A parent takes a photo of their child's lunch for their Instagram feed. Photo: Getty Parents should steer clear of trying to create school lunches that will look good on Instagram, and focus instead on making their kids’ lunches fun, a nutritionist has advised. Isabelle Fagan, a registered dietitian currently working for the Orla Walsh dietitian and nutrition centre, said parents shouldn’t feel pressure to be giving their kids the perfect lunches.
“I think parents can put a lot of pressure on themselves, seeing these beautifully curated Instagrammable lunches,” she said. “At the end of the day, what we want is that the child will eat the food.” Ms Fagan advised that accessibility is an important factor many parents can overlook when creating a lunchbox meal for the children.
“Are they actually able to go and open the banana, or open the yoghurt packets in the lunchbox, and are they familiar with the food?” she said. Children are unlikely to want to try new foods when in an already-unfamiliar environment such as a school, especially if they are only entering into education, added Ms Fagan. “We need things that are easy for them to eat, quick for them to eat and familiar [to them],” she said.
Ms Fagan said it can help to simplify things by focusing on three main food types – carbohydrates, proteins and colour (fruit/veg). An ideal lunch should include these three elements, said Ms Fagan, but parents shouldn’t stress if their child doesn’t eat everyth.