THE LUNCHBOX YOUR CHILD WON'T REFUSE

September 16, 2021 · Dr. Tuba Günebak

The new school year has begun, and our children have started school. This period is when our young ones' mental activities increase for learning and retaining information, as well as their physical activities during breaks, making them more active and growing faster. Therefore, their energy needs increase. Alongside energy, they particularly need protein, calcium, iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids,

THE LUNCHBOX YOUR CHILD WON'T REFUSE

The new school year has begun, and our children have started school. This period is when our young ones' mental activities increase for learning and retaining information, as well as their physical activities during breaks, making them more active and growing faster. Therefore, their energy needs increase. Alongside energy, they particularly need protein, calcium, iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamins A and D. Calcium is essential for healthy tooth development, while together with vitamin D, it lays the foundation for stronger bones. Insufficient iron and zinc have been linked to fatigue, lethargy, difficulty concentrating, and susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Children who are adequately and balancedly nourished have higher concentration levels and receive the necessary energy and nutrients for healthy growth and development. Therefore, how they are fed at school, where they spend most of their day, is very important. In this context, what kind of lunchbox should we prepare, and what should we pay attention to? Here are some suggestions;

• By following your child's home eating habits and packing healthy foods they love in their lunchbox, you can increase their food consumption at school.
• Your child might get bored of seeing and eating the same foods every day when they open their lunchbox. Try to offer a variety of food alternatives throughout the week.
• The foods in your child's lunchbox should not only be nutritious but also appealing to them.
• Ensure the foods in the lunchbox are as delicious as they are visually appealing; decorate with small carrots, cucumbers, corn, and red peppers.
• Make sure the lunchbox contains foods from all four food groups: dairy group (milk, yogurt, ayran), meat group (meat, cheese, eggs, legumes), grain group (whole grain bread, pasta, etc.), and fruit-vegetable group.
• The 6 must-haves for a lunchbox:
  • Protein-rich food (meat, fish, eggs, or legumes). These foods increase our children's endurance and contain key nutrients like iron, zinc, omega-3, and B vitamins. Red meat (like beef or lamb) is a good source of iron and zinc. Fish and chicken are also good options. These protein-rich foods can be packed in a sandwich, or included in a salad or pasta. On some days, legume salads (like beans, lentils) can also be included.
  • Fresh or dried fruit; a source of vitamins and fiber.
  • Milk and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, ayran); a source of protein and calcium.
  • Vegetables; a source of antioxidants and fiber.
  • Whole grain products (whole grain bread, biscuits, noodles, rice or pasta, potatoes); a source of fiber, complex carbohydrates, and energy.
  • Water.
  • If you have to put a sandwich in the lunchbox every day, you can use different types of bread (whole grain, rye, walnut, baguette, etc.), wraps, or homemade sandwich bread to avoid monotony. By adding cheese, eggs, red meat or chicken softened in homemade tomato sauce, or tuna to these sandwich breads, you can ensure they get quality protein alongside carbohydrates; and by decorating the sandwich with lettuce, tomato (seasonally), and carrots, you can enrich it with vitamins. Along with this sandwich, you can add a portion of fruit according to the season and a glass of milk or ayran to the lunchbox to ensure they consume foods from all food groups.

• You can try offering foods your child doesn't want to eat by changing their appearance. For example, if they don't like plain yogurt, you can grate fresh or dried fruit into it (using a glass grater), or add crushed almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts. If they don't like vegetable dishes, you can serve vegetables in a pastry or pasta.
• Fruits should be consumed fresh to benefit from their vitamins. Therefore, do not peel the fruit you put in the lunchbox in the morning. Instead, you can put whole fruits that are easy to peel and eat (like tangerines, apples, grapes, strawberries, depending on the season) in their lunchbox.
• Don't forget that your child should consume 6 meals a day. Therefore, calculate the hours they will be at school and during breaks, and don't forget to include snacks they can consume during breaks.
• It is very important not to skip meals to maintain peak physical and mental performance throughout the day. Therefore, for children who attend school all day, you can include snack options in their lunchbox that they can consume during breaks:
  • Whole grain biscuits,
  • High-fiber breakfast cereal and a carton of milk,
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables (thoroughly washed and cleaned under running water),
  • Dried fruits,
  • Homemade whole grain pastries, or homemade cakes enriched with fruits, walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds,
  • Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts,
  • Carton yogurt,
  • Fruit tart.
• You can occasionally put treats like chocolate and cake in their lunchbox as a reward.
• If you don't have time to prepare a healthy meal in the mornings, prepare the lunchbox items the evening before and remember to store them in the refrigerator after preparation.
• Ensure there is adequate fluid in the lunchbox. Water is the best option.
• Involve your child in preparing the lunchbox. Children are less likely to refuse food they have prepared themselves.
• On some days, you can put sandwich ingredients in small containers or wrapped in cling film in the lunchbox and let them make their own sandwich, making it a fun meal.
• To prevent the sandwich from getting crushed or looking like someone stepped on it, you can put it in a hard sandwich box.

• Ensure the lunchbox is insulated. This way, the food will be safely stored in terms of food safety until consumed, and your child will not be at risk of food poisoning.
• If you are not using insulated lunch containers, do not pack foods that will not be enjoyable to eat when cold.
• If you are concerned about milk and dairy products spoiling in the lunchbox due to warm weather in the summer, have your child consume them upon returning from school.

• Advise your child to wash their hands before meals and don't forget to put a pack of wet wipes with soap in their lunchbox.
• Ensure that the fork in the lunchbox is not pointed and the knife is not sharp.

Adequately and balancedly nourished, healthy children lay the foundation for healthy generations. Wishing you healthy and "beautiful" days…

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Asst. Prof. Dr. Tuba Günebak

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