HEALTHY ‘PRE-PACKAGED’ LUNCH BOX SNACKS

Jenelle Croatto APD
 
You’ve got the sandwich, wrap, leftovers or lunch order sorted – now to think of snacks!
 
Finding a suitable lunch box snack can be a struggle, particularly when you’re trying to weigh up taste, cost, nutrition and whether it will actually come home eaten.
 
While there are many wholefoods snacks available (and as both a parent and dietitian I certainly recommend children eat fewer processed foods) I, like most people feel that packaged food can be a saving grace for time strapped parents.  Therefore, I wish to take the approach of teaching you which are the better pre-packaged lunch box snacks.
 
My number one tip is to remember that kids love exercising choice! So get them involved in packing their lunch from a few healthy options that you have selected.  In doing so you may just discover that their lunch box comes home empty.
 
PACKET SNACKS
 

• Air-popped corn (e.g. Macro, Sunbites or Cobs)
• Mini Bites brown rice crackers
• Uncle Toby’s Fruity Bites
• Freedom Foods Messy Monkeys
• The Happy Snack Company Roasted FAV-VA Beans or Roasted Chic Peas
• Munchables Cheese and Crackers
• Milo Starz – contains less sugar than most biscuit-style snacks

 
MUESLI & SNACK BARS
 

• Freedom Foods Crunch & Crunchola Bars
• ARI Bars
• Uncle Toby’s Crunch Choc Chip (not chewy)
• Carman’s Muesli Bites
• Milo Energy Snack Bar Original – not my top pick, but okay for an occasional snack
• LCM Oaty Bubble Bars  - contains 25% less sugar the original LCM bars

 
DAIRY
 

• BabyBel Mini Cheese
• Bega Stringers
• Munchables Cheese and Crackers
• Squeezie drinking yoghurt (e.g. CaliYum, Chobani Kids, Vaalia Kids)
• Plain milk tetra

 
FRUIT
 
Fresh fruit is ideal here, so my advice is to make fruit easy to eat.  Small plastic tubs can be used to hold grapes, berries, dried and diced fruit, and zip lock bags are excellent for cut up fruit such as apple.  Another top apple tip is to cut a whole apple into segments and secure it with a rubber band (stops it going brown). Soft fruits (e.g. plums and apricots) can also be kept in small containers and keep an eye out for banana holders, which will help avoid a squishy bag mess at the end of the day.  Of course, an easy-peel-fruit like a mandarin is always a simple go-to choice.
 
Should you be fresh out of fruit, a couple of back up options I like are:
 

• Fruit Wise 100% Natural Fruit Straps
• A fruit cup in natural juice (not syrup)