A nutritious lunchbox holds the ingredients to your children’s health, says Charmaine Gauci, director at the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate.

Many governments across the globe are investing in interventions targeting healthy nutrition, increased physical activity and decreased levels of sedentary behaviour.

Interventions to improve children’s nutrition and health are an important investment both from a health as well as an educational standpoint, since evidence shows that such interventions also enhance learning ability, leading to better academic performance.

The environments in which children are brought up influence their attitudes, preferences and behaviours later in life. School environments can be an opportunity for the prevention of weight and nutritional problems, reaching a large number of people while providing an environment for reinforcing important health messages.

Schools also provide a bridge to stimulate parental involvement in shaping children’s habits and attitudes to healthy lifestyle choices. Locally, various initiatives are ongoing through the implementation of the whole school approach to healthy lifestyle policy.

Children may need to be exposed to a new food up to 10 times before they accept it

Last scholastic year, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate in close collaboration with the Ministry for Education launched a lunchbox campaign, which we will also be promoting this year. This initiative targets primary school children and promotes healthy cooking methods and nutritious food as part of children’s school lunchboxes. A recipe booklet to encourage the preparation and consumption of nutritious foods in schools was distributed to all primary schools in Malta and Gozo. Moreover, cookery sessions are held in schools for children and their parents in order to enhance their cookery skills.

Many parents are concerned about their children’s eating habits. At this time of year, parents and children are busy with preparations for a new scholastic year, including books, stationery and school bags. They should also invest some time in preparing a healthy lunchbox.

Parents should make sure that lunches are eaten. It’s not unusual for children to like a particular food one day and then refuse it the next. We’ve all been there as children, especially when presented with new tastes and textures. This may be due to a behavioural issue or a genuine dislike of certain foods. Also, children could refuse food to assert their independence.

The best way for parents to deal with such situations is to sit down with their children and plan lunchbox contents together. This is also one of the aims why cookery lessons are being organised in schools. It’s also a good idea to prepare the same packed lunch for you and your children. Involve the children in preparing a collective lunchbox – they will feel proud of having prepared lunchboxes for all the family.

Parents should also stay calm when dealing with children’s food fussiness. The more fuss that is made and the more emotional you get, the worse the situation becomes. Children will then realise that they are getting the attention they desire and get into the habit of being fussy about food. Stay calm and with time children will realise that their behaviour is not getting any extra attention. Moreover, when presenting new foods, don’t give up – children may need to be exposed to a new food up to 10 times before they will accept it. It also helps if you introduce a new food when children are hungry.

Sometimes life for children can get too exciting to spend any time eating. Therefore it is important to make the lunchbox preparation a fun time for the family. If it becomes stressful, your children won’t enjoy it and neither will you.

Apart from a healthy lunchbox, make sure that you involve your children in physical activity. Together with health benefits, regular exercise can also help motivate your children to make healthy food choices.

What’s for lunch?

A school lunchbox should contain items from all five food groups.

Starchy foods

Carbohydrates are the body’s most important and readily available source of energy. Healthy sources of carbohydrates include wholegrain cereals, brown rice and wholegrain breads. Starchy foods should make up a third of the lunchbox. You can include bread, pitta bread, wraps and baguettes. Use brown, wholemeal or seeded bread, instead of white bread.

Protein foods

Proteins are needed for growth, regulation of hormones, control of metabolism, and repair of all body cells. Body cells contain proteins. The skin, muscles, organs and glands are mainly protein. Proteins are found in lean meat such as beef or chicken, fish such as tuna and salmon, eggs and beans.

Dairy items

Milk and dairy products are good sources of both protein and calcium and form part of a healthy diet. Choose dairy foods that contain less fat.

Vegetables, salads and fruit

We all know that eating fruit and vegetables is good for us. It helps reduce our risk of disease by giving us a range of essential nutrients and dietary fibre. Their great taste and eye appeal can also help entice children to eat more of them. Fresh fruit is easy to pack. Choose fruit which is in season. Raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes or cucumber are popular as a snack or as sandwich fillers.

Water

Add a bottle of plain water to keep your children hydrated all day. Freeze on hot days to keep the lunch box cool.

Lunchbox ideas

Chickpea patties, fresh fruit and water

Serves 2

You need
1 large can chickpeas (rinsed and drained) or cooked dried chickpeas
1 tbsp parsley
1 small onion, chopped
½tsp ground cumin
½tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1tbsp plain flour
2tbsp water (if required)
Pinch of ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil or use a baking paper.

Mix the chickpeas, onions, garlic, coriander, cumin, parsley, pepper and flour in a food processer or hand blender. If the mixture is too dry, add some water. Shape the patties and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Ftira biż-żejt, fresh fruit and water

Serves 2

You need
1 small ftira
1 small can tuna, sardines or mackerel, drained
1 large tomato
2 lettuce leaves, chopped
1tsp capers
1tsp sliced olives
3 slices cucumber
½ small onion, chopped
30g pasteurised cheeselet, diced
1tbsp canned butter beans (rinsed in water) or cooked dried butter beans
1tsp mint, chopped
1tsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of ground black pepper

Method

Slice the ftira open and spread with tomato. Mix all the other ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Spread the filling over the ftira.

For more information and a leaflet with ideas for healthy lunchboxes, call the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate on 2326 6000.