Northern Beaches Mums Group
Northern Beaches Mums Group

An interactive healthy lunch box website has been launched by Cancer Council NSW for Northern Beaches families

The task of creating a healthy school lunch is now easier for Northern Beaches parents with Cancer Council NSW’s newly launched Healthy Lunch Box website.

The website includes recipes, ideas and tips, and it also features an interactive lunch box builder that enables parents and their kids to plan a healthy lunch box at home, or on the move with their smartphone or tablet.

The Healthy Lunch Box shows Northern Beaches parents how easy it can be to add more fruit and veg and pack a lunch box that kids will love to eat while encouraging behaviour that has lifelong cancer prevention benefits.

One in three cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating well, being active and maintaining a healthy weight. But only 7% of NSW children eat enough vegetables and 22% of children are overweight or obese.

This website has been launched as part of Cancer Council NSW?s Eat It To Beat It program which runs free sessions and workshops across the Northern Beaches for parents of primary aged school children, helping them to understand why fruit and vegetables are so important.

Dee Why parent and mother of two daughters, aged 5 and 10, Emily-Rose Braithwaite, is familiar with the chore that is packing healthy school lunches that her children are excited about eating. ‘Although we do eat well at home, I struggle with the variety and how to make it easy. I am also often quite time poor so although I like to prepare lunches in the evenings, it doesn’t always happen. The Healthy Lunch Box website guides you to prepare quick and easy meals, but still include items from all five food groups. I used to Google kids lunch ideas but I could never find anything this simple,’ said Emily-Rose.

Jessica Green, Regional Manager at Cancer Council NSW?s Metro Sydney region, said parents want quick and easy access to healthy recipes and inspiration on how to vary lunch box content. ‘Parents want to ensure they are providing their kids with the energy and nutrients they need to learn and play,’ said Mrs Green. ;With one child eating about 2,500 lunches throughout their years at school, many parents report that packing lunch boxes can be a chore, especially when it comes to getting kids enthusiastic about healthy options such as fruit and vegetables,’ Mrs Green concluded.

The website has been made possible thanks to the ongoing generosity of OUTRUN CANCER and the community.

Visit healthylunchbox.com.au and pack a tasty healthy lunch box today!