LUNCHBOX 101:

In order to maintain your child’s ENERGY and CONCENTRATION, stick to foods that are naturally sugar and chemical free, are low/medium glycaemic foods for sustained release and add slow release carbs to their meals. Sensible snacking is the key to sustained energy and focus! Sugar and synthetic foods work against both and leads to major dips in energy and concentration, as well as attacking the immune system!

Start their day off with a combination of protein (like boiled eggs, chia seed pudding or even thinly shredded chicken) and slow release carbs (like oats, wholegrain cereal like Woolworths quinoa cereal, maltabella or 100% rye bread). The protein switches on their brain and the slow release carbs are delivered over a longer period of time, giving them more manageable energy instead of a quick buzz that short circuits them. Make them eggs and toast, oats with honey and cinnamon, french toast (with rye bread) and grated white cheese. A glass of milk or water. Even rooibos tea with a 1/2 tsp of honey.

THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS OF SNACKS PROMOTE AND MAINTAIN ENERGY AND CONCENTRATION: pack 2-3 of these options into a lunchbox per day.

Always combine the following snacks with a small bottle of clear water, soga organic orange juice, simple truth juice boxes or homemade rooibos ice tea (see my recipe page for all recipes)

• 100% Rye/wholewheat sandwich with coconut oil instead of butter (yes! its good for their brain and anti inflammatory) + shredded grilled chicken breast with lettuce/kale/cucumber/dairy free cheese/hummus/white cheese/cottage cheese/marmite/homemade nutella (see my insta or facebook page for recipe) OR shredded chicken/turkey/chicken cold meat (pure, yes you do find pure chicken or turkey slices) OR turkey bacon (Look for no msg) OR tinned tuna (in water)
• Handful (child’s) of lean ostrich/game/beef biltong sticks + 1 orange/half Cup paw paw
• Handful (child’s) of sundried raisins (avoid sulphur dioxide in dried fruits because it can worsen or mimic respiratory issues like asthma) + handful of unsalted raw almonds/cashew nuts.
• 1 tablespoon homemade nut butter (recipe page) or almond butter or no sugar added, non gmo, peanut butter (simple truth at checkers/nature’s choice/black cat yellow lid) + ½ medium banana (green tips for lower gi, keep skin on in lunch box)
• 1 cup unsweetened greek yoghurt/plain coconut yoghurt + handful sunflower seeds + small handful of grapes chopped in half to avoid any choking issues (use a swirl of raw honey to sweeten if you need to)
• Matchbox size hard white cheese (organic if possible, or pure mozzarella/hard white cheddar) + 1 cling peach
• Homemade fruit smoothie: ½ cup plant milk/full cream greek yoghurt; 1 cup berries; water & ice blend till smooth (adding oat bran is optional, (fibre is just as important for young ones)
• 1Cup homemade air popped non gmo popcorn (use coconut oil to pop it in and himalayan sea salt) + 1 cup fruit (strawberries/nectarine/peach)
• 5 baby carrot balls/1 carrot cut into strips + grilled chicken strips from dinner (childs palm size)
• 30g sundried mango/pawpaw strips + handful unsalted nuts (almonds; walnuts or cashews)
• 2tbsp full fat cottage cheese + 1 brown rice cake + 1 slice turkey cold meat/chicken bacon (NO MSG)
• Sweet potato slices, slice thinly, roasted in coconut oil at 110deg till brown (do while you cook dinner) + 1 matchbox hard white cheese
• 2 small homemade meatballs (game or grass fed mince if possible, to avoid all hormones and antibiotics – which can cause a shift in Childs hormones, resulting in weight gain, and a cascade of negative side effects) + 1 cup cucumber sticks
• 200ml plant milk with raw cacao, cinnamon and honey, blended or full cream milk + 1 peach/naartjie
• 1 brown rice cake + 1tbsp almond butter/no sugar added peanut butter + 1 plum
• 1 cup MEXICORN nacho’s (lightly salted flavour)/simple truth plain rice crackers 5-8 small rounds ones with 1 tbsp hummus/full fat cottage cheese.
• 2 Homemade energy balls (see recipe) + 1 cup greek yoghurt
• 2 fishcakes (made with tinned tuna or fresh hake, quinoa and rolled into patties and baked in oven) + cut up baby potatoes with skin on (roasted or steamed)

Aim for grass fed beef or free range chicken and eggs, as well as dairy (if you use dairy) because the hormones and antibiotics used in routine animals, actually alter your own hormone levels causing changes, negative ones!

For fish – look for fresh, wild caught, not farmed. As the same applies. If you can’t afford these options, do the best you can to find affordable options.

The following foods will DRAIN your child’s energy and concentration levels and should be avoided in lunch/snack boxes!

• Coke or any fizzy cooldrinks, diet cooldrinks, flavoured water, energy drinks and juice!
• White breads and white crackers (as these convert straight into sugar!)
• ANY Sweets.
• Avoid commercial chips with strong flavourants (BBQ/spicy/chutney). Use Mexicorn or homemade sweetpotato chips. or popcorn
• Pies or take aways
• Yellow/processed cheeses
• Energy bars (unless homemade)
• Flavoured muffins–store bought, chocolate/blueberry/caramel– rather homemade bran.
• TAKE AWAYS! loaded with horrible spices, preservatives and chemicals! 
• E numbers (terribly harmful especially for children prone to hyperactivity, concentration issues and mood swings)
• TBHQ
• Sunflower or canola oils – highly inflammatory.

Mostly importantly remember that they may put up a fight initially, you are the parent and you are doing this for their own good, long term. Educate them as to why you want to make changes, slowly. So they too take responsibility for their choices and understand why you have made the changes. Above all, you do the shopping. Not them!

Healthier foods may be more costly at times, but eventually medical bills will be more costly. Sniffs, colds, lung infections, and more chronic illnesses can be managed when trigger foods are avoided.

Lets get your kiddos thriving!