03 Magazine: March 01, 2023

Education | Magazine 43
“Even though my three children are now teenagers and they direct
us to what they like and don’t, it can still be a headache
to get them eating an energy-packed breakfast and lunch.”
They need to be exciting when opened, and have variety,
whether it be a little pottle of yoghurt or chia pudding topped
with some berries or honey, or cut up raw vegetables like
carrot and cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes etc.
Sandwiches often come home uneaten, and to be honest
I don’t blame them. We navigate around this by making
quesadilla, which are wraps sandwiched together with cheese,
corn, ham, capsicum etc, toasted in a pan until golden, cut into
wedges. These work a treat.
To finish, I always add a homemade treat such as a biscuit
or energy balls and piece of fruit, which if need be can be
cut and peeled. Anything to make it easy and enjoyable for
the children.
Don’t give up, and let the children help you assemble their
lunch boxes. Best of luck!
SOPHIE CAMERON,
ASSOCIATE REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST
Breakfast largely contributes to a child’s energy and nutrient
intake, therefore it’s important to encourage children to eat
breakfast each day. Children are still growing and developing,
so breakfast should serve to kickstart their day and provide
them with the long-lasting energy they need to learn and play.
Children need to eat a variety of different foods
throughout the day to be healthy, and breakfast should
contain foods from the four main food groups: fruit and
vegetables; breads and cereals; milk and milk products; and
lean meats, chicken, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds.
These offer a mixture of carbohydrate, fat and protein
components, along with the essential vitamins and minerals
children need for a nourishing start.
The nutrient requirements for children vary depending on
their age, with older children requiring slightly more energy.
An example of a healthy breakfast for a six-year-old could be
two wheat biscuits with half a cup of low-fat milk (125ml), half
a banana, one slice of toast, one teaspoon of margarine, one
teaspoon of jam and a glass of water (150ml).
The same breakfast for an 11-year-old would require adding
an extra half a banana (one banana in total) and swapping
the jam for two teaspoons of peanut butter to give them the
extra calories they require for their age.
A healthy lunch box should likewise contain a range of
foods from the four main food groups to ensure children
receive the essential nutrients they need to go, grow and glow
throughout the day.
GO foods are the grain foods that will give your children
energy to fuel their body and brain and could include a
wholegrain bread roll, a cup of cooked pasta, or two slices of
wholegrain bread made into a sandwich.
GROW foods are meat and dairy foods that contain
important nutrients for building strong muscles, bones and
teeth. Milk and milk products could include a pottle of yoghurt
(choose low sugar varieties) or two slices of edam cheese,
while meat and meat alternatives could include a small tin of
tuna in springwater, a hard-boiled egg, or two slices of lean
roast meat.
GLOW foods are the colourful fruits and vegetables which
offer essential vitamins and minerals for a strong immune
system, as well as skin, hair and eye health. Offer one piece
or equivalent of fresh fruit, for example, an apple, some
pineapple chunks, kiwifruit halves, or several strawberries, and
aim for two handfuls of vegetables. Examples could include
crunchy vegetables such as carrot, capsicum, cucumber and
celery sticks, leftover roasted vegetables, cooked corn cobs,
broccoli or edamame beans.
There are certain foods you should limit in a child’s diet,
especially at breakfast and lunchtime. These include foods
and drinks which are highly processed, as they often contain
excessive salt, sugar and fat which can displace healthier
options in their diet.
Swap cordial and sugary drinks for water or plain low-fat
milk, swap potato chips for low-fat crackers and hummus
or plain popcorn, swap sweet biscuits for plain pikelets or
homemade muffins, and swap confectionery for healthy trail
mix containing dried fruit, nuts and seeds (check your school’s
policy on nuts).
Foods such as lollies, potato chips and fast food can be
included in a healthy diet but need to be eaten in moderation
and not in place of your child’s main meals. We suggest these
foods be eaten occasionally as they can contribute to excess
energy intake and tooth decay.
A common problem faced by parents is children bringing
their lunch boxes home from school uneaten. However, there
are some easy ways to help children enjoy their food, while
also eating healthy meals.
Involve your children in the shopping and preparing of
food. When you’re shopping, allow children to choose their
vegetables, and encourage children to participate in the
preparation of breakfast and lunch by cutting up some fruit
and making their sandwiches. Children love to help and are
more likely to enjoy their food if they have some choice.
You could also bake some lunchbox items with them, such
as homemade savoury muffins or vegetable fritters.
Educate your children on why we eat certain foods. Explain
that milk and cheese help your bones to grow, or that carrots
help you to see better in the dark, rather than just because
they are healthy and we need to eat them.
Offer different lunch options during the week. Children
need variety, so changing up their sandwich fillings and
offering different fruits and snacks will prevent children
from getting bored and also allow them to enjoy eating
healthy meals.