Go Back-to-School with
Thomas Dux!

Going back to school and work is fun when you know that you'll have fresh & yummy food in one place where you can get ideas on how to keep the lunch & snacks tasty! Thomas Dux has food that's good for you- preservative free, gluten free, free range and organic, plus a whole lot more!

Use this handy weekly schedule to keep filling those lunch boxes with tasty goodness.

Monday Make a wrap from leftover cooked chicken from the weekend, avocado, grated cheese & lettuce - let the kids choose their favourite sauce! Add a small tub of strawberries for dessert.
Tuesday Prepare a sandwich with wholegrain sliced bread, tasty cheese & ham from the Deli. Add some slices of red capsicum for sweetness. Add a banana or an apple for dessert.
Wednesday Prepare a Tuna Wrap (click for recipe). Add a small tub of fresh blueberries for dessert and a Phillippa's Honey Bear biscuit (as a special mid-week treat!).
Thursday Wrap a slice of turkey or ham around a cheese stick and pack into lunch box with crackers. Small tub of yogurt as dessert and a small box of raisins.
Friday For a fun lunch make a "stickwich": Cut up cubes of bread, cheese, and meat (chicken, turkey, or sliced meat from the deli) and slide the cubes onto a skewer with other foods your child likes, such as a grape tomato, a piece of lettuce, a pickle, or an olive. For dessert you could slide individual grapes onto 1-2 skewers.

Lunch box tips:

Some schools have a list of foods that aren't allowed due to food intolerances. Be sure to check this list before preparing your child's lunch box.

Including a frozen water or diluted fruit juice will keep the contents of the lunch box cool and will be a welcome treat at lunch time for hot, thirsty kids. Place perishable products against the frozen drink.

If you don't have time to make sandwiches each day, make some ahead of time on the weekend and freeze. They will thaw in the box by lunch time. Basic spreads and cheese or meat without salad greens will freeze well. Choose whole grain breads where possible, or make sandwiches with a slice of 2 types of bread to introduce fibre.

Left overs make a tasty change from sandwiches. Freeze individual portions of food such as pasta bake, frittata, pizza, casserole and soups for work and school lunches.

Fruit is important to kids of all ages. Pack enough for kids to enjoy a piece at play lunch and lunch time.

Kids need to eat approx 1/3 of their daily intake during school hours plus remain hydrated.

And here's more -

School Lunch Box Ideas:

• Tuna Wraps
• Ham & Avocado Lavash Rolls
• Cheese & Bacon Savoury Muffins
• Tuna, Potato, Corn & Pea Pastries
• vegetable frittata
• Organic mango & avocado salad
• Celery, apple and chicken salad
• pasta with chicken, olives and cherry tomatoes

Sweet Treats:

• Fruit Ice Blocks
• Organic Yoghurt Smoothie
• Anzac Biscuits
• Calypso mango fruit salad
• Fresh fruit salad
• blueberry and butter milk pancakes

Nutrition Tips for kids

Preschool to pre-teen:

• Make sure every bite is as nutrition dense as possible. Look for foods that are not too high in saturated fat, salt, kilojoules and sugar
• Eat whole grains and whole grain products (bread, pasta, rice, bulgar, oats)
• Limit access to treat foods, offering fresh fruit & vegetables instead
• Model good nutrition choices, they learn from example!
• Choose healthy snacks for between meals eg whole meal crackers or vegetables and dip, yoghurt, corn or rice cakes, dried fruit, cheese cubes or popcorn
• Don't allow children to eat whilst watching TV, playing or reading. Eating should be ejoyed away from distractions
• Encourage 30 mins of physical activity every day

Teens:

• Teens need more vitamin C, calcium and iron than adults
• For healthy skin, teens need lots of nutrients, water, fibre and essential fats; and less sugar and highly processed foods & drinks.
• Help teens learn coping skills to deal with stress and monitor food for mood swings.

Click here to download some more ideas
from our suppplier Phillippa's! (3.12MB)