Bananas are rich in potassium and help to maintain normal blood pressure and heart functions. Cost J$42.78

As we continue our three-part back-to-school lunch ideas series, Food went shopping for some healthy (many locally made) snack items that children will not mind seeing in their lunch boxes.

Remember to include at least two locally grown fruits from what's available in season. These include: ripe bananas, oranges, plums, pineapple, naseberries, sweetsop, otahiti apples, June plums, water melon, tangerine. Throughout the year, there are at least four different types all across the island. Buying local means saving valuable foreign exchange. It's just a matter of cultivating their tastes and educating them early about the benefits of eating what we grow.

Instead of the imported potato chips packed with all sorts of sodium based preservatives, try any of the exciting chips now being made here; from cassava, to plantain to cocoyam, to banana.

Here is a list for you, with prices too!

Cocoyam is the newest craze with children. It is made from coco and lightly salted; it is a healthier alternative to the potato chips that are usually packed with salt and perservatives. Cost J$28.50. - photos by Kyle Macpherson / Freelance Photographer

A glass of water a day keeps the doctor away. Cost J$33.10.