This is a guest post by Aisha Sherina.
Are you worried about your kid?s health? Does your child come back home with half eaten or untouched lunch box?
Every mother wants to pack healthy, nutritious and tasty tiffin for their kids and they become delighted when their kids eat well. But it is really a challenge to make them eat. Do you pack your kids tiffin with the same cheese sandwiches, noodles or burgers every day? Most of the time kids come back with half touched food as it look boring and less appealing to them child.
Can food be tasty as well as healthy? Of course, Why not? Remember food is a treat for your taste buds as well as your eyes. So it should be appealing to the eye first.
Your main aim should be to give healthy nutrition to your child so that he grows up healthy and active. Their daily diet should contain variety of choices from grains, dairies, fats, vegetables, proteins to fruits.
Grains
When planning a diet chart for your kids ensure that you provide good and enough source of carbohydrate that provides energy. At least half of your kid?s daily diet should contain grains.
Vegetables and Proteins
Make sandwiches with vegetables like lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrot and tomato. Low fat cheese, tuna fish, chicken ham, meat are all good sources of protein. Kids need about three cups of vegetable each day, so plan their diet according to that.
Fruits
Add at least one piece of fruit to their tiffin every day as they are good source of fiber and vitamin c.
Lots of water
Include lots of water in their diet. Lime can be given instead of water that helps them from dehydration. Avoid giving them energy drinks or aerated drinks as they are bad for health.
Dairy
Two to three cups of dairy products are a must for your kid each day as they are good source of calcium which are needed or their teeth and bone development.
Ideas for Tasty and Healthy Food That Can Be Packed in Lunch Box
- Mini sandwiches
You can give them mini sandwiches with meat, cheese and vegetables. Make sandwiches in mini shapes so that it is more appealing to them. It is better to make sandwiches from brown bread as it is healthier when compared to the normal ones.
Along with it you can give fruit kababs in a separate portion of their tiffin. Fruit kababs can be made by sticking small cubes of different fruits on to a frilled tooth pick.
- Paneer
Paneer is an excellent source of protein and it helps in building strong bones and teeth for your child. It is also an excellent source of calcium for those kids who make a fuss for drinking milk. Remember paneer is not easy to digest therefore you most keep a balance when you are including paneer in their diet.
- Indian pizzas
Who doesn?t like yummy looking pizzas? You can give uthappam topped with different veggies and pack their lunch boxes informing them they you have packed special Indian pizza for lunch. You kids will be eager to find out what it is.
You can also modify pizzas into a healthier snack by using brown bread as pizza base. Smear it with bits of tomato sauce top with vegetables and meat pieces and then sprinkle it with low fat mozzarella cheese and cook in a microwave oven or pan. You can also cut small pieces of this pizza with a cutter and pack.
Along with it you can also give different fruits cut into small pieces in a separate box.
- Aval With Banana And Jaggery
You must try this dish for your kids I am sure they would love too. After soaking and draining aval/rice flakes, add fresh grated coconut , sliced banana and shredded jiggery and mix well. It will be ready in less than 10 minutes. But it is better to give sliced banana coated with sugar to prevent browning and packing in a separate box. The kids can mix them up just before eating.
- Stuffed Rotis/Parathas
You can stuff rotis made of wheat with vegetables and minced meat which will be a healthy complete meal for kids. Of course you can also try the tri color chappathi of Menaka Bharathi which she has explained in her post.
- Idlis / Dosas
Pack cute small idlis made out of mini mould which will be more appealing to kids. Normal idlis can be made more attractive by placing small cherries on to the batter before cooking the idlis.
- Idli uppama
Cut idlis into small pieces and make uppama out of it along with vegetables. It will be another healthy dish for kids.
- Lots of water
Lime juice can be given instead of water that prevents dehydration. Avoid giving energy drinks or aerated drinks as they are bad for health.
- Dairy
Minimum two cups of dairy product must be included in their daily diet as they are good source of calcium which is an essential factor for the development of teeth and bones.
Kids look for variety so introduce new dishes quite often. Ensure that you pack health into your kid?s lunch box.
