Have you been asked by your school or childcare centre to support Nude Food lunchboxes!! What does it mean? Where do you start and how do you get kids involved? Try approaching Nude Food in a simple way, it could save you money and may increase variety in the lunchbox.
What does the term Nude Food mean?
Nude Food is a part of the trend in reducing single use plastic, foil containers or wrapping to buy, store and transport food. If you use washable containers or food wraps at home, this is what it means.
Top tips to help plan Nude Food lunchboxes
- Approach Nude Food in a way that works for you and your family.
- Variety and colour keep it interesting. Children may like to try something because the food is new. A new coloured food may really help get them interested.
- As a parent you know your child best, so start off small. Start by aiming to replace one single-use, pre-packaged item with a Nude Food item in the lunchbox. Remember it helps to include something you know they will eat alongside food they are still learning to like.
- Look for foods with less packaging in the supermarket. Fruit and vegetables are a great way to start. Seasonal fruit and vegetables often have more flavour and are more affordable
- Buy in bulk. If this is an option for you, the key is to look at the price tag – looking for the lowest price per kilo or price per 100 grams. A big block of cheese and crackers may be a bigger outlay to begin with. But individual packaged cheese and biscuit options will cost more in the long run. See some price comparisons below:
| Swap chocolate for fruit and cheese | Swap muesli bar for fruit bread | Swap store-bought snack for home-made |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
- Set some time aside to prepare as much as you can ahead of time.
- Left overs can be an easier way to include some Nude Food in the lunchbox. You can prepare these ahead of time. Use a thermos and an ice brick to keep food safe. Read more about food safety
- Boomerang fruit and vegetables do happen. What are boomerang foods? Foods like fruit and vegetables that come back home in the lunchbox uneaten. It’s okay if something new comes back in the lunchbox. This is normal and they can be tried again. Try offering the boomerang fruit and vegetables at afternoon tea or include in that night’s dinner. Read more about managing food waste
- Seek some support. Does your school or childcare have some resources, recipes or ideas to share? Local schools like Lansdowne Primary School are doing some great things when it comes to Nude Food. You can read more about their story on the Move Well Eat Well Facebook page
Nude Food doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy an expensive lunch box. It doesn’t mean you have to put together a lunch box you could post up on social media. Read more about lunch box basics
Nude Food can be easy and a great way to get your child excited about their lunchbox. Remember that balance is important and what works best for you and your child should always come first. If you would like some further information or support, the Move Well Eat Well ‘families’ section of the website has some great resources.
For further information see Nude Food Month website