Tips for avoiding 'hangry' meltdowns

Kids burn up a lot of energy, especially when they are out and about. Avoid lunchbox fatigue and ‘hangry’ meltdowns with these menu suggestions for dining on the run. 

🥝 Make it colourful
Pack snacks in an array of colours for maximum nutritional value. Kids will get excited about eating a rainbow: carrots, capsicum, blueberries, strawberries... 

🥝 Break the mould
While a Marmite sandwich has sustained many a great Kiwi, kids will understandably start to turn up their noses at sammies when served them every day. Mix up the menu with these great alternatives: mini muffins (sweet or savoury, made with fruit or grated vegetables), mini pizzas, pikelets, sushi, cubes of roast vegetables, pasta, frittata, slices of omelette or mini kebabs (cubes of anything on a toothpick). 

🥝 Culinary art
Apparently we eat with our eyes and kids are no exception. A little bit of creativity and imagination can take sandwiches to the next level. 

🥝 Raw energy
Fruit and nut balls, like nutritionist Anna Hansen’s Tangy Apricot and Cashew Treats, are lower in sugar and fat than many packaged snacks, and full of energy. While unsuitable for those with nut allergies, they’re sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. 

🥝 Dip it
Add a new dimension to the picnic (and protection from the hazard of double-dipping) with individual pots of hummus or guacamole for vege sticks. 

🥝 It’s a wrap
When bread gets ‘boring’, kids enjoy sandwich fillings in a wrap instead. Secure with a toothpick or ribbon to avoid fall-out. A lettuce leaf also works well.