Lunchbox tips and tricks

It’s that time of year again and we all know a little too well about Lunchbox fatigue…. it’s real!

Adding dairy foods to the lunchbox plays an important role in helping to power kids through their day. Dairy foods provide a unique package of 10 essential nutrients, including calcium and protein, which have a wide range of health benefits for growing, active bodies.

Did you know, Kids at school will consume around a third of their daily nutrient needs at recess and lunch. So it’s important lunchboxes contain nutritious snacks such as dairy foods to help enhance kids’ concentration in the classroom and fuel their bodies for active play.

Childhood is the time for building strong bones for life. Depending on their age and gender, children need between 1 - 3.5 serves of dairy every day.  A school lunchbox being an ideal occasion to include dairy foods in a variety of ways.

To make getting ready for school easier, try our cool dairy hacks to give you, and your lunchbox, a boost.

Lunchbox Food Safety 
In most cases, food is stored in lunchboxes for several hours, so the lunchbox needs to stay cool. Food safety suggestions are outlined below.

• A freezer pack and insulated lunchbox is a great way of keeping yogurt and other dairy foods nicely chilled.
• Freeze flavoured or plain milk – this will keep the rest of the lunchbox cool and will defrost throughout the day and be cold ready to drink by lunchtime. Perfect refreshing drink for a warm day. Remind kids to shake frozen milk before drinking it to ensure a smooth consistency.
• Frozen milk not only helps to keep the lunchbox cool but if packed with a spoon can be eaten as a slushie at lunchtime
• Prepare lunches the night before and store in the fridge or freezer
• UHT milks are a great option to include in the lunch box as they don't need to be kept cold
• Freeze tubs of yogurt, by lunch or recess time they should be semi-thawed and are a delicious cool snack.
• Waxed paper can be a better option for wrapping than plastic. It’s easier for children to manage (and less polluting)
• Always follow the ‘Use By’ and ‘Best Before’ dates and storage advice for dairy products

Download your PDF copy of our lunchbox safety tricks here. 

Lunchbox Success  
Many school children bring their lunch home with them at the end of the day, which can be frustrating. There may be a variety of reasons why your child does not eat all the food in their lunchbox. The following suggestions may be helpful.  

• Try to encourage your child to make decisions about what they eat and chat with them before preparing their lunch.
• Think about what your child likes to eat at home and try to translate that into a lunchbox option
• Foods should be simple and easy to prepare, ready to eat and appetising after several hours storage in the lunchbox.
• Foods such as sandwiches can be prepared the night before or on the weekend, frozen, then taken for each day’s lunchbox
• It is important to keep offering healthy lunchbox choices in a variety of ways, as children learn to eat what is familiar to them.  
• The lunch box style: your child may have an issue with their lunch container. It may be difficult for them to open or want the latest fashion in lunchboxes to be like the other kids. 
• Boredom: try to pack a different lunch every day. For younger children, cut the sandwiches in differ-ent ways to add interest: for example triangles, squares or strips. You could even use one slice of white and one slice of brown to make a ‘zebra’ sandwich. You could even add a little message from you in their lunchbox to brighten their day, and their lunch if they're not going to be happy with what you snuck in
• Too dry: if they say the filling is too dry, try leaving a sandwich uncut. Some fillings like dips or cream cheese may stay fresher this way. If your child's appetite seems small, offer smaller servings. For example, half a sandwich might be more appropriate than a whole one
• Make other meals count: if your child hardly eats anything from their lunchbox despite your best efforts, try to at least ensure they have a nutritious breakfast and dinner that includes a serve of dairy at each meal occasion. Trust that your child will eat when hungry.  

Download your PDF copy of our lunchbox success tips here.

Every lunchbox should include foods from the five food groups including dairy foods. Here are some easy ways to incorporate the food groups.

• Sandwich dried apricots together with spreadable cream cheese
• Cut the crusts off a slice of bread, and top with sliced ham and a cheese stick, roll up firmly to create fun Cheesy Roll Arounds
• Cook a little extra dinner the night before and save for lunch the next day. Pasta salad, quiche and homemade pizza slices are just a few examples that are delicious cold for lunch
• Pop a small container of your kids’ favourite dairy dip such as French onion, avocado, or tzatziki with vegetable sticks in their lunchbox
• Sweet dips can also make a delicious treat! Pop cream cheese in a container and sprinkle with cinnamon and honey, delicious for kids to dip crisp apple wedges or fingers of banana into
• Jumping beans pasta salad: Toss a simple tuna and pasta or potato salad with this simple and delish dressing: 1/4 cup natural yogurt, 2 teaspoons mayonnaise and ¼ teaspoon salt reduced taco seasoning
• Pop a few cubes of mozzarella or swiss cheese in a container with sticks of the kids’ favourite veggies for an energy boosting snack pack
• For children who prefer not to eat sandwiches or simply for a change, try cubes of cheddar with carrot and celery sticks, plain crackers and some dried fruit.
• Mix up sweet and savoury! Pop some cubes of cheddar in with: some grapes and popcorn, sultanas and pretzels for a Pick’n Mix bag.  
• Grated cheddar is convenient for wraps and rolls and can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container until needed. Combine grated cheddar with grated carrot, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and maybe a little ham and using a filling for pita wraps.
• Cheese is an easy nutrient dense and high calcium food to incorporate into the lunchbox in sandwiches or as cheese sticks and cubes as a sustaining snack.Create interest by cutting cheese into shapes (triangles, cubes, squares or rectangles).

Check out some more recipes at dairy.com.au/products/recipes.

Protein Rich Sandwich Fillers

• Banana, ricotta and honeyMashed egg and mayonnaise with a handful of grated cheddar
• Ham, Swiss cheese and pickles – an oldie but a goodie
• Cream cheese, tuna, cucumber and carrot
• Tzatziki, leftover roast meat and salad
• Cream cheese, cranberry sauce, cucumber, lettuce and turkey
• Try spreading sandwiches with cream cheese in place of margarine or mayonnaise
• Roast beef, coleslaw and cheddar cheese
• Ricotta mashed with sultanas, grated carrots and cinnamon
• Chopped chicken mixed with light sour cream, celery, spring onion and sandwiched with cucumber
• Pesto mixed with cream cheese and topped with chicken or ham, and finely chopped capsicum
• Jazz up the usual salad sandwich by making rainbow rolls. Cut the top off a bread roll and hollow out, line with a slice of ham before layering with you favourite salad ingredients and grated cheddar, replace the top and wrap up for the lunchbox
• Make your usual cheese sandwich a little more fun by using cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes
• Try using different types of cheese in sandwiches, Swiss-style, mozzarella, ricotta and cream cheese are really delicious alternatives to the usual cheddar slices.

Download your PDF copy of our lunchbox ideas and inspiration here.