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Back to school

Jan 31
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back to school health tips healthmint

Back to School

By Children's Health, Family Planning & Parenting, General Wellbeing, Lifestyle No Comments

Back to school!

Whether you’re sending your teenager off to their final year of schooling, or you have a little one beginning prep, it’s a busy and exciting time for families across the country over the next couple of weeks.

Here are some tips to help ease the transition and make for a happy and healthy year!

Master the art of the lunchbox

Bento style lunchboxes are all the rage. Keep it simple by adding cut fruit, sandwiches, vegetable sticks and their favourite yoghurt.

Walk to school

it doesn’t have to be every day, but if you can include this into you and your child’s routine, your health will thank you. Getting out in the early morning fresh air is great for your mental health too!

Stick to the same bed times

Make sure your child is getting enough (quality) sleep by enforcing a bed routine. Kids of any age need upwards of 10 hours of sleep a night. It’s also crucial to wind down before bed time- this means no iPads and TV at least a half hour before they hit the hay.

Handle the dreaded head lice 

Keep long hair tied up, don’t wash your kids hair too frequently (they love fresh hair!) and keep ‘butting heads’ to a minimum 😂

Ease those nerves

Starting school can be an exciting but daunting time for kids. Help ease any anxieties they may have by talking about all the positive and wonderful adventures and opportunities the new school year is going to bring. In the first few weeks back, give your kids something to look forward to after school like an evening at the beach, and ice cream, or dinner at their favourite cafe

Make sure their health is in check

Start the school year on the right foot with a visit to the doctors to make sure everything is in tip top shape. Be proactive with their health and ask your GP how you can help keep your kids (and yourself!) happy and healthy this year.

Book an appointment here or click the link below!

Want more information?

Call (03) 5611 3365 to speak to a friendly patient concierge

or book an appointment here
Feb 10
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5 Top Tips for Packing Healthier Lunchboxes

By Children's Health, General Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Nutrition

5 Top Tips for Packing Healthier Lunchboxes

It’s that time of year again when all parents are busy settling their children back into school! First term highlights the start to another full year of growth, learning and development for your children.

To help our kids maintain concentration, keep their tummies full and have the energy to play at recess and lunch, it is extremely important we provide them with a nutritious and exciting lunchbox every day!

To help you out, we have put together some handy hints to help you plan and prepare a healthy, balanced lunchbox for your children.

 

Healthy Hint 1: We have 5 main food groups that we should eat from every single day

Try to include at least one serve of each of these foods in your child’s lunch box daily:

  • Fruit –  1 piece of fruit, puree pack/fruit snack pack, cherry tomatoes, small handful of sultanas/dried fruit etc.
  • Vegetables – Carrot and celery sticks, lettuce or cucumber in a sandwich, sweet corn in a salad etc.
  • Dairy – Tub of yoghurt, cubed cheese or sliced cheese in a sandwich, milk etc.
  • Protein – Chicken, ham, turkey, beef in a sandwich/wrap, handful of nuts, tuna etc.
  • Grains and Cereals – (Wholemeal/multigrain options recommended).
    Bread, bread roll, crackers, pasta salad, muesli bar etc.

 

Happy Hint 2: Include lots of variety

Kids love colour so try to include as many different colours as you can in their lunchbox. Try to give them different foods during the week and cut foods into different shapes to keep it interesting.

 

Hydration Hint 3: Hydration is key for concentration

Always ensure to send your child off to school with a water bottle. Try freezing it overnight and packing it in the lunchbox to keep your child’s lunch cool, or you can use it instead of a freezer block for good food safety!

 

Helpful Hint 4: Encourage kids to join in on making their own lunch

Get the kids involved in choosing/preparing/cutting/peeling the foods. Research shows this increases the likelihood of children eating healthy foods. This will also help them learn to appreciate the time it takes mum and dad to make their lunch every day!

 

Hero Hint 5: Set a good example

If kids see you setting great example and eating these healthy foods/putting them in your work lunch box too, they will be much more inclined to give it a go and enjoy the foods you provide.

 

As children spend a large portion of their day at school, their lunch box is a great opportunity to get them eating lots of healthy, nourishing foods to help them perform their best at school. If you have any questions, queries or your own wonderful lunchbox ideas please comment below!

 

For other great tips for packing healthier lunchboxes and more information check out:

 

 

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