Transport is not the only worry on parents’ minds this week, as schools open their doors to thousands of students.

Mariella Porter with her son Matthias.Mariella Porter with her son Matthias.

As routine returns to Maltese households after the summer break, preparing healthy snacks and lunches once again makes it to the daily to-do list, and this could increase anxiety in some parents or carers.

“With a little pre-planning, school snacks and lunches should be no different than a child’s mid-morning snack and lunch break at home – the only difference is that the food is placed in a lunch box rather than on a plate,” registered nutritionist Mariella Porter told the Times of Malta.

The trickiest part is knowing the right portion size for different ages.

Ms Porter noted that the size of a child’s fist is a good guide, especially when it comes to fruit and carbohydrate portions.

Parents also need to make sure children are provided with a balanced meal that includes sources of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, while dessert could be fruit or yoghurt.

Dessert could be fruit or yoghurt

The protein element could be made up of chicken breast, tuna, beans and legumes or cheese, among others, while carbohydrates should not be limited to pasta, and could include wraps and rice. A healthy mid-morning snack could consist of fruit or cheese.

In the case of children aged up to five, food that could be a choking hazard needs to be blended – such as in the case of nuts – or, like cherry tomatoes and grapes, cut in quarters.

Lunch box (including a tuna rice salad) prepared for children aged 11 and up.Lunch box (including a tuna rice salad) prepared for children aged 11 and up.

A word of advice from Ms Porter is that not all food packaged and sold as ‘children’s food’ is appropriate. No one, including adults, should be consuming food that contains more than 15 grams of sugar or 20 grams of fat for every 100 grams of the product.

Children should also be encouraged to have a healthy breakfast at home or as soon as they get to school, so that they would not eat their mid-morning snack and their lunch during the first break.

Ms Porter urged parents to involve their children in the preparation of their snacks and lunches, so that they would also enjoy the eating experience: “If they are eating it, they should also be responsible for preparing it.”

Meanwhile, parents, too, should ensure that they have well-balanced lunches, and they could prepare their own meal with their children’s.

Lunches could be prepared in advance or on the day, while the most convenient way for many is to make extra portions (for the following day’s lunch) while preparing dinner.

Through it all, those who prepare lunch boxes should ensure that they comply with any instructions provided by their children’s schools, especially when it comes to intolerances and allergies of particular foods.

An example of a healthy and nutritious mid-morning snack and lunch for three- to six-year-olds.An example of a healthy and nutritious mid-morning snack and lunch for three- to six-year-olds.

Examples of snacks appropriate for first break as an alternative to fruit.Examples of snacks appropriate for first break as an alternative to fruit.

Children should be involved in the preparation of their snacks and lunches.Children should be involved in the preparation of their snacks and lunches.

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