SMaggers, the new school term is underway, and the recurring expression “what’s for lunch?” is the new anthem in many households.
No worries, help has arrived with 35-year-old entrepreneur, mom of two and TikTok content creator based in Cape Town.
Dubbed the “Lunchbox Mom”, Jacobs went from being a lifestyle and fashion blogger to finding her content creation community on TikTok, connecting with mothers.
“As a mom, I was always faced with the question of what am I going to pack for their lunchboxes and so I figured, why not lunchboxes?,” Jacobs says
“I started with one video, until one day my son came home from school and said mom, you know my friends look forward to seeing my lunches every day?’ From there, I got the requests to post more videos and later switched over to a daily series which a lot of parents love and appreciate.”
Jacobs surprises her kids with colourful lunchboxes that are themed around Valentine’s Day or Halloween, DIY Taco Tuesdays, home-made dips and sauces, Friday pie-day and surprise notes of encouragement.
“Packing my kids school lunch is a way I get to brighten their day and knowing they are receiving a full balanced and nutritious meal,” says Jacobs.
When preparing lunchboxes, Jacobs encourages parents to have fun and make the presentation visually appealing while capitalising on the nutritional value of the ingredients.
“As parents, we need to realise kids eat with their eyes,” she says. “It’s not only about the ingredients, but how you are preparing them matters as it aids in the nutritional value. Instead of frying, bake or air-fry instead, and make funky fruit and vegetable shapes using fruit cutters which makes the food fun and enticing to eat.”
For snacks, she swaps out processed food, crisps and sweets in favour of fresh produce, cereal bars, pretzels, popcorn ad crackers that are lower in calories.
“My lunches are planned in advanced and I plan them the weekend before as this makes shopping so much easier and prevents waste in the fridge,” says Jacobs.
Dietitian Nelile Nxumalo advises time-constrained and overwhelmed parents to be practical in order to prepare healthy lunches consistently.
“Juggling the kids and house needs, as moms we can easily skip giving our kids the right meals. When you have a limited time constraint, prepare the lunch the night before and keep it in the fridge or in a cool place so the food stays fresh the following day,” Nxumalo says.
“When incorporating leftovers into the lunchbox, food that carry well the next day are mince, chicken (shredded, ideal for sandwiches) and certain fish. Wraps, brown bread, brown bread rolls, sweet potatoes or baked potato wedges with the skin should be made the morning of.”
“To have a practical lunchbox, it must have a high- fibre carbohydrate – so brown bread, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes. Healthy protein such as low-fat cheese, chicken, eggs, and peanut butter. Avoid packing high-sugar snacks – fruits, homemade popcorn, nuts and a bottle of water and a small amount of diluted fruit juice and, lastly, beware of portion sizes and foods that can be affected by heat.”
Nxumalo believes the costs of eating healthy outweighs the long-term and avoidable medical implications because of unhealthy eating habits.
“Budget constraints always come up as the biggest obstacle to providing healthy meals. What parents overlook are the long-term costs of a poor immune system – as a result, the child is often sick and needs medical attention, multivitamins, hospital stays, days off work,” Nxumalo says.
“We need to look at it as how do we save money, not only out of pocket but also long-term savings. Buying those vegetables and avoiding high-sugar alternatives, and this can start with breakfast with high-fibre cereal options. It keeps them fuller for longer and they can concentrate during class.”
Jacobs says she packs her kids’ lunches in portion sizes according to their age and level of activity at school and after-school sports. “Whatever they don’t finish at school, they have it on their way home or have it as lunch when they arrive. We don’t waste,” says Jacobs
Nxumalo adds: “Parents, please limit high-sugar foods which disrupts their concentration; alternatively give your kids sustainable energy foods such as fibres, low glycaemic foods which release slower, less processed juices and foods.”
