This information is already on the website but I thought it would be a good idea to create a printable version of the Healthy Lunch Box Ideas on the website. If you want to start the new term by providing a lunch that contains the best mix of foods to keep your children energised and focused throughout the day, why not print it out and bring it along when you next shop for food?

A packed lunch for kids should contain some energy to help their brains and muscles work during the afternoon as well as some good nutrition to help keep them healthy. Not an easy job when you factor in: government and school pressure for lunchboxes to be healthy, the science degree often required to decipher food labels, a child’s likes and dislikes, the need for it to be easy and quick to eat and above all enjoyable so your child will eat it.


 
The sheet is divided into 5 important groups of foods/drinks to try and include in their lunchbox that will help give them a balanced meal plus meet the school lunch policies that many schools are now introducing.

My Friendly Lunchbox has also created a sheet on How to pack a waste free lunch and another sheet on how you can Save money by packing a waste free lunch. Please leave your own ideas in the comments! :)

The reusable and eco-friendly bags from Envirosax are just getting more and more popular in the family. Perfect for keeping all the gear together. My daughter puts her bookbag and lunchbag in hers every morning and I throw in all the stuff I may need during the day in mine. We also borrow each others for variety (or to better match my outfit). They are also great for weekend outings, shopping trips and sleep-overs.  

 

More and more workers choose to take their own lunch for work and as the continuing financial downturn is forcing many of us to tighten our belts there are money to be saved. According to a recent article you can spend as much on one takeaway meal as it would cost to take your own for a week. 

Making a lunch for work doesn’t have to take long. So when there are no suitable left-overs in the fridge and I’m running out of time, which I do most mornings, I would quickly make a sandwich and pour a serving of my favourite yoghurt into a leak proof container, add a fruit or vegetable snack and Done!

Product featured above includes the U-Konserve Food Kozy, Kids Konserve Leakproof Food Containers and the Minisax Lunchbag. Have you got a quick and easy idea for a packed lunch? 

15% off all Stainless Steel bottles

If any of your new year’s resolutions were to get fitter, drink more water or lead a greener life style then, if you are not already a converted user of Stainless Steel Bottles, here are some good reasons to treat yourself to a good looking and safe bottle.

Don’t Refill your disposable water bottle
It is quite surprising to see how many people in the gym are refilling disposable water bottles, which are manufactured for single use only.  One concern is the build up of bacteria as these bottles are hard to keep clean. After repeated use they can also leach chemicals like DEHP (phthalates) or BPA into your drink, which may be linked to cancer and reproductive health problems.

 
Plastic bottles
Stainless steel bottles keep your drinks fresh and great tasting for longer when plastic bottles often leave the drink tasting (and smelling) flat and stale. As already mentioned above, there is also the ongoing debate about the safety of drinking from polycarbonate plastic bottles containing the chemical BPA. 

Aluminium vs Stainless Steel
Also be aware of metal bottles made of Aluminium as most aluminium bottles have a plastic lining to prevent the transfer of taste and smell into the liquid. (This is not necessary for Stainless Steel.) The plastic lining may contain BPA or phthalates, and in addition, recent studies have also linked aluminium to Alzheimer’s disease.

Bottles are not just for those who exercise, they are great for keeping you hydrated throughout the day, and we all know how important that is for our bodies – inside and out! Keeping a bottle on your office desk also prevents accidents of spilled water over technical equipment and important paperwork.

Here at My Friendly Lunchbox we love (and only sell) stainless steel bottles.
Check out our great range from Crocodile Creek, Onya and Green Bottle. To help you kick start your new year and new you – all bottles are offered at a 15% discount for 7 days only.  Offer ends 23rd January 2012. View the bottles here.