing their drink or yoghurt, which should defrost by lunchtime.

- Invest in cookie cutters to vary the shapes of sandwiches.

- Involve children in packing their lunchbox the night before, time permitting, to gain insight into their preferences and aversions.

- Include a small treat to maintain interest. It does not need to be unhealthy—just something to add variety. Good options include mini biscuits, dried fruit snacks, mini flapjacks, or cereal bars.