Lunch Box Ideas!

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Dear Readers,

Many of you have requested me to detail how to pack lunch box for school going kids. So let us talk about this real life and interesting issue.

Being a biologist, I have always believed in eating a healthy, balanced diet. Our diet should have a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, fibers, minerals, etc... The same thing applies to our kids' lunch boxes. Kids should get a balanced diet too!

I remember as a child we (my brother, sister, cousins, friends.. and me) used to bring Paratha/ Roti (Indian bread) with cooked dry vegetables and homemade pickle in our lunch boxes pretty much everyday. I also remember slipping in my lunch box in my school bag. Now things have changed a lot. It is interesting to observe the practices in the western world. I have lived in France and USA, and some things are quite different here than in our country. Kids are not allowed to keep any food in their regular school bag. They have a separate "lunch bag" to put their snacks and main lunch box. Also, in India, kids eat their lunch either in their class rooms or outside in the play ground. But in most western countries kids are not at all allowed to eat food in their classrooms. They have to go to the Cafeteria/ Canteen to eat their food. In the cafeteria they can either eat canteen's hot food or they can eat the lunch that they have brought from home.

Following are the few sample lunch bags I have at home. All these lunch bags are insulated to keep the food at the maintained temperature.

When you pack your kid's lunch box, you need to keep your kid's taste in mind as well as healthy diet principles. It is an important meal of the day for them. Here is how I fix my kids' lunch boxes....

I always pack a simple, healthy, and delicious three course lunch for my kids. It comprises
1 portion of fruit/veggies salad + 1 main dish + 1 small serving of Dessert

Fruit options- Any fruit as per season and availability such as clementine/oranges, pomegranate seeds, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, banana, apple, etc Vegetables such as carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, lettuce, walnut salad etc can also be packed.

For the main meal- My kids love Stuffed paratha ( stuffed Indian bread), Flavored rice preparation, Dhokla, Seasoned Idlies (steamed rice cake), Moong dal cheela, Namkeen sewai ( vermicelli with vegetables), Kale chane (black grams), Lobiya (black eye beans), Sandwiches, Burger, Pasta, Pizza, etc...

For Dessert- It can be anything . I just give them a small portion of any homemade or ready made healthy sweet like- a cookie, a granola bar, a laddoo, some dry fruits, a candy, a biscuit, a small piece of cake without icing, til kuta (pound sesame ), etc

Hope it helps you to plan your kid's lunch box. In what follows, I am outlining a large number of lunch box ideas. Please do not hesitate to write to me if you have any suggestions or queries....

With Best Wishes,
Shuchi