School is back for a new year, and with that comes the daily lunchbox preparation.
So how do you fill them with nutritious food that will fuel your child with the energy they need for school and play, but keep the lunchbox lid on costs?
The Rio Tinto Children’s Diabetes Centre at The Kids Research Institute Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital shares some top tips for a more budget friendly lunchbox (especially the snacks) from Dietitian Rebecca Flavel.
Keep lunch simple.
1. A sandwich or wrap with some meat or cheese, salad or vegies on the side or in the wrap plus a piece of fruit.
2. Serve of leftover dinner or use roast meat in a wrap or roll.
Biggest Money Savers.
1. Bake instead of buying
- Mini muffins, savoury muffins, and energy balls cost cents per serve homemade.
- Use basic ingredients: oats, bananas, flour, eggs, oil.
- Freeze in bulk → zero waste.
2. Swap “convenience” dairy
- Instead of: yoghurt pouches, cheese sticks Use: 1 kg tub of plain yoghurt + small containers, block cheese cut into cubes (same food, half the price).
3. Choose cheap fruit on rotation
- Base the week on what’s cheapest, not variety. Best value most weeks in Australia:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges / mandarins
- Pears
- Stone fruits in term 1
- Save berries & grapes for occasional weeks or specials.
ALTERNATIVES TO PACKAGED SNACKS.
- Crunchy (chip-like swaps)
- Air-popped popcorn (plain or lightly saltes)
- Wholegrains crackers + cheese cubes
- Roasted chickpeas (fava beans)
- Rice cakes with vegemite or avocado
- corn thins + cream cheese
- Sweet but better and tasty!
- Homemade mini muffins (banana, apple & cinnamon)
- Oat ballls / energy bites (oats,dates)
- Greek yoghurt pouch or tub.