what's in that kids lunchbox?......four.......

 This week I have been thinking about portion sizes. Lunch boxes and insulated lunch bags don't come in "age" or "appetite" sizing. They all seem to be one size whether the user is 4 or 12years old. My aim used to be to fill the entire bag or I thought that I mustn't be feeding her properly. And if the lunch bag came home still half full I would be upset. Then I started thinking about how much she would eat if she were home for the day. A sandwich and a large apple would be sufficient for an adult so why was I trying to make her eat double that? 
I also don't want her to be hungry either. So my rule of thumb is that if they still have one or two mouthfuls of food left in the lunchbox at the end of the day then you have packed the perfect amount. And not to be upset if half a sandwich comes home. In reality it means that they at least had half a good sambo. I kind of think that is why it's important to make sure the main lunch item is good and the snacks aren't too naughty so they have good fuel for learning and playing.
So how I've worked out how much to send was I made a note of how much she ate at home, and then I just add a few extra grapes/crackers/sultanas etc. Simple really. And if I am trying out a new recipe or sandwich filling that she hasn't tried before then I will pop in an extra snack in case it turns out to be a flop. (But honestly it's better to try new stuff with them on the weekend so you can see first hand whether they will eat it or not)


So if you are following along with my school lunch journey , then just adjust the quantities to suit your child's appetite and needs. And also note that I am not a dietitian or nutritionist - I am just a loving parent trying my best


So on that note week 4 This Kid Has

had terrible time taking the photo this morning and the husband wasn't around to  fix it for me. Sorry

• an apple for shared fruit recess
• a ham, cheese, lettuce and mayo on wholemeal sandwich (this is her favourite combo)
• a piece of oat slice (no icing)
• slices of nectarine and plum
• a fruit juice

(last weeks lunchbox didn't have anything return! It did however make the Husband jealous.)