Good food habits set early in childhood can last a lifetime. Lunches provide around one third of our daily nutritional needs. Here are some tips on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox and a 5 day lunch planner. (Safefood.ie)

Seven steps to creating healthy, varied and interesting lunchboxes

1. Include a wide variety of foods - starchy foods, protein, dairy, and fruit and vegetables
2. Try to offer different foods every day - no one wants to be eating a ham sandwich five days a week!
3. Vary the types of bread e.g. pitta bread, bagels, wholemeal rolls - keep a stock in the freezer
4. Cook extra rice/pasta in the evening - these can make interesting salads .
5. Theme your lunchbox on a different country, e.g. Italian - try a pasta salad, Mexican fill flour tortillas
6. Home-made soup (in a Thermos flask) is great for cold days, while salads are light and refreshing for warmer weather. Both are packed with essential vitamins and minerals
7. Fluids are important for children - up to 6 cups of fluid should be encouraged daily. Milk and water are the best options. Straws and brightly coloured drinks bottles can make rehydrating more interesting!

Click for more ideas on the safefood website

Useful links for healthy eating

• EU School Fruit Scheme 
• Health Promotion Unit 
• Irish Heart Foundation 
• Bord Bia 
• co.uk
• Little Steps 
• SafeFood
• Healthy Ireland