Healthy lunchboxes

Looking for information on how to pack a healthy school lunchbox that kids will love? Look no more!

Use the colourful Pick'n'Mix poster, below, or keep scrolling for a list of our favourite websites, resources and videos.

Pick'n'Mix 1-6

For a healthy lunchbox pick & mix something from each food group 1 - 6!

The Department of Health and Human Services' Pick & Mix 1-6 poster provides a range of ideas and practical tips to inspire families to create healthy school lunchboxes

Pick and mix one tasty option from each of the five core food groups to create a healthy lunchbox every day:

Fruit (e.g. fresh, frozen, pureed and canned in natural juice
Vegetables, legumes and beans
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
Grain (cereal) foods
Plain water

Click here to download your free copy of the Pick & Mix 1-6 poster to give away or display.

What goes in a healthy lunchbox?
		What's for lunch? and Packing a school lunchbox Nutrition Australia Two handy fact sheets on packing a nutritious school lunchboxes, plus tips for storing food safely.
		Lunchbox tips Better Health Channel Practical tips for packing a healthy school lunchbox, with helpful advice for parents on food refusal, peer pressure and more.
		Healthy lunchboxes Better Health Channel Advice on what to include in a healthy lunchbox, and tips for food safety.
		Healthy lunchbox snacks Healthy Kids Association Offers tips for healthy lunchbox snacks and easy snack ideas.
		Healthy lunchbox builder Cancer Council NSW An fun and interactive website to build a healthy lunchbox by mixing and matching items. Plus recipes and advice on food safety, involving children, and time saving tips.
Lunchbox planners
		Lunchboxes – healthy menu planner Better Health Channel A Monday-to-Friday guide on what to pack for morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack, plus drinks.
		10 great lunchbox ideas Healthy Kids Association This pictorial resource shows 10 different lunchboxes made with foods from the five food groups.
Video clips
		Healthy lunchbox combos (video) Décor, Nutrition Australia and Dairy Australia Mix-and-match something from every food group to create colourful combinations that your kids will love.
		Lunch boxes - healthy shopping ideas (video) Better Health Channel Victorian State Public Health Nutritionist, Veronica Graham, takes us shopping for the right foods to include in your child's lunchbox.
		Lunchboxes – how to make them healthy (video) Better Health Channel Victorian State Public Health Nutritionist, Veronica Graham, shares three healthy and delicious lunchbox examples for the kids and provides some great food preparation tips to save you time throughout the week.
Resources and posters
		Pick’n’Mix 1-6 (PDF) Healthy Eating Advisory Service Pick and mix a tasty option from each of the five core food groups to create a healthy lunchbox every day.
		Tucker talk tips 4 kids: Healthy lunchbox ideas (PDF) Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) A simple two-page resource with lunchbox ideas for each of the five food groups.
		Healthy, deadly lunch boxes!: Deadly ideas for a healthy lunch box Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) A new book filled with lots of healthy, deadly lunch box ideas for Koori families, including healthy eating and oral health tips.
		Lunchbox checklists (CALD) NSW Multicultural Health Communication Simple lunchbox checklists to help children and adults understand which foods make up a healthy lunch box. Available in English, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, Serbian, Somali, Macedonian, Vietnamese and Traditional Chinese.
		The ABCD of packing healthy lunchboxes (CALD) Western Australia School Canteen Association Pictorial resources available in Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Farsi, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Tigrinya, Vietnamese, and English.
		Healthy food and drink choices - tips for parents and carers (CALD) Department of Education, Western Australia Translated info sheets available in Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Hindi, Indonesian, Karen, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Tigrinya, Vietnamese, English, Farsi, and Arabic.
How to keep food fresh and safe
		Keep your child’s lunchbox safe Healthy Kids Association Includes practical tips to keep lunchboxes fresh and safe.
More healthy lunchbox tips
		Lunchboxes – healthy ideas for school lunches Better Health Channel Tasty meal and snack ideas for each of the five core foods groups.
		Legendairy lunchbox ideas Dairy Australia Every lunchbox should include dairy options such as milk, yoghurts, cheese (or calcium fortified dairy alternatives) as well as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and lean protein sources. Here are some easy meal and snack ideas that incorporate the five food groups.