Easy, Delicious & Healthy Ideas for your Child’s School Lunchbox.
Every parent wants to give their kid the best nutrition possible to help them perform well at school and life a healthy lifestyle. But, making sure the food you feed them is tasty as well as nutritious can be challenging. Sure it’s easy to reach for the pre-packaged salty and sugary snacks but trust us, with this easy lunchbox guide you won’t need to! We spoke to Grant Cullingworth, Executive Chef at The Westin Cape Town about how to pack a delicious and healthy school lunchbox for your children. Here are his top tips and tricks!
According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, one in four girls and one in five boys between the ages of two and 14-years-old are overweight and/or obese. When healthy options are not available to them, children tend to make unhealthy eating choices, opting for high sugar foods that most school tuck shops offer. But it’s not too late to help your children develop healthy eating habits. The great news is, awareness around healthy eating is on the rise and as a result, many parents are making the decision to opt for more nutritional food options for themselves and their children.
Packing a healthy lunchbox:
Although broadening the horizons of your child’s tastebuds is definitely challenging; the options for creating a healthy, tasty and nutritious lunchbox are endless. For a perfectly balanced lunchbox try to use a combination of high fibre whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, while keeping an eye on the nutrient count of sugar and salt included.
Here are some quick and easy options for you to include in your child’s lunchbox:
· Almond waffles with strawberries, banana and black cherries.
· A soft boiled egg with whole-wheat pancake dippers, broccoli and cauliflower.
· Sweetcorn and zucchini fritters with slices of grilled chicken.
· Boerewors and lentil meatballs and courgette tagliatelle.
· Fresh fruit cut into quarters with a small natural yoghurt.
· Gluten-free oat and chocolate chip cookies.
Children often mimic the dietary habits of adults so it’s important for your child to learn the value of healthy food at home. For example, if you’re looking for healthier snacking options then why not spend some time with your kids trying out different snacks this weekend? Show them how it is prepared and allow them to discover and explore the nutritious foods that they like the most.
And, when you’re out and about looking for healthy lunch options for yourself, pop into The Westin Cape Town. The shift towards healthy eating has inspired the culinary team at The Westin to collaborate with experts from SuperChefs to develop their SuperFoods menu, made from powerhouse ingredients rich in nutrients, antioxidants and delicious taste so you can start your day feeling recharged. From whole-wheat blueberry pancakes to all-natural roasted turkey wraps and black bean hummus – The Westin makes healthy meals impossible to resist.
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