After a jam-packed morning of learning and playing – the brain and stomach need to refuel. Skipping school lunches, or having an unhealthy one, can leave children feeling drowsy, grumpy, and exhausted.  

Stressing to have a nutritious but not too filling school lunch is something all parents have to deal with. Making sure your little one gets fed the proper nutrients in a healthy, packable meal is something you need to plan ahead for. 

In Malta, each child takes their very own box and lunch food to school – but how sustainable is this for their growing bodies and for the working parent? 

Approximately 40% of school-aged children in Malta are overweight or obese. With everyday life being as hectic as it is, carving time out of your day to come up with fun, healthy lunches that your kids will actually eat is just not feasible anymore. 

But, a solution does exist. In France, they make it a point to teach their children about healthy food both in class and during break time. That’s why French schools provide children with healthy, balanced meals on a daily basis. 

This streamlined approach to school lunch has a whole list of benefits to it – both when it comes to the kid’s development and to the parents. Giving each child the same lunch as their classmates helps open up a discussion with their peers when it comes to tastes and different flavour profiles. 

Children are more likely to taste something new if all of their friends are trying it. 

Apart from giving children the opportunity to explore new tastes, having the same school lunch for everyone also reduces bullying as both the rich and poor have the same exact meal. This streamlined approach helps even the playing ground for children who come from different backgrounds.

Regardless of what their situation is at home, this approach ensures that every child gets a healthy, well-balanced meal for lunch. 

Exposing children from such a tender age to a wide range of flavours, textures and ingredients helps show them how to make good food choices later down the road, without being influenced by changing media trends. It also teaches children that what you eat has a direct impact on your mood, energy levels, skin, and overall health. 

By streamlining school lunches, both the children and parents will benefit. The young ones get to experience a break from learning by trying out new foods with their friends while the parents benefit as they no longer have to worry about what to pack in their kids’ school lunches. 

Parents can rest assured that their child is eating healthy, well-balanced meals that will make their days at school brighter than before.

So, the question is this; Why has Malta not taken on this approach to children’s school lunches? 

Mothers Marta Dreyfus-Starzyk and Sanda Unger have made it their mission to help provide healthy packed lunches for children from as little as 2 years old up to 17 years old. 

Kids-Box, Malta’s first school lunch subscription service is here, and you never have to worry about packing lunch again.

Using only fresh ingredients from local shops and farmers, school lunches are prepared daily from 2am until 6am, and then the delivery car sets off to provide lunches to schools before they start. Being completely nut and pork-free, Kids-Box is in line with school lunch guidelines.  

You can pick between a small or a large box, with both meat and veggie options available. 

Their aim is to deliver your child’s lunch directly to the school, so you don’t have another thing to worry about during your morning school run. Head on over to their website to check out their comprehensive meal plan, complete with a full list of ingredients and why they have prepared that specific lunch. 

With the option to order on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, there’s no harm in trying out Kids-Box for your child’s lunch. 

Kids-Box lunches come ready to eat in specialised ECO boxes. Taking the concept of sustainability very seriously, the founders of Kids-Box have opted to use eco-friendly materials made from bagasse. These unbleached, ECO-friendly boxes are made from sugarcane fibre waste that is left after juice extraction has been completed.

The material is biodegradable and OK Compost certified. It breaks down after about 45-60 days, making discarding this box a breeze. 

If you would like to have your child’s Kids-Box meal delivered to them at school, make sure to fill in their Interest Form. Once enough parents from one school have registered their interest, Kids-Box can contact that school and work on adding them to their partner list. 

Streamlined school lunches are the way forward but if you want a change you need to make it happen. The power that parents hold is no secret, so get in touch, and bring this service to your school today.

Tag all your parent friends!