Cancer Council NSW’s flagship nutrition program ‘Eat It To Beat It’ has launched a Healthy Lunch Box Ideas planner as part of its Hunter healthy lunch box season.

Eat It To Beat It is set to deliver more than 60 Healthy Lunch Box sessions as part of kindergarten orientation programs in local schools, reaching about 2140 parents.

The sessions show parents how easy it can be to pack a healthy lunch box that kids will love to eat, adding more fruit and veg to promote lifelong cancer prevention benefits.

Hunter Central Coast nutrition project officer Clare Murphy said parents were often seeking healthy recipe ideas and inspiration on how to vary lunch box content.

“Parents want to ensure they are providing their kids with the energy they need for the school day,” she said.

“They want foods that are healthy, taste great and are easy to make. But it can be hard to come up with new ideas across the school term.”

The Healthy Lunch Box Ideas planner includes a week’s worth of lunch box inspiration, with simply, budget-friendly recipes and ideas for meals and snacks.

It also includes helpful tips and tricks for preparing ahead and keeping lunches cold.

“Hunter parents are taking an increasing interest in the nutritional content of food consumed in the playground,”  Miss Murphy said.

“But as the year goes on, many parents report that packing lunch boxes can be a chore, especially when it comes to getting the kids enthusiastic about healthy options such as fruit and vegetables.

“Adding fruit and vegetables to the lunch box every day is a simple and easy way to ensure children are getting the vitamins and minerals they need to fuel concentration in the classroom, and for cancer prevention.”