Healthy Lunch Boxes for Children, School Lunch Ideas

Lunch and Love in a Box

Ever since her two year old son got enrolled into a preschool, my next door neighbor Neeta has been complaining about his eating habits. For her, packing a lunch for him is turning into a horror. Everyday when he would return with his unfinished lunch, sometimes untouched too, she would feel a failure. No amount of threats, cajoling is helping her. She is always wondering as to why her son is discarding everything like trash when she is putting so much effort into the preparation of his lunch. Here are some tips which if followed, can ensure that your child enjoys their lunch.

The Nutrition Check

Every mom should understand very clearly that the first few years of growing up are the formative years of any kind of good/bad habit for a child. So it is imperative that you inculcate some excellent, balanced eating inclination in him. Be sure that whatever goes in his lunch box is having a huge impact on his overall physical, as well as mental faculties. Consult your family physician, dietician or may be a pediatrician to get a diet chart. Work on it!

Be Creative

Alright, now you are aware of the balanced food that should go into his box, but still, your child is mercilessly rejecting this food. Why? For your presentation is bad. Think about it. Devise ways to make the food appear inviting and tempting.

Some handy tips:

• Use colorful lunch boxes. Decide upon your child’s favorite color
• Don’t opt for regular lunch boxes. Buy a box which is in the shape of your child’s favorite cartoon character, or any car or maybe any toy
• Cut the bread or fruit slices in a creative way
• It is very important that your child learns the art of using spoon and fork. So buy something different and always pack stuff which would encourage him to use that spoon/fork

What to Pack?

Ok, I bought him a cute box but I am still not sure about the contents that should go inside. Don’t worry! With a little bit of thought, you can make that lunch so yummy and make sure that your little one scraps off every thing that’s inside his lunch box.

Here are a few sumptuous yet tempting lunch options:

Rainbow Sandwich: You can use an assortment of sauces like tomato, green chutney, mustard sauce and mayonnaise to prepare an appealing colorful sandwich.

Fruit Jungle: Use all the available seasonal fruits. Cut them small, in funny shapes and mix it up to give an appearance of a fun jungle.

Bread/Roti Roll: Stuff that bread with some vegetables and roll it. Give it a dressing of some cheese and cheery. It will look delightful.

Salads: Beautifully cut vegetables with some dips can be easily prepared

Noodles/Biryani: Children have an intense craving for noodles. So you might pack those with a lot of nutrela, cheese and vegetables.

Oats, yogurt, daliya if your child has a sweet tooth

So get started right away. Try involving your child. Talk to him about the benefits of healthy wholesome food. Cook in front of him to involve him. With a little bit of an effort, some creative thinking, you can surely make that lunch hour of your child truly enjoyable!

The Author:

Mother’s Pride is headed by the renowned educationist and sought after parenting expert Mrs. Sudha Gupta. Her vision encompasses not only children but parents, teachers and the society on the whole. As an educationist, she has single-handedly revolutionized pre-school education. mothersprideonline.com

Photo. Jelly