Healthier lunchboxes

Make sure your child's lunchbox provides a healthy, nutritionally balanced lunch.

Healthier breaktime snacks

Getting your children to eat more healthily



Confused about what to include in your child's lunchbox? See our tips. A healthier lunchbox should:

-   be based on starchy carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta)
-   include fresh fruit and vegetables/salad
-   include a source of protein such as beans and pulses, eggs, fish, meat, cheese (or dairy alternative)
-   include a side dish such as a low-fat and lower-sugar yoghurt (or dairy alternative), tea cake, fruit bread, plain rice/corn cakes, homemade plain popcorn, sugar-free jelly
-   include a drink such as water, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks

## Healthier breaktime snacks

Children often like food they can eat with their fingers. Try these ideas:

-   **Chop up raw veggies**  – such as carrots or peppers, and give them hummus or cottage cheese to dip the veggies in.
-   **Chop up fruit**  – such as apple, satsuma segments, strawberries, blueberries, halved grapes or melon slices. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them from going brown.
-   **Breadsticks and wholemeal crackers**  –make great finger foods. Try spreading low-fat soft cheese on them.
-   **Choose malt loaf, tea cakes, fruit breads or fruit**  – instead of cake, chocolate, cereal bars and biscuits. Fruit can be fresh or canned (in juice, not syrup).

Dried fruit is not recommended as a snack between meals as it's high in sugar and can be bad for teeth, but it's OK when eaten as part of a meal.


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## Getting your children to eat more healthily

It may take a while for your child to get used to a healthier lunchbox but keep trying. These tips may help:

-   Get your children involved in preparing and choosing what goes in their lunchbox. They're more likely to eat it if they helped prepare it.
-   Get ideas on how to introduce more fruit and veg into your family's diet.
-   Read supermarket food labels to help you buy healthier foods for your child's lunch and family mealtimes.

Learn more about [healthy eating](/healthy-diet/healthy-eating-and-balanced-diet).


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Article information

School meals are a great choice for your child, but if you choose to make a packed lunch for them instead here are some tips for preparing a healthier lunchbox.