Back to School: Healthy Lunchbox Ideas!

It’s that time of year again – long winter nights and busy early mornings. Transitioning back to school will be a little challenging this year, but every little helps, so we’ve put together some ideas for some healthy lunchboxes for the kids.

Sandwiches: No school lunch box blog would be complete without mentioning a classic – the sandwich. Sandwiches don’t have to be boring. Check out some the recipes below for some healthy meat-free and even bread-free options!

Bread-Free: If your child has a wheat allergy or you’d prefer not to give them bread every lunchtime, you could check out some alternatives. For example, you could wrap up some filings in iceberg lettuce leaves or roll up some salad in a slice of meat, offering an easy alternative to the bread sandwich. 

Meat-Free: Most kids love a good ham sandwich but if your child is vegan or vegetarian, check out this creative blog for vegan sambos. The Happy Pear is also always good for meat-free options.

Bento Box: Anybody who’s been to Yo Sushi with the kids will know how much they love it and Sushi is generally a healthy option! So why not turn the lunchbox into their very own Bento Box. You can buy Sushi in most supermarkets these days, or you can make it yourself and make it as colorful as you like but beware – this one will take a bit more preparation! Click here for some ideas.

Yoghurt: Yoghurt is a healthy way to have a slightly sweet treat after a savory snack at lunchtime. As long as you go for a low sugar fruit based option and use a small treat sized yoghurt, with regular teeth cleaning, it should be perfectly safe for your child’s teeth.

Fruit: A piece of fruit is another way to give your child a small, slightly sweet treat without harming their teeth. Keep in mind that fruit is high in sugar however, so we would recommend as with everything, to have it in moderation. Too much fruit during the day is not necessarily good for you or your teeth!

Drink: Avoid fruit drinks and smoothies that can often be billed as healthy but tend to be high in sugar and bad for your teeth. Go for a small child’s size bottle of water if possible or a small carton of milk.

Sweet Treats: Thankfully, most schools advise against bringing treats into the classroom with maybe an exception sometimes on a Friday. It’s no harm to put a small treat into the lunchbox once a week, and it adds to the child’s excitement and enjoyment around eating.

If your looking to book a back to school checkup for your children find your local Dental Care Ireland practice by checking out our contact page.