Lunch with a punch

Lunch with a punch

Since good food has a direct effect on a kid's mental and physical growth, parents must constantly monitor the nutritional value of their kid's lunch. Here are some tips for making a good lunch.

Recent research confirms the co-relation between good nutrition and high academic performance. Good food helps to boost a child's school performance by stabilizing blood-sugar levels, which further leads to increased energy and balanced moods. A healthy, well-balanced lunch therefore can go a long way to improve a child's mental acuity in school.

Here are some suggestions for preparing a visually appealing and calorie-rich meal.

Do not labor over a gourmet

You should not take too long over a dish or a delicacy. Remember the aim is not to create records, but healthy children. Your kid's lunch box is not a cookery competition. So start by accomplishing some bit of morning work in the night itself, so that you avoid morning rush. Use disposable lunch containers for individual items. This will help cut down on cleanup time when the lunch box comes home. This tactic will also prevent loss of wonderful lunch containers every now and then.

Avoid boredom

Children get bored very fast. So try some unconventional ideas. Vary the items you pack in their lunches. Pack a sandwich one day, macaroni and a vegetable salad the next day, and a stuffed parantha with chutney a day later. Try to make food more visually appealing and fun. Use different breads for sandwiches, cut the sandwiches with a cookie cutter, or at least jazz up the regular ones with honey and jam.

Don't pack things that your children don't like

The chances of your children eating disliked delicacies, that too away from your hawk eyes, are minimal. Lunch boxes are not the ideal places to get your child to eat what he or she doesn't like in the first place.

Veggies and fruits are a must

Encourage kids to eat colorful vegetables as they pack a powerful nutrition punch loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fruits add color and sweetness to the Tiffin. Aversion to vegetables should be discouraged at a very early age.

Small is beautiful

Kids like foods that are in small sizes and quantity. For example, a peeled orange, a small box of raisins, baby carrot sticks, a small cup of cottage cheese, mini meatballs, a small sandwich, a small container of dry cereals, and a small container of yogurt.

Involve your children

Give them responsibility of preparing their lunch after the evening meal. They will learn to practice good hygiene and choose nutritious foods at the same time. That will also reduce the chances of their rejecting the food.

Act as good role models

Children are more likely to eat what they see their parents eating and vice versa. Set a good example for your children by eating healthy, well-balanced meals yourself. Don't expect them to eat salads while you devour butter chicken. Give appropriate rewards to encourage them to finish their lunches. The rewards may not be monetary. You may promise an extra bedtime story or a good book.

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