Isla's lunchbox

What's in Isla's lunchbox?

Isla is six and in her lunchbox is some vegetable pasta, tomatoes, cheese chunks, breadsticks, a banana, a Nakd bar and a bottle of water.

What does the expert say?

Nutritionist Randhiraj Bilan gives this lunchbox a three out of five, "Looks can be deceiving and seeing this lunch at first glance is exactly that." Randhiraj notes.

"There are some good parts of this lunchbox, though I have some suggestions."

What swaps could be made?

Looking at what's currently in the lunchbox, Randhiraj shares the following tips for changes that could be made:

• Include favourites your child likes, such as cucumber sticks and carrots, and add one tomato if you like.
• Avoid white pasta as it is an empty carbohydrate and has no mineral value. You could substitute with a protein pasta, such as 'Really Healthy Pasta' so they get the most from this meal.
• Try promoting available season fruit instead of the classic banana. Apples, either dry or fresh are amazing at the moment!
• Children need three times more good fat than adults, so a lunch with hard cheese is a good protein but alternative sources include a boiled egg, chicken, turkey slices or fish.

Further support

Feeling inspired? Get more tips and lunchbox ideas for kids. Interested in learning more about young people's nutrition? Head to our healthy eating for kids section. If you'd like to work with a professional, use our search tool to find a nutritionist and learn more about how they can help.