The Food Safety Information Council is encouraging parents to get their children involved in preparing their own school lunches. This will enable them to learn about food safety.
Council Chair, Cathy Moir says that most parents have most likely experienced finding uneaten or dried out foods still in their kids lunch boxes.
Useful tips to get them involved:
- Get your kids to help buy a lunchbox, choose ones that have room for a frozen drink or freezer block. Additionally, choose one that is easy to clean.
- Before handling food, always get your kid to wash their hands, using soap for 20 seconds, and to dry their hands thoroughly.
- Get them to help wash all fruits and vegetables under running water to remove the germs.
- Let them choose the healthy option they would like in their lunches when they come shopping with you. Teach them to put chilled or frozen food in a cooler bag to bring home.
- Allowing them to bake items for their lunches can also be fun.
- Batches of sandwiches without vegetables can be made in advanced and frozen.
- Make sure lunchbox foods are always kept separated from raw foods in the refrigerator; particularly raw meats, chicken and eggs in their shells.
- Once your kids have prepared their lunch, get them to keep it cool in the fridge until you are ready to leave home, then put an ice brick in the lunch box.
Ms Moir says that in the hotter months, you may want to consider providing safer lunch box alternatives e.g. hard or processed cheese, tuna in a can or vacuum packed, or sandwich spreads.
To view healthy kids lunchbox ideas from members of the Dietitians Association of Australia, click here.
