Many moms complain that their kids bring the lunch box back home full. What to give kids in their lunch box to keep them healthy and balance their meal, is a modern challenge. Being a good parent, it’s our responsibility to teach them about good eating habits as well as the importance of food. We can also make some necessary improvements in their eating habits accordingly.  Here are some easy, nutritious, and healthy lunch box ideas for kids to bring a new life to their lunchboxes.

With the changing lifestyle and increasing competition in sports and academic fields, it has become necessary to provide children with nutritious and healthy food. It’s time to separate the junk food from their lunch box. Children need a tiffin box rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidant-rich, to maintain their energy stay afloat, and brain sharp all day in school.

What should you give kids in their lunchboxes?

The lunch box of your child should consist of plenty of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and also green vegetables. Children are very moody. Hence, their lunch box needs to be set accordingly. It should fulfill two requirements, their likings as well as the required nutrients. 

Do not give children fried food items in the tiffin. If you are giving them cutlets, parathas or kebabs then never deep fry them. Try variations with the lunchbox recipes. Also, encourage them to eat seasonal fruits and salads. If they throw tantrums cut salad in different shapes, sizes, and designs and give them a colorful look. This will also increase their joy. 

Children need more protein so give them, peanut butter, lentils paratha, soya, paneer, beans, etc. Give vegetable sandwiches or rolls, stuffed parathas, upma ( semolina porridge ), nutri-poha ( flattened rice ), etc. Instead of white bread, use multigrain bread. Omega-3 known as the ‘brain food’, is essential in the development of the brain. So include walnut, strawberry, kiwi fruit, soybeans, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli in their lunch.

The lunchbox should be tasty, simple, and easy to eat. Sometimes the packed lunchbox is such that it gets messed up while opening. It should be well packed so that the kids don’t get their hands and school dress dirty. Pack the lunch in the tiffin box with more compartments, and in such a way that they can easily open it. Find five easy and healthy lunch box recipes. they are simple and easy to make. 

Five Healthy Lunch Box Ideas For Kids

1. Mix Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients

• Multigrain bread slices
• half onion caramelized
• 1 cucumber sliced round
• 1 tomato sliced round
• lettuce leaf
• mix vegetables; corn-beans, carrot, capsicum ( no boiled potato)
• butter
• cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Saute the mixed vegetables with some butter in a pan and sprinkle some pepper powder on it. Cut the edges of the bread slices with a sharp knife. Apply butter on slice one, and a fresh & dry lettuce leaf and put cucumber slices on it, and sprinkle salt and pepper. Cover it with a second bread slice and again layer it with mixed vegetables, and a cheese slice on top.
• Similarly, put the third bread slice, apply butter, and put tomato slices and lettuce leaf on top. Now cover it with fourth bread. Apply butter on end slices. You can also grill it. Cut the sandwich from the middle.
• Assemble your sandwich and wrap it in wax paper in a Tupperware lunchbox and close the lid of the lunch box. Wrapping the sandwiches in this manner will keep them fresh longer.

2. Lentil Sprouts Paratha

Ingredients

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl mix and add all the ingredients, except oil, and knead it into a dough with water. Divide the dough into equal balls and roll them like chapati.
• Heat a pan, and roast the paratha from one end, and flip over to another side. Now, brush its sides with oil and again flip and roast for a few minutes. This can be served with any pickle or ketchup.
• Never use tissue paper to wrap chapati or parathas.
• Put pickle or ketchup in another small separate closed container.

3. Rava Upma ( Semolina Porridge)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Semolina
• 2 tablespoons of Oil
• 1 tablespoon of crushed Peanuts
• 1/4 teaspoon of Mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon chana dal (Split chickpeas)
• 1 tablespoon urad dal (Split black gram)
• 1/2 chopped green chili
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon of Green Peas
• 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3 cups water
• Salt

Instructions

• Roast semolina in a pan until brown. Take out roasted semolina on a plate. Add oil to a pan and heat it. Now, add mustard seeds and crushed peanuts and fry them. Add green chili, chopped carrots, urad dal, chana dal, salt, and green peas and roast them for 2-3 minutes.
• After this, add semolina and mix well. Add three cups of water and mix it. Bring semolina to boil in water and stir it. Cook it until it thickens and looks like a pudding. Put curry leaves and coriander leaves on top and mix them.
• This is the easiest and fast to cook a meal suitable for a healthy lunch box.

4. Nutri Poha 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Poha ( flattened rice )
• 1/2 cup sev
• 2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/4 cup soya chunks
• 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leave
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 green chili chopped
• Salt

Instructions

• Wash poha in clean water twice and strain it. Spread it on a plate and keep it aside. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts, and onion into it.
• Saute onion until light brown and add soya chunks to it and mix well. Add all dry spices, and lemon juice and mix it. Add poha and sugar, and mix all the ingredients. Finally, add sev, and coriander leaves. This is a very simple healthy lunch box recipe that is liked by all kids.

Stainless Steel Lunch Box

5. Vegetable Idli

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped cabbage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons of urad dal (Split Black gram)
• 1 cup of rice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of grated coconut
• salt

Instructions

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