Top 5 Healthy Lunchbox Hacks

What you and your family eat for lunch impacts your focus and energy for the rest of the day! Here’s a list of easy lunchbox hacks* to keep you and your kids fueled up and ready to learn…

Top 5 Healthy Lunchbox Hacks

1. Swap chips for slow-roasted nuts. Potato and corn chips are guaranteed to tank your child’s energy after lunch. Opt for a handful of roasted almonds or other tree nuts, and say hello to energizing protein and brain-boosting omega-3s instead.
2. Choose organic. Research shows that kids with higher levels of common pesticides in their systems are almost twice as likely to suffer from ADHD.¹ The takeaway? Choosing organic matters!
3. Trade up from PB&J. Yes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a classic. They’re also full of sugar, gluten, and potential allergens. Spread a brown rice tortilla or Paleo wrap with a generous layer of almond or cashew butter, then top with thinly sliced fresh berries. Healthier and tastier! (Learn how to make your own nut butter with this simple recipe.)
4. No more juice boxes. A cup of apple juice has about the same amount of sugar as a cup of cola! That means your kiddo’s blood glucose level will take a nosedive mid-afternoon, taking their focus and energy along with it. Easy fix: put a handful of your child’s favorite fruit slices in a bottle of filtered water every morning. It’ll taste great by lunchtime, minus the extra sugar. (Here's 10 easy recipes for infused water…)
5. Dip it. Lentil chips in hummus, apple slices or celery sticks in nut butter, fresh berries in unsweetened Greek yogurt, black bean chips in guacamole – the fastest way to a child’s heart is with fun finger food! Let them help choose their dippers and dips, and they’ll be even more inclined to finish their nutritious lunch.

And don’t forget to check out all of our family-friendly recipes at jjvirgin.com/recipes. Here’s to a happy, healthy school year!

*As with all our recipes and eating tips, please keep your family’s food sensitivities in mind and select replacements accordingly.

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_{Article Sources
1 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/05/17/peds.2009-3058}