1.     Utilise Leftovers

Many grown-ups and even older teens will be happy with leftovers, salad or tasty pasta, rice and pulse dishes for their packed lunch. In fact, using leftovers as lunch box ideas for work is a healthy, money-saving and green move all in one! Our airtight Smash® lunch and meal boxes are perfect for piling in the leftover chilli, pasta or simple salad to take on the commute.

2.     Finding the Balance between taste & nutrition

Getting the balance right for younger children though is the real challenge. This is particularly difficult if they haven’t yet worked out their likes and dislikes, or if they’re a ‘selective’ eater.

The easiest way to pack a healthy lunch box for younger children is to keep it simple – and varied. If you’re making a nutritious change from sandwiches, crisps and chocolate to a healthy lunchbox for kids then the bottom line is – make it tasty! (See our ‘Simple swaps’ for ideas).

To top it all off, carry it to school in one of Smash®’s fun insulated lunch bag designs – from footie-inspired to sparkly butterflies! There are some grown-up designs too – check out the full Smash® lunch gear range here [link?]

3.     Understand nutrition guidelines for a healthy lunch

The contents of a healthy lunch box should include the following food groups:

• Protein – another lunchtime essential. This is key for helping children grow and feeling full, so they’re not tempted to snack (or are grizzly in the afternoons and especially at school pick up!) Chicken is a good option or beans and pulses like kidney beans, lentils and chickpea for vegetarians and vegans. You could combine this with rice to tick the ‘carbs’ box too! How much protein should you give your child? A good method is one portion equals the amount your child can fit in the palm of their hand.
• Fruit & veg – make sure there is at least one portion of fruit and one of veg. Go for grapes or melon pieces as well as juicy cucumber wedges, carrot batons and celery sticks. If they like the spicier side, try radish!
• Carbs – opt for nutritious and sustaining choices including; rice, pasta and noodles. With sandwiches, choose wholegrain and wholemeal versions of bread, rolls or wraps.
• Dairy – there should be a lunchtime portion of dairy every day. Try blocks of a hard cheese like cheddar or a soft cheese (nice and light like cream cheese) but as their palates develop you can try goat’s cheese and definitely mature cheddar!

4. Make Simple Swaps for Healthy Lunches

Ditch the processed ready-made options as they tend to be high in fats, sugar and salt and opt for plenty of juicy fruit and veg. Go for foods that are also high in protein. Here are a few suggestions of easy swaps:

• OUT with the shop-bought crisps and IN with the breadsticks and fat-free yoghurt dip
• OUT with the chocolate bars and IN with the homemade low-fat brownies (remember, portion size!)
• OUT with the high-fat mayo chicken sandwich filling and IN with a slice of juicy tomato on top of the plain grilled chicken

5. Pack your lunches rubbish-free!

Another Smash® first! We have driven the agenda on rubbish-free packed lunches back home in Australia – encouraging schools, students and parents to pack healthy, rubbish free lunches, removed of all packaging. This really hits home with parents looking to move away from single-use plastics, as well as reduce the opportunity for their children to bring home old food in their lunch bags which is unhygienic and makes the bags and boxes difficult to clean.

6. Be mindful of Food Safety

At Smash® we have always prioritised finding solutions to parents’ everyday battles and another crucial area in the healthy lunch box stakes is food safety. This is ensuring your kids’ food and drinks are cool and fresh but also making lunch gear easy to clean. This has been an ongoing problem and now the whole subject of hygiene has taken on a different significance with the pandemic.

We know from our research that nearly 90% believe an insulated lunch bag is an essential part of the total lunch box solution to ensure food is kept fresh and food-safe.

All Smash® insulated products contain our exclusive, Blue IQ Antibacterial Lining, that protects from harmful bacteria which commonly builds up in and around lunch boxes. This innovative lining features a wipe clean formula that extends the life of the product and provides parents with peace of mind that lunches are food-safe.

7. Don’t forget the Water Bottles!

The importance of drinking plenty of water during the day can’t be stressed enough – it’s another really important factor in concentration, as well as overall health, so equally relevant for kids and grown ups. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has guidelines on how much water a child should drink each day – 4 to 13 year olds should aim to drink around 6-8 glasses per day (150ml glass size for a 4 year old, 250ml glass for an older child).

Smash® has a huge range of practical reusable water bottles, including some with time references on to help kids drink the required amount of water at the right times! There are SMASH bottles that are dual-walled stainless steel to keep drinks chilled and also super-durable Tritan plastic versions which are great for in the playground or at sports clubs. In terms of design, SMASH has one for everyone! From fashion-forward designs like the Diamond range to cool Camo or Leopard.

8. Ditch Disposable and Choose Reusable!

At Smash® we’re committed to keeping single-use plastics out of landfill and our oceans. All our hydration products like bottles and travel cups as well as our lunch gear is completely reusable. Our Smash® Blue range of hydration and lunch boxes are designed to remove the need for cling film, plastic bags or foil as well as all those single-use coffee cups and bottles that we still heavily rely on.

Bon appetit!

Sources: European Food Safety Authority https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1459