Do Your Homework = Less School Food Waste

While we all want to ensure that our children eat a healthy and filling lunch, at schools they are out of our control so it’s important to keep an eye on what comes home in the lunchbox each day- this is a great way to get information about what your children’s lunch preferences are. If leftovers are composted in the the school then it is worth asking the teachers to keep an eye on it for you so you can then figure out what works for your child and what doesn’t.

So, instead of binning uneaten lunches, try using the following tips:

• Before you start planning school lunches, be more aware of what comes home in your child’s lunch box.
• Let your kids be part of the lunch planning process. This will ensure that what you prepare is something they like to eat.
• Ask children how much time they have to eat their lunch, so as to avoid half-eaten sandwiches that children leave behind in favour of time in the playground.
• Consider making a list of food your child likes to eat for lunch. This list can be kept on the fridge and can be added to by your child.
• Small sized fruit are a great idea as they cut back on waste and pose less of a challenge to small children and take less time to eat.
• Instead of throwing away dinner leftovers, re-use them for lunches the next day.
• Pack drinks in reusable containers and send a small amount to school in a reusable container with your child each day.
• Finally, before offering your child an after school snack, check to see if they have finished their lunch.