Is your child is eating right during the school week? It is so important to establish a healthy routine surrounding food from an early age. Here are some of our top tips to ensure that your little ones are eating right throughout those busy school days.
When they first start primary school, children are often too tense to eat their lunch and may be very hungry when they get home. It is important to ensure your little one is eating right and set out a routine right from the start.
Breakfast
Start their day off with a good breakfast, essential to set them up for a busy day ahead. It will help to improve their concentration and knowledge absorption throughout the school day too. Nut Free Granola served with fruit and some plain whole natural yoghurt is a great start to a busy day. Some Cinnamon Breakfast Energy Balls stored in a portion pot make for a great breakfast on the go if your child isn't too keen on breakfast first thing - find the recipe on page 58 of my Lunchbox Made Easy recipe book.
Add Variety
If it becomes a case that they are constantly not eating a certain thing, talk to them and find out why. It could be a case that the portions you are giving are too large or that they have grown tired of eating the same thing day in, day out. Some children really do not like having to eat sandwiches every day so change up your child's school lunches with our Mummy Cooks Food Flask. Using a food flask really opens up your lunch options making it easier to add lots of fruit and veggies to your child's diet, for example, why not try and send in a delicious soup in your child's food flask like my chicken noodles soup recipe, find it on page 75 of Lunchbox Made Easy recipe book. For lots more food flask recipe inspiration check out my 20 Flask Recipes eBook, its packed with 20 delicious flask recipes suitable for day trips out and about or for school lunches!
Don't Offer Alternatives
Children notice what their friends are doing and strive to fit in. Often they start to eat a lot of different foods because they want to try what their friends are having. This can be both a positive and a negative, depending on what it is their friends are eating! So be sure to stick to your guns when it comes to packing a healthy and nutritious lunch box. Get them excited for lunch time by preparing a tasty Pasta Salad perfect in their Mummy Cooks Food Flask to keep them fueled and feeling full. They will also be learning about food and healthy eating at school and you can support this by providing some of the things they learn about.
Limit Snacking
Afternoon snacks are essential to get them from lunchtime through to dinner – provided they have finished their lunch! This can come in the form of a yoghurt or rice cakes before they start their homework. You can also prepare some of our delicious granola bars to have on hand for days that they have after school activities, they are perfect stored in our Toddler Pots.
It is essential that you do not allow any snacks after 3pm ensuring there is a 2/3 hour break between snacks and dinner, otherwise they will not be hungry for their dinner. For more information check out our Top Tips for Lunch Box Preparation and How to be Treat-Wise with your little ones.
At Mummy Cooks, we have a wealth of advise on feeding the family .We cover everything from meal prep and slow cooker recipes to moving baby on to family foods and preparing food safely. So whether you're looking for quick and easy meal ideas or want to learn about healthy eating, we've got you covered - Feeding the Family Advise page
