Melrose - Mum's little helper: Meals, snacks and nibbles

MEALS, SNACKS & NIBBLES

Rethink the lunchbox. Out with the tuck shop and in with the Brown Bag!

The Brown bag lunch is on-trend: home-made and delicious; on-hand and nutritious. You know how energetic kids are. With so many activities and new things to learn they need high-grade-fuel to keep them going. It’s also a well-established fact that you can’t teach a hungry child.

To take the guess work out of what to feed them and what fits and lasts in a lunchbox, Arina Huysamer - our dedicated Melrose Mum - lends you a hand. “Fight the boredom by varying the contents of their lunch box; ask them what they like but also gradually introduce new foods,” Arina suggests.

What better way to get 2011 started than with fun, nutritional and easy to make lunchbox meals.

lunchbox

Remember, mum!

* Look for insulated lunch boxes or bags and to maybe add a small bottle of frozen water or juice, to keep the lunch cold and to inhibit the growth of bacteria.

The Balanced Brown Bag lunch: Tips from our Melrose Mum

Firstly, include a good source of carbohydrates for energy. Use whole wheat bread and rolls to add fibre to their diets. Fibre rich breads are digested more slowly and therefore keep kids fuller for longer and provide energy for longer periods of time.
Make sure that their lunch includes protein, like cheese, lean meat, egg or tuna.
Include fresh fruit and vegetables in an easy-to-eat way, but vary the selection to keep it interesting for kids. Think grapes, strawberries, naartjie or orange segments, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks or a small container with cut fruit salad.
It is important to include a bottle of water and try to limit juice to one glass per day. Artificially sweetened drinks are a no-no.
Do include a snack or treat, but keep it small and nutritious, like a small oat and choc chip cookie, a small muesli bar or some fruit and nut trail mix. Mealtimes should still be fun and this will make them look forward to their lunch.