You and your family have decided to convert to a plant-based diet but now you are left wondering how to pack a healthy, well-balanced plant-based lunch box for your child.

In this article we will discuss what a healthy plant-based lunch box looks like so that you can be equipped with the information needed to make sure your growing child gets all the nutrition they need from their plant-based diet.

How to Pack a Plant-Based Lunch Box for Children

Contrary to popular belief, you can get all the nutrients you need from a plant-based diet. The secret is to learn more about the types of food available to you and your child.

Therefore, we have put together a simple guideline which can be followed to make sure you tick all the nutritional boxes when packing lunch for your child.

Incorporate Major Nutrients

Generally speaking, major nutrients can be divided into three categories when it comes to plant-based nutrition:

• Legumes, nuts, and seeds – These provide protein, carbohydrates, omegas, and healthy fats
• Grains and starches – Wholegrains and complex carbohydrates provide much needed energy for the body and the brain
• Fruits and vegetables – Fruits and vegetables provide various vitamins, minerals, and fiber

As a general rule, a plant-based lunch box should contain one third of each category in order to provide a well-balanced meal. In addition to these foods, your child’s lunch box should also contain a bottle of water for hydration.

Include Foods Your Child Likes

We know that children have strong feelings around food, and some are a little harder to please than others. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you include foods that you know your child will eat.

And, in order to keep things exciting, make sure you hunt for different recipes and inspiration so that your little one doesn’t get bored. There are loads of plant-based recipe blogs, Instagram pages, and even recipe books for those who prefer the non-digital way of life.

The more you use other recipes, the more your own creative ideas will evolve and soon you will be experimenting with all kinds of different flavours. Furthermore, try to include a variety of textures too as this will enhance the eating experience.

Avoid Sugar and Highly Processed Foods

Now and then it’s nice to pop in a special treat or two for your little one but try to keep these limited. Food that are highly processed and high in sugar do not give your child what they need to develop in a healthy way and can often trigger health issues such as early diabetes (if they are predisposed), concentration issues as well as digestive issues.

One way to get this right is to avoid foods that do not come in their natural form as much as possible. In other words, choose wholefoods 95% of the time and only include a treat once a week as a well-deserved spoil.

Kay-Dee Educare Centre Mowbray

At Kay-Dee, we focus on early childhood development and believe that a well-rounded diet plays a major role in physical development as well as cognitive function.

We always encourage our parents to make sure their children get all the nutrition they need for their brains to function optimally and to maintain physical energy throughout the day.

Click here to find out more about what we offer at our Educare Centre in Mowbray.