Lunch is a tricky meal. It has to be fulfilling so it sustains your child while you’re at work or they’re at school/daycare, yet it mustn’t be heavy enough your little one will have no appetite for dinner.
A balanced lunch can be the key to a blissful afternoon nap and the lack of one can mean your kids gorge themselves on sweets and candy or get cranky and start a hunger tantrum.
The following tips and recipes apply for:
-Everyday lunch
-Weekend snacks.
-Packing your kids’ lunchbox for school or daycare.
-Beach and pool snacks.
-Packing your own nutritious lunch for work!
So what should you keep in mind while shopping for this multifunction meal?
Juice and yoghurt are essentials.
Stock up on juice boxes and yoghurt cans with the start of the week and deal them out each morning.
Spice it up on weekends with pudding or a yummy milkshake.
Don’t forget to pack a water bottle.
Environment-friendly tip: buy your kid a metal water container and fill it each morning with cool water to cut back on the use of plastic bottles. Just remember to clean the bottle regularly for any residue.
Paper napkins (and hand wipes if necessary). Pack them to remind your little one to clean up after eating.
Always include vegetables and fruit. Cucumbers, lettuce, green olives, tomatoes and carrots add flavor to almost any sandwich and are just as tasty on their own.
Strawberry and apple slices go beautifully with cream cheese, hummus or jam.
To avoid the sogginess of tomatoes, opt for the cute and tasty cherry tomatoes.
Encourage little ones to eat their vegetables with food art! • Pierce cherry tomatoes, strawberries, olives or carrots with a wooden stick like shish-kebab. • Cut up slices of cucumber, green pepper and grapes and lure the little ones with a colorful mini- dish. • Add boiled peas and carrots to some white rice with a sprinkle of salt, or • Wrap the veges in favorite types of cheese and bread to make them more appetizing.
Cut back on waste by adding a couple of spoons of yesterday’s salad— be it green salad, coleslaw or yummy potato salad. Just be careful to add the salad to a separate compartment to avoid spilling, and to add a little spoon and a napkin so your little one can keep clean.
Stock up on fibers.
As Egyptians we are blessed with a huge selection of tasty and healthy bread. Always go for whole grains when packing your kid’s meals as they’re richest in fibers which are great for digestion.
If your champs are tired of ordinary sandwiches, replace your bread with toast, burger bread or Shami bread. Surprise them with dry cereals, mashed potatoes or white rice instead of the traditional sandwich. And remember than fruit like bananas, apples and oranges are quite rich in fiber-content in addition to their numerous health values.
Shake up the protein!
Some kids love milk. With others, you need to get creative. A milkshake with bananas or strawberries, fruit slices or honey with yoghurt, milk and honey with cereals are all creative and healthy lunch options to ensure your little ones get the proteins and calcium their growing bones need. A boiled egg, hotdogs, selections of cheese with smoked turkey and nuts are all yummy protein-rich foods.
To summarize:Your kid’s lunch plate should include: Proteins Fibers Fruits and veggies Juice, yoghurt, pudding or a milkshake Water Napkins
Recipes for easy and healthy lunches:
#1 Lather two squares of toast with creamy cheese. Add slices of cucumber and olives and cover it up with a leaf of lettuce. Close the sandwich and cut up the square into two triangles. Add a side-dish of two teaspoons of sweet corn, a couple of biscuits, and slices of apple. Don’t forget the juice, water and napkins.
#2 Lather a circle of shami bread with hummus or mustard.
Add slices of smoked turkey and cheddar cheese. Roll the shami bread and cut it up into tasty rolls. You may bake the sandwich in the oven for a few minutes for a crunchier taste (optional). Serve or pack with slices of strawberries, oranges, cherry tomatoes and a selection of nutritious nuts. Don’t forget the juice, water and napkins.
#3 Boil just enough pasta for a small plate. Shred mozzarella cheese on top of the hot pasta. Add cherry tomatoes, boiled green peas or any vegetable according to preference. You may also chop up little bits of hotdog. Mix it all together. You may pack a small bag of ketchup or mustard for extra flavor. Serve or pack with raisins, crackers and a banana. Don’t forget the juice, water and napkins.
#4 Put 2 slices of toast per child in the toaster. Brush the toast with olive oil on both sides then lather with ketchup or tomato sauce on the inside. Over the ketchup, add bits of cheddar cheese and sprinkle mozzarella. Add hotdog slices and olives as preferred. You may also sprinkle a pinch of salt. Put the whole thing in a preheated oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Now you have a crunchy, cheesy homemade pizza all ready to go. Green it up with lettuce and green pepper. Maybe some chocolate pudding for dessert. Don’t forget the juice, water and napkins.
#5 Lather your toast with peanut butter (or butter cream) and your kid’s favorite jam. You may add strawberry slices, nuts or dates to the sandwich. Cut the squares into two triangles. Boil an egg and add a granola bar. Finish up with a mini-salad of available vegetables. Don’t forget the juice, water and napkins.
What did you think of our recipes? Was this article helpful to you? Got any more delicious lunch ideas to add?
Let us know!