The lunchbox snacks a dietitian never packs (and the surprising ones that make the cut)

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It's school lunchbox season, which alone can be enough to induce stress in even the most organised of parent. Not only do you need to find snacks that are school friendly and nutritious, you also need foods that the kids will actually eat.

School snacks also aren't cheap, with a single box of bars or bites costing as much as $8 per box. So, in an attempt to make daily lunch-making a little less onerous, here are the snacks a dietitian regularly packs and the ones to stay well clear of.

Not as healthy as you think

Rice snacks

Whether it's a cracker, cake, puff or bar, refined white rice made into snack food ultimately offers very little nutritionally even if it is gluten free and low calorie. White rice, especially when processed, releases glucose into the bloodstream quickly. Rice snacks also tend to contain very little protein or dietary fibre, resulting in a quickly digested snack that is largely empty calories.

Swap to: Wholegrain corn or legume-based snacks

Dried fruit

Whether it's individual boxes of sultanas or apricots or fruit pressed into a bite, strap or stick, processed fruit is not a healthier alternative to muesli bars, chips or biscuits. That's because the majority of processed fruit snacks are a concentrated source of carbohydrate, delivering much more sugar than whole pieces of fresh fruit, with minimal amounts of fibre while also lacking the vitamin and mineral content of fresh fruit. A single, small box of sultanas contains almost 30 grams of concentrated sugars, far more than small children need each day, plus dried fruit sticks to the teeth, making it far from any dentist's favourite food.

Swap to: Fresh fruit is always the best lunchbox filler

Yoghurt pouches

There are loads of different yoghurt pouches designed for children but they are not all as healthy as you may think, with some varieties containing as much as 20 grams of sugars in a single pouch. While some of this sugar may be naturally occurring, in more cases than not a quick scan of the ingredient list will reveal a product with added sugars, even in the form of confectionary.

Swap to: Yoghurt pouches clearly labelled as "no added sugar"

Kids' biscuits

While there are a number of biscuits packaged into small, lunchbox-friendly snack packs, the reality is that they are basically made using white sugar, refined white flour and vegetable oil, usually palm oil, which is a heavily saturated fat. Nutritionally they offer little in the way of protein or fibre and are far from a healthy lunchbox addition.

Swap to: Homemade mini muffins or a low-sugar wholegrain snack bar

And the surprisingly good options

Cheese and crackers

A perfect mix of protein and carbs in a lunchbox-friendly snack, seek out the wholegrain crackers where possible or make your own to save plenty compared to pre-packaged options. Hard cheese rather than spreadable or cheese dips are much better options nutritionally.

Flavoured milk

While flavoured milk does contain added sugar, it also offers nutrients that can be lacking in many a lunchbox such as protein and calcium, and is a much better choice than fruit-flavoured drinks.

Wholegrain snack bars

Muesli bars are often considered high in sugars but on the whole the muesli bars available have improved considerably and most contain 5 grams of sugars or less per serve. Seek out wholegrain options that have an oat base where possible, or varieties that contain 3-5 grams of fibre per serve.

Susie Burrell is an accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist and holds a masters in coaching psychology.