St. Raphaela’s Primary School operate a Healthy Lunch box policy.
Here are some interesting ideas from the Bord Bia site….
1. Pick a protein – protein can be found in many foods, so don’t feel limited to deli meat and tuna. Consider cheese, grilled or steamed chicken or turkey, hard boiled eggs and plant proteins such as beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas.
2. Pick a carbohydrate – We are a nation of sandwich-lovers; however, a sandwich can get monotonous day after day. To keep your child interested in lunchtime, why not mix it up with wholegrain crackers, pitta, bagels, wraps, rice and pasta salads.
3. Pick a vegetable (and a dip) – Classics include carrot sticks, celery, cucumber, green beans, mangetout, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, roasted beetroot and sweet potato wedges paired with hummus, natural yoghurt (raita), salsa or guacamole.
It’s also good to incorporate vegetables into wraps, sandwiches, side salads and soups.
4. Pick a fruit – As well as offering nutrition, fruits also rehydrate and fulfils that sweet craving which is important. Choose from grab-and-go favourites such as apples, oranges, bananas or grapes or if you have a little more time, why not prepare a colourful rainbow fruit salad. From sliced apples to kiwi, bananas to grapes, pineapple to oranges and melon to berries…. The list is endless.
5. Pick an extra – extras usually fall somewhere between salty snack or sweet treat. And while chocolate, crisps, biscuits, and fizzy drinks are not an everyday occurrence in lunchboxes, some nice alternatives include air-popped popcorn for something crunchy, a mix of dried fruits (apricots, mango, cranberries, raisins) for something sweet (and a sneaky way of getting one more of your 7-a-day) or why not try some tasty homemade treats such as flapjacks or banana bread. Yum!
N.B. Please remember that due to some severe allergies we are a nut free school
https://www.bordbia.ie/nutrition/primary-school-children/
https://www.thecoolfoodschool.ie/news/anything-but-sandwiches