keeping active kids fuelled and hydrated: tips for water, snacks, and lunchbox ideas

 

Written by Dr Kyla Smith - Paediatric Dietitian

 

 

Let’s talk about lunchboxes, snacks, and water bottles – the three things parents think about more than they ever expected! In this blog, Dr. Kyla will share practical and realistic tips to help you support your child’s needs without the overwhelm, to help you raise confident eaters in a world filled with scary messages about food and nutrition.

 

 

water intake for kids

If you have ever wondered whether your child is drinking enough or too much, you are not alone. The Australian Dietary Guidelines include age-based recommendations for fluids, but remember that every child is different. Some children drink a lot of water naturally, while others don't. Additionally, fluid intake is influenced by different factors like weather, activity levels and salt intake.

 

These following numbers are only guidelines and it’s generally not necessary to measure water intake. So, let your children drink to their thirst and have water accessible throughout the day.

 

 

water needs by age group: from 6 months to 18 Years

➡ 6 months to 1 year: For babies aged six months to one year, a small quantity of water can be introduced alongside breast milk or formula. This water is not just about hydration; it's an opportunity for babies to practice drinking from a cup. As a general guide, stick to 30-60 ml per day for babies 6-9 months old and 90-120 ml per day for babies 9-12 months old.

 

➡ 1 to 3 years: As toddlers grow and explore, they need more fluids, with the guidelines increasing to around 1.4L per day in total, coming from both food and drinks. From this age, we can trust our kids to drink to thirst and listen to their own cues. This is a good time to introduce a b.box sippy cup to help gain confidence and make the transition fun.

 

➡ 4 to 8 years: By the time your kids are 4 to 8 years old, the guidelines suggest that they consume around 1.6L of fluids daily from food and drink. Having a bigger drink bottle they love, like a b.box Tritan™ or insulated drink bottle, can help them stay hydrated.

 

➡ 9 to 13 years: As children reach their preteen years, the guidelines suggest increasing their total fluid intake to about 2L daily. They’re growing fast at this stage, and their bodies need more water, especially if they’re involved in sports or outdoor activities.

 

➡ 14 to 18 years: The guidelines suggest that teenagers require a total fluid intake of around 2.5L per day. With increased activity, after-school commitments, and social lives, teenagers often forget to stay hydrated, so carrying a water bottle with them can help.

 

 

tricks to increase water intake

I recommend approaching water like food – you provide it, your child decides. This means that your job is to offer water regularly (or make sure it’s easily accessible), and you trust your child to determine how much of it they need to satisfy their thirst. Encouraging or prompting your child to drink can actually have a detrimental effect— when young children sense we want them to do something, they naturally become suspicious and are less likely to do it!

Apart from actual water or fluids they drink, children also get fluid from food. If you're concerned about how much your child is drinking, these strategies can help support them:

➡ You can offer foods with a high water content like watermelon, rice, pasta, yoghurt, fruit ice-cream, ice chips or frozen smoothie icy poles. Remember, you don’t need to add any pressure around eating these foods.

 

➡ You can't make your child drink more, but you can add an element of fun (like novelty straws or different cups or fun drink bottles) or independence (inviting your child to pour their own water from a jug or fill their cup from the tap, or choosing their own cup or drink bottle).

➡ Consider keeping drink bottles in sight and within reach for an easy and prompt drink.

 

➡ If your child's refusal to drink fluids is a recent and significant change, it's worthwhile asking your GP to check their ears and tonsils, as this can be related to pain and discomfort.

 

Practical Tip: How many b.box bottles or sippy cups are needed daily to meet water intake recommendations?

 

‣ Toddlers need about 1L of water and other fluids daily. This could look like four refills of the 240ml b.box sippy cup or three refills of a b.box 380ml junior drink bottle.

 

‣ As kids get older, their hydration needs increase to 1.2L of drinks per day. This could be met by three refills of a 450ml Tritan™ bottle, two refills of a 600ml Tritan™ or 2.5 refills of a 500ml insulated drink bottle.

 

‣ Pre-teens need about 1.4-1.8L of fluids daily. To reach this, they can drink two refills of a 1L insulated drink bottle or refill a 690ml insulated drink bottle about 2-3 times.

 

Please remember that this is a general guide based on our Australian recommendations. If you're not seeing any signs of dehydration, then you probably don't need to make changes to your child’s fluid intake.

 

 

 

fuelling school-aged kids: snack ideas for energy

The b.box snackbox is perfect for school-aged kids who need a snack to take with them. We use our snackbox for crunch & sip at school and for snacks on the go. The two-compartment design and water-tight seal means you can keep wet and dry food separate so it doesn’t go soggy. Pop trail mix in one half and chopped fruit in the other for a simple, portable snack.

 

snack suggestions:

Aim to include at least two of the food groups (choose from grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein foods) at each snack.

Some examples of snacks that can be kept separate in the b.box snackbox include:

‣ Yoghurt and dry Cheerios (dairy and grain)

‣ Crackers, cheese and cucumber slices (grain, dairy and veg)

‣ Pretzels and strawberries (grain and fruit)

‣ Dried fava beans, popcorn and cherry tomatoes (protein, grain and veg)

It can be helpful to think of snacks as mini meals. This means you can offer any foods that you would at a main meal - you don't need to choose special "snack foods".

 

 

packing lunchboxes for school, activities, and sports

There’s no one right way when it comes to packing your child’s lunchbox. You know your child best, including which foods they can confidently eat. Some days your child might eat everything, and other days most of it could come home in the afternoon and that’s completely normal!

 

Here are some practical tips to guide you without having to reinvent the wheel every day:

safety first

Choose foods that match your child’s chewing and biting abilities. Cut or prepare items in a way that’s safe and age-appropriate (e.g. peel mandarins, slice grapes, cut sandwiches into manageable pieces).

focus on well-liked foods

Include mostly familiar foods that your child feels confident to eat—this helps them eat enough to feel full. It’s okay if their lunch looks similar each day.

add variety without overthinking it

Aim to include at least one option from grains, protein, dairy, fruit, and vegetables. Even small portions count, like a single cucumber stick. Swapping out just one or two items daily helps keep lunchboxes varied without having to start from scratch every time.

re-purpose leftover food

You can’t predict their hunger levels each day, so leftovers can always be re-offered after school if kept cool with an insulated bag and ice bricks.

consider including a challenge food

Include a small portion of a food that’s new or not yet a favourite. This keep up exposure without pressure.

make it easy to eat

Kids often have limited time to eat at school. Prepping foods in easy-to-open, pre-cut and pre-peeled forms makes the food easier to eat.

 

 

lunchbox packing ideas for parents:

lunchbox 1

large compartment: Mini pizza with ham and cheese

flexi whole fruit holder: Pre-cut plum

compartment 1 (leakproof): Guacamole

compartment 2: Savoury crackers

compartment 3: Bliss balls

 

lunchbox 2

large compartment: Chicken and cucumber sushi

flexi whole fruit holder: Pre-sliced apple

compartment 1 (leakproof): Yoghurt

compartment 2: Cucumber and carrot sticks

compartment 3: Pinwheels

 

lunchbox 3

large compartment: Sausage rolls

flexi whole fruit holder: Pre-peeled mandarin

compartment 1 (leakproof): Hommus & crackers

compartment 2: Snow peas

compartment 3: Pikelets

 

 

conclusion

It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of packing the perfect lunchbox or worrying about water, but remember that every child is different. What matters most is supporting their confidence with food and fluids so your child can learn to trust their own cues. In my house, the b.box products help me cater to my children’s lunchbox and snack preferences without worrying about messy leaks, soggy crackers, or food mixing when it shouldn’t.

At the end of the day, it’s not about perfection. It’s about creating a positive, supportive food environment in which your child can thrive confidently.

You've got this!

 

about the author   Dr Kyla Smith is a paediatric dietitian and feeding specialist. She’s a mother of two children, has a PhD in childhood weight management and has practised for 17 years. She is the Founder of ‘Baby Mealtimes’, ‘Toddler Mealtimes’ and ‘Family Mealtimes’, three practical and comprehensive online programs that have taught thousands of parents worldwide how to feed their children with confidence, create enjoyable family mealtimes and support their kids growing up as adventurous eaters.  She has also founded ‘School Mealtimes’, an online space to assist parents, educators and schools to work together to provide supportive messaging around eating at school. Dr Kyla is passionate about developing balanced relationships with food and fostering positive mealtime experiences for the whole family.   Check out Dr Kyla Smith's online programs at mealtimes.com.au