Should schools be responsible for what the canteen is selling to our children?

Apparently not.

In our last meeting with our school, we were told never to mention the canteen again. It is out of bounds, will not be discussed, is staying the same.

So the nuggets, hot dogs, Big M's and all the other highly processed food is staying on the menu. 

At least we have convinced them to swap the current sugar, flavour and preservative laden icy poles for a frozen fruit juice alternative.

Available everyday from our canteen.

Our articles that were appearing in the school newsletters have been cut down to two lines. My link to what is really in Chicken nuggets and Hot dogs did not survive the editing process. 

Here is how hot dogs are made

Our battle is lost.  At least we tried.

And the stupid thing is, we don't need to use the canteen anyway.  

We will continue to share healthy lunch box ideas through Instagram ( link coming soon), so be sure to come and follow us there.

Bean, pasta and rice salads are always popular in our house

Wholemeal crackers are also a hit

School holiday snack box. I always take food out with us, to make resisting chips and saving money easier.

Preservative, sugar and flavour free homemade icy poles.
This one is raspberry, watermelon and lemon juice.

Quick lunch box ideas

The  best way to tackle the morning rush, is to be prepared.

My healthy tuna balls were a surprise hit for dinner

       And did get eaten for lunch the next day.

I didn't measure or time anything, and they would be easy for kids to make.

Tuna and Veggie balls

1 tin tuna
mashed potato
Fresh steamed corn kernels
Parsley
Any other finely chopped raw veggies and herbs could be thrown in.
Squash into golf ball sized balls
Roll in chia seeds
Place on a lightly greased baking tray in a hot oven and cook until crunchy on the outside, somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. 

I think they were even tastier served cold for lunch the following day.

Eat well, all day, everyday.

I try to balance out all our nutritional needs throughout the day. I'm not one for giving anything up, and dieting has been proven not to work. If you eat your 6 veggies, three pieces of fruit, some protein, calcium, whole grains, legumes, and try to eat the rainbow, there is then not much space left for treats.

Thinking about what you can pack for lunch, when you are making dinner, can save a lot of time

Chicken tikka curry with LOTS of veggies, a little bit of chicken, rice (brown is best) and veggie packed Riata.

Left over curry and riata are great in wraps. I made scones with tapioca flour. Not a great success, but I'll keep trying different flours.

I'll boil eggs for egg salad while I'm making dinner, and pop corn ready for the next day.

If you haven't got a blender, go out and get one! Quick morning juices and smoothies set you and your kidlets up for the day. We did orange, lime, ginger and spirulina, that's why it's brown. My Dad rejected it but my little girl loved it. 

You can't win them all.

But at least we can all try.

A healthy school community

Munch

‘A nutritious school lunch increases children’s concentration, improves their behavior in class, and their chances of doing well and achieving their best at school’.-

School Food Trust Lunch and Learning Behaviour in Primary Schools 2009   http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/research/behaviourandattainment/primary 

The aim of Munch is to share and swap healthy and fun lunch box ideas within our school and the wider community.

With obesity levels rising and poor diet linked to not only behavioral issues but also chronic illness, the Australian Government is getting the message out there that we need to be more aware of what our children are eating.

Healthy Lunch box ideas for busy families

We are all so busy these days, and a lot of us think we don’t have time to put together a healthy lunch for our children.

With a little bit of forward planning, a nutritious lunch can be made in less than 5 mins, everyday.

Here are a few tips…

Wash and chuck in whole fruits and vegetables. No cutting required.

Keep tins of beans and left over pasta and rice for quick and easy salads.

Occasional treats are ok. Home made is best. But remember, lollies are for parties, not everyday school lunches.

Make extra sushi for the following days school lunches. Most kid’s love making and eating it. Home made popcorn can be made while you make your morning tea or coffee.

And for those of you who are making multiple school lunches, here are Jo’s three lunches she made in three minutes.

Keep it simple. Keep it healthy. Get the kids involved.

We hope you enjoy our lunch box ideas.

We would love to see our whole school community embrace a healthy life style. It is much easier if we all do this together. It is hard for children to enjoy their carrots if the child next to them is eating Wizz Fizz.

If you would like to contribute or discuss any ideas, please leave a comment below, and we will get back to you.

The best place to start is to clear out your pantry and fridge. Get rid of the highly processed snacks and instead stock it full of healthy fresh food, and as a whole family make eating well a priority.

To keep it simple, here is a quote I have pinned up in my kitchen.

You won’t regret eating well, and your children will one-day thankyou for it.

New Australian guide to healthy eating

To help you plan your meals.........

More quick lunch box ideas

Some more quick and easy lunch box ideas

 We are trying to phase out all wrapping, but nobody is perfect all the time, and these little organic yoghurt's are great for lunch boxes. An egg and lettuce wholemeal sandwich and some fresh fruit and veggies make this a protein and vitamin packed lunch.  

I was over ambitious and made sago pudding (lemons, orange juice  and honey), bean and corn salad and stove popped pop corn. All of it could be prepared the night before to save time. 

 Don't forget to make sure your kids start the day with a nutritious energy boost. I just put orange juice, lemon juice,ginger and a scoop of spirulina in the blender, and then mashed avocado onto sour dough toast.We avoid cereal and commercial spreads as much as possible. Have you ever taken a look at the sugar/salt/additives that are in our everyday breakfast choices?

What you feed your children now sets them up for life.







    

A healthy start to a new school term.

It is going to get very busy for us this term. 

 One thing I try never to let slip is eating well.

A quick and healthy lunch ready in 3 minutes.

But, as we come into winter , wouldn't it be nice if our canteen offered warming wholesome options? (see our mock canteen menu on our previous post)Home made soup to warm chilled little fingers and wholesome toasties to fuel them through an afternoon of learning?

And so, our campaign for a healthier school community continues..........

Let us know if you are on a similar mission,or even if your school canteen is leading the way to promote a healthy lifestyle.We would love to hear from you.