A well-balanced, nutritious lunchbox should be portioned such that it comprises half vegetables or salad; one quarter grain foods, preferably wholegrain or low GI carbohydrates, one quarter lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, or seeds, as well as a side of fruit and a calcium rich snack.

Don’t forget to pack plenty of water too and always keep lunchboxes cool with an insulated bag and ice brick.

• Fruit salad: chop a variety of seasonal fruit. To prevent fruit from going brown, add a few drops of lemon juice
• 1 serve of yoghurt
• 1 slice of banana and strawberry bread

Banana & Strawberry Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (90g) reduced fat plain yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 medium bananas, roughly mashed
• 2 – 3 strawberries, sliced and quartered

Method:

• Pre-heat an oven to 160 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine yoghurt, oil, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs.
• Add mashed banana (I like to leave a few good chunks) and mix through well. Fold through flour and strawberries, without beating.
• If the mixture is a little dry (which it might be if your bananas are small), add a little extra oil.
• Place the mixture in a greased loaf tin and place in pre-heated oven for 45min.
• Turn the oven off an allow bread to sit in the oven for a further 15mins before removing and placing on a wire cooling rack.

Lebanese bread chips 

• Pre-heat an oven to 180 degrees.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over 1 large wholemeal Lebanese bread, sprinkle with dried herbs, cut into 8ths.
• Place in the oven for 5 – 10mins, until the bread begins to golden.
• Serve with an oven roasted chicken leg and side salad.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com