Melody's lunchbox

What's in Melody's lunchbox?

Melody is 11 years old. Melody's lunchbox includes a wholemeal wrap with chicken slices and spinach with light mayo, a handful of grapes and strawberries, one packet of ready-salted crisps (French Fries), a fruit bar and water.

What does the expert say?

Giving Melody's lunchbox a rating of three out of five, Dr Lisa Gatenby says, "This is a good start, but I do have some suggestions!"

What swaps could be made?

Taking a closer look at Melody's lunch, Lisa has the following swap suggestions:

• Although french fries are lower in fat and kcal, they still contain too much salt and teach children bad habits of having crisps with each packed lunch. Maybe swap crisps for vegetable sticks such as carrot, pepper and cucumber which provide lots of beneficial nutrients. 
• Swap the apple and sultana bar for a small (100 - 150g) pot of natural or Greek yoghurt, providing essential calcium and a much-needed dairy product to the lunch.

Further support

Visit our healthy eating for kids hub to learn more about providing balanced meals for the whole family. Stuck for lunchbox ideas? Head over to our resource which shares more about healthy lunchboxes. To get support tailored to your child's needs, it can help to work with a professional. A nutritionist can help you identify any gaps in your child's diet and will work with you to find meals your little one will love.