Lunchbox Ideas for Children

Lunchtime is short and most kids are choosy and slow. To ensure your child eats the lunch you send, pack something what he/she likes without compromising on the nutrition. Give them the choice of selection too. You can ask what he/she would like for lunch. Provide variety to avoid boredom.

You can make stuffed chapattis with carrot, aloo, beetroot, radish, methi leaves, mixed vegetables, etc. Stuffed chapattis with carrot and beetroot can be made sweeter by adding little sugar to the grated vegetable. Another option is parathas, stuffed dosas and stuffed idlis. Chapatti and dosa wraps with vegetable mix will also work well as lunch for kids. You can try making dosas and chapattis in some shapes /forms (alphabets, numbers, fruits, animals, cartoons, etc) according to your child's liking and your imagination.

Fried rice, tomato rice, lime rice, peas pulao, egg pulao, veg pulao are other options that you can try. Noodles enriched with veggies and /or egg or even rice semolina (iddiappam) with some vegetables can make another option for the small containers. You can make mini pizzas with lots of vegetables. There are lots of options in sandwich. Bread can be white, brown, stuffed, herbed and so on.

Offering cut pieces of fruits and vegetables and nuts are not only easy but are nutritious too. Cut fruits can be dipped in sauce, chocolate, cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, cream, etc and can be dipped finally with some dried items like raisins, bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, sugar, grated parmesan, or grated mozzarella. Turn vegetables and fruits into surprise packages by hollowing it and replacing them with fillings and putting the halves back together again. Chocolate spread, chocolate chips, cream cheese, processed cheese, peanut butter, jam, small fresh fruits, etc can be used as fillers.

You can also opt for colour or shape or size theme options in food for each day. Give your meal planning creativity a boost and feed your child's stomach by planning his lunch box according to food groups and shapes, sizes, colour and so forth. Include nutritious and child- friendly combinations. You can also try math meal - 1 sandwich, 2 pieces of carrot, 3 sausages, and so on. Alphabet cookie cutters come handy in cutting bread, cheese, fruits, etc.

Overall appearance, colour, aroma, taste, texture and seasonings should be appealing to the kids. Focus on foods that your child should eat such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, poultry, legumes and whole grains, rather than what foods to avoid because they are bad for them. When it comes to sweets and other less nutritious foods, it's natural for kids to desire salty, fatty, or sugary food that possesses few redeeming qualities. Occasionally giving in to a request for such items will not destroy your efforts to get your child to eat healthfully in the long term.

Kids don't always abide by an adult's schedule; they eat when they are hungry. Children eat only until they are satisfied. Preschoolers are pretty good at self-regulating their intake when left to their own. That's why parents who insist that preschoolers clean their lunch boxes are inviting trouble. If it makes you feel better to see a clean lunch box, offer very small portions to increase the likelihood that no food will go to waste. There is another approach you can take, however. You could respect your child's hunger level and excuse them from eating when they tell you they are full, regardless of what food is left behind.

Its quite a challenge for the mothers or fathers to pack a healthy lunch or snack box for their kids to school.As a mother, I am keen to pack their boxes with nutrition as well as make it interesting for the kids. If it interests them, then they will eat, otherwise thy may give it to other kids or bring it back.

Rolls and wraps are a hit among most of the bigger kids. This can be made with different fillings using vegetables, cottage cheese, grilled meat, and even noodles.One can try out new variations using dry fillings of their choice.

Sandwiches are aplenty. So are Indian stuffed parathas. Spaghetti, pasta, noodles, burger, stuffed buns, savoury muffins, salads,quesadilla, yogurt, etc are great options which most of the kids love and its easy to make and give also.

Know your children's preference and prepare food revolving around those ingredients. I have poured in ideas which came to me mind here. If you have any, kindly share it in the comments box for others to benefit.I would love to hear from you if this hub has helped you.

Studies show that homemade lunch are much healthier than school meals or canteen food. Packing lunch regularly provides nourishing food to kids and creates healthier habits in them. Foods made in your kitchen teaches your child to enjoy homemade foods. Beyond that, they establish healthy eating habits in early years which impact their food choices later on. That’s why nutritious lunches are considered important.

Try to include these major items in their lunch/snack packs – whole grains, fruits and veggies. Try to reduce processed foods as much as possible. Some foods are better than others and some foods are bad for you and some are unhealthy. Its always good if we avoid consuming foods that are unhealthy.

Want more tips like these? Leave your requests and feedbacks in the comment box down.