Healthy Lunchbox Week (4 to 10 February, 2024) is an initiative of Nutrition Australia that aims to inspire Australian families to create healthy and enjoyable lunchboxes.
Did you know children consume around 30% of their daily food intake at school? And most of this comes from the contents of their lunchbox or from the tuckshop. What children eat during their day at school plays a crucial role in their learning and development.
Healthy Lunchbox Week helps families prepare healthy lunchboxes by:
- Inspiring healthy lunchbox ideas and recipes
- Informing a healthy lunchbox balance across core food groups
- Awareness of lunchbox food hygiene and safety.
Healthy Lunchbox Week runs at the start of Term 1 in each school year, and provides timely information for families as they return to the routine of daily lunchbox packing. It also supports schools and teachers to share healthy lunchbox messages within their school community.
QAST advocates for healthy lunch time meals, whether it be from the tuckshop or from home. Our vision is to inspire and enable school communities, helping children make healthier food and drinks choices for life.
Many tuckshops across Queensland provide tuckshop “meal deals” or Bento Boxes that replace a lunchbox’s worth of meals for children throughout the school day.
Take a look at our “How to build a healthy lunchbox” video for tips on what to include and how to adapt it as a meal deal for the tuckshop.
Steps to planning a healthy lunchbox
- Make time to prepare. Have fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and yogurt, bread and crackers all bought in advance.
- Shop wisely and save money. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables in season to ensure good quality and value for money.
- Make your own snacks. For example, snack packs from fresh ingredients which you can buy in bulk.
- Look after the environment. Put sandwiches and other items in reusable containers. This uses less packaging and creates less rubbish.
- Choose a variety of foods from the 5 food groups.
- Include a bottle of water. No need for sweetened drinks such as juice, cordial or soft drink as these contain too much sugar which is not good for teeth. Non-water drinkers usually start drinking water with the example of other children. Freeze a small quantity each night and top up with cold water in the morning for a cool summer drink.
- Keep food cool. In warm weather freeze a water bottle or put a small ice pack in the lunchbox.
Tips for healthy tuckshop meal deals
- Serve your sandwich/wrap in grease-proof paper
- Include snacks in a plastic or cardboard container/box
- Add a piece of fruit or include fruit and yoghurt in a clear plastic cup
- Serve with a bottle of water, 100% fruit juice or milk.
The resource was delivered as part of the Healthier Tuckshops program delivered by QAST, which is funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
