Balancing your kids lunchbox
Lunch boxes for kids: finding the balance with Kellogg’s® Coco Pops® Cereal and Milk Bars …
A balanced daily lunch is extremely important for children, particularly as it helps with concentration and learning at school for the second half of the day. One of the greatest challenges that many parents face is giving their children the food they need in terms of dietary requirements coupled with the food that they love to eat. Kellogg’s® Coco Pops® has some fresh and inspired ideas for making your child’s lunch box absolutely irresistible, ensuring that he or she comes home with an empty container and a happy smile every day.
Make sure wherever possible to involve your children in preparing their lunch boxes the day before school, giving them options in choosing what they would like to eat while guiding them in their decisions. A balanced diet is important and so your child’s lunch box should contain the right mix of carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and fruit. An idea to keep the lunch box fresh is to pack a small ice pack into the container to keep the food inside cool. An example of a balanced lunch would be a ham and mayonnaise sandwich on brown or wholewheat bread, some crudité vegetables, diluted fruit juice and a Kellogg’s® Coco Pops® Cereal and Milk Bar.
Presentation is important too – kids love colourful and interesting-looking food so try to make the lunch box look as appealing as possible. You can also achieve this through introducing as much variety as you can every week with different meal components and snacks. Try cutting your child’s sandwiches or fruit into exciting and fun shapes for an even greater appeal factor. Ideally, your child should look forward to his or her lunch time every day to the degree that he or she cannot wait to see what surprises mom has in store inside the lunch box.
It’s also important to remember that lunch boxes should be a fun part of your child’s school experience. The new Kellogg’s® Coco Pops® Coco Rocks Cereal Bars and the new and improved Coco Pops® Cereal and Milk Bars are the perfect way to add an exciting and tasty snack to your child’s lunch box.
Visit www.cocopops.co.za for guidelines on portion sizes and eating plans compiled by Kellogg’s® Registered Dietitian.
