A+ Lunch Boxes!
Kids’ lunchboxes, like those of adults, can
quickly become boring and unappealing. Unfortunately, more often
than not, their contents boil down to a couple of slices of white
bread, a slice of ham and a dollop of mustard… - Chicken mango croissants
- Cheese and ham spiral
- Hearty tortellini soup
- Hearty Vietnamese soup
- Heavenly ham sandwich
- Hot Brie and fig Sandwich
- Peanut chicken stir-fry
- Raisin-vegetable rice
- Six-bean salad with sesame dressing
| Beverages | Fruit juice, vegetable juice, spring water, mineral water, milk, chocolate milk, soya drink, rice beverage, Yop, Petit Danone drink |
| Sandwich bread | Bagels, pita bread, Kaiser rolls, tortillas, ciabatta rolls, submarines, croissants, English muffins, hot-dog or hamburger buns, egg, onion, poppy or sesame seed rolls, 8-grain bread, whole-wheat bread |
| Sandwich fillings | Canned tuna or salmon, eggs, vege-pâté, tofu spread, hummous (puréed chickpeas), baba ghanoush (puréed eggplant), cream cheese, vegetarian cold cuts, prosciutto, alfalfa, radish sprouts, fresh herbs, sliced dill pickles, dried tomatoes |
| Side dishes | Soups, raw veggies, green salad, bean salad, cottage cheese, cheese cubes, olives, pickles |
The perfect lunch includes foods from all four groups, as recommended by the Canadian Food Guide. Vegetables and fruits, grain products, dairy products as well as meat and alternatives: 4 groups, each of which contributes unique nutritional qualities.
| Menu | Nutritional Equivalents |
|
Fruit juices Pasta salad with feta cheese European walnuts and slices of green apple* |
Fruit Grain product (pasta), dairy product (feta cheese), vegetables (tomatoes, sugar peas, onions) Grain product (rice), dairy product (milk) Alternative (nuts), fruit (green apple) |
|
Tossed salad Peanut chicken stir-fry Strawberry bran muffin Glass of milk |
Vegetables Meat (chicken), vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, hot pepper, onion), alternative (peanuts) Grain product Dairy product |
|
Vegetable soup Heavenly hand sandwich Cottage cheese cup and fresh fruit |
Vegetables Grain product (bread), meat (ham), dairy product (Emmental cheese), fruit (slices of apple) Dairy product (cottage cheese) and fruit |
|
Bruschetta Six-bean salad with sesame dressing Enriched soya beverage |
Grain product (bread), vegetables (tomatoes) Alternative (legumes), vegetables (celery, hot pepper), dairy product (cheddar cheese) Dairy product |
* Do not include nut products in children’s lunch boxes to avoid food exchanges with children who have allergies.
Opt for dark green or orange vegetables and orange fruits for their great flavour and high vitamin content. Choose whole or enriched grain products for their high-fibre content, lower-fat dairy products and lean meat, poultry and fish, as well as legumes for their high-protein, lower-fat content.
It is important to make sure each meal contains enough protein to maintain your level of energy throughout the day. Every meal should contain from 15 to 20 g of protein. For example, you’ll get it from 90 g (3 oz.) of meat, 90 g (3 oz.) of canned fish, 250 mL (1 cup) of legumes or 50 g (11/2 oz.) of cheddar cheese.
Did you know that the midday meal should include a third of the day’s nutritional requirements? A well-balanced lunch box must contain varied and colourful foods. The meal must be as visually attractive as it is tasty! Keep your child interested in his lunch by surprising him each day. Vary the fruits, vegetables and sandwich breads from day to day, for example. Above all, include foods your child loves. Pasta, Chinese noodles, pizza, yoghurt, apples, bananas, raisins, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, muffins... these are just some of the foods appealing to 5 to 12 year olds. Avoid products containing peanuts and peanut butter to help lower the risk of food exchanges with children who have allergies.
- When it comes to fast and easy garnishes, there's nothing quite like cream cheese! You can mix it with grated vegetables (carrots), chopped nuts, sweet pickles, black olives, capers, prosciutto, dried tomatoes, pesto, chopped fresh herbs (basil, mint), etc. It's all a matter of taste and imagination!
- A butter croissant has 270 calories and 14 g of fat, i.e., 1.5 times more calories and 20 times more fat that pita bread (165 calories and 0.7 g of fat). Do the math. It's worth it!
- Using light mayonnaise instead of regular will cut the number of calories and fat by half. Another good way of cutting calories from your sandwich is to mix yogurt into your mayonnaise or to replace it totally with hummous, light cream cheese or salsa!
- Bacteria love low-acid, high-protein foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, mayonnaise and dairy products. If these remain at room temperature for more than 2 hours, bacteria start to proliferate, which can lead to food poisoning! It is very important, therefore, to keep lunch boxes cool. If you don't have ice packs, simply freeze the beverages. They'll be thawed, but still nice and cold by lunchtime!