Lunch Box Ideas: Packing the Right Lunchbox Beverage

We can live for weeks without food but only a few days without water. It this forgotten transparent substance we all take for granted until disaster strikes and it is not quite so readily available. It is then under abnormal conditions that we often crave water and long for a nice hot bath to soak away our daily stresses and long for that tall glass of ice cold water to pour down our throats. We have forgotten what a wonderful nutrient it is and how essential it is to life and our everyday bodily functions. So, if your child is not having enough water on a daily basis they could be suffering from a mild form of dehydration causing ‘brain-stress’ which can cause them to simply “switch off” exacerbating many learning difficulties and affecting optimal daily functioning and performance in many other different ways.


We know that we have to encourage our children to drink more water yet as you unpack their cooler boxes for the fifth day in a row to discover that their water bottles are untouched or only slightly sipped we realise what a challenging and arduous task this could prove to be. How are we going to get the message through to them that water is the first choice when thirst hits? Don’t think of making a simple statement and highlighting all the virtues of a pure glass as I have often wondered if the following statement ” if mom says it don’t do it” has formed part of the national curriculum.

I have sourced a few excellent ideas to camouflage water and help make it the delight that it should be, but first things first, the beverage container. Opt for a bottle that seals properly and is small enough to pack inside their lunch or cooler box. There are many different colours, shapes and favourites out there to choose from or if you are pressed for time opt for ready to go pre-filled spring water bottles which you can grab each morning. One of my personal favourites is the Cool Gear Hourglass bottle with flip top spout, it is small enough to fit into the cooler box and comes with freezable ice sticks that fit neatly into the inside of the bottle to keep the drink cold.

There are many great ways to add some excitement to water here are a few of our lunch box ideas. Simply infuse a bottle of water with a slice of one of the following:

• Lemon or lime

• Tangerine

• Orange

• Cucumber

• Cucumber and lemon

• Mint leaves

• Berries (Raspberries, blackberries or strawberries)

Slip a single slice of one of the ingredients listed above inside the water bottle, you can also squeeze a small amount of juice directly into the water to flavour it slightly. Don’t be tempted to fill the bottle with too many slices of lemon as most children are not too fond of this taste and the attempt at disguising the flavour might then backfire.