It can be quite a challenge for parents to regularly come up with different ways to entice children to eat a healthy lunch.

Many doctors believe that eating healthily in early childhood is the key to a healthy life. With rising levels of childhood obesity, educating your child to eat well has never been so important. And it has never been so important to plan your child’s lunch box. With your child the alternative is for you to just turn up at the supermarket and let the supermarket persuade you to buy mass processed, kiddy size, carton-wrapped lunch box treats that your child tells you everyone else’s mother buys — If you check labels, you will find that many kiddy-sized food items are high in fat, salt, sugar and additives. And they are expensive. This is known as child-targeted branding bullying.

The retail marketing world spends money on child friendly packaging because it sells. Many busy mums buy this food because it is ready wrapped and quick to pop into the lunch box. But with a little planning, lunch boxes can be healthy and less expensive. Solve this dilemma by generating your own fun packaging: before the school year begins stock up on brightly colored re-usable containers, fun party napkins and cartoon stickers for plastic bags. A healthy lunch can be fun to eat!

Children have very strong opinions about what they want to see in their lunch boxes and so if you do wish to make any changes it is good to get them on side by talking to them about additives and chemicals, and eating healthy to grow up healthy and strong. Lunch box time is part of the school day that children look forward to so it is important that they have food to enjoy and it should look attractive.

In a survey, the average child’s lunchbox contained a sandwich, a desert, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a fruit flavored drink. The piece of fruit was usually the food that was left uneaten. Take time to plan a healthy lunch box and if the apple comes back every day uneaten, change it for some soft fruit berries or a little fruit salad.

Yogurt

Yoghurt is a good source of calcium. It is one of the oldest foods known to man — but check that there is not too much sugar and that it contains real fruit. A pot of plain natural yoghurt is best.

Sandwiches

These are great for giving your child energy for the afternoon. Try to persuade them to eat brown bread. Vary the fillings, such as tuna and sweetcorn, cheese and tomato, egg, chicken or salad. If your child does not eat the sandwich try a small bowl of salad with a small bread and butter roll.

Fruit

Its usually the apple that mom puts in everyday that gets left, so vary the fruit — bananas are a good source of energy, try kiwis, peaches, melon, grapes, mangoes and berries.

Crisps

Children do seem to love them but they can be high in salt, and some contain lots of chemicals. Try and keep crisps to an end of week treat.

Drinks

Children in the Gulf need to drink plenty of water for their kidneys and also to help them work hard at school. Always enclose a water bottle even if they tell you they drink from the school water fountain.

Give children diluted real fruit juice or milk to meet their energy requirements. Squashes or fizzy drinks are high in artificial colorings and high in preservatives, which may cause hyperactivity in some children. Fruit juice made from concentrate can actually make your child thirstier. Our bodies are 70 percent water and children need lots to perform well at school.

Ask Alva

I am trying to do my best to lose weight but I fall down due to my snacking on chocolate and cakes. Can you suggest some low calorie snacks? Anthea

Switch from high fat snacks to low fat snacks. If you know you are a snacker, plan and buy low fat snacks to satisfy your needs.

Under 50 calories:

10 jelly beans (40 cals)

20 raisins (35 cals)

1 small peach (35 cals)

8 baby carrots (32 cals)

8oz popcorn (air popped) (30 cals)

— Alva