Healthy Lunchbox

Among the many tasks that a mother struggles to complete everyday, there is one that is most important and perhaps the most challenging; I call it ‘The Lunch Box Experiment’. Children are extreme food critics who eat with their eyes.

Nutrition is nowhere on a child’s agenda, they eat what they find eye-catching. However, a mother knows the importance of nutrition during the formative years and so is mostly troubled with making a decision about the foods that are not only nutritious, but also appealing enough to motivate the child to eat.

Time might be an issue during the heavily packed mornings, but a creatively designed lunchbox is always welcomed by children. A sandwich, for example, might look repetitive and can be turned down by a child, unless it has a different stuffing, shape, colour or packing every time. Choosing from a variety of foods is also critical. Repeated use of the same ingredients becomes boring and children develop aversions to them. Include foods with different colour, texture, shape, aroma and flavour. This may be achieved by combining foods from different food groups like pulses, cereals, dairy, fruits and vegetables.

Simple ready to eat hand snacks are a convenient option. One important consideration is that food should remain safe and appetising after several hours of storage. Too soggy and too dry foods are a big NO on any child’s food list.

Here are suggestions for a healthy lunchbox:
Fruits: Seasonal fruits are best and can be used in a variety of ways. Dried fruits are concentrated nutrient sources and are quite filling. You may also try dry fruit bars and porridges.

Dairy – Fruit yogurt, fruit custard or just a simple milk based recipe is a great lunchbox option.

Vegetables – Sautéed vegetable sticks with flavoured dips and sauces are a good stake. You may want to cut the vegetables in different shapes and prepare interesting recipes with them. Combining different vegetables gives interesting colours to a lunchbox meal and attracts the child. If your child is not comfortable with vegetables then try using a vegetable puree to make other dishes like pancakes or homemade cookies.

Fillings – Cheese, tuna, sliced eggs, grated vegetables like carrot or lettuce, cuts of meat etc., are great fillings that can transform a simple recipe into a tempting one. Pancakes, sandwiches or rolls, all get a new definition with different fillings.

Breads – Consider a variety of breads and maintain a variation in their use. Sandwiches might not interest children all the time. Try using rolls, bagels, fruit loaves, muffins, crumpets or corn thins.

While it is important to be careful about what goes into the lunchbox, the material and design of the lunch box itself is very important. Choose an insulated lunch box that is made with food grade material. It should be just big enough to keep the foods in different compartments but not too big to make it difficult for the child to carry or operate. The ease of cleaning is most important and should be taken very seriously while choosing the lunch box or the food that goes into it.