Top 5 Tiffin Box Recipes

Doyouwonderwhattopackinyourchild’stiffinboxeveryday?Readontofindtop5alltimefavouriterecipesofchildrentobepackedintheirtiffinbox.Packingtheperfecttiffinforyourchildisachallengingtaskformothers,astheycanbedemandingeaters.Kidshavemoreenhancedtastebudsanditisdifficulttogetthemtoeathealthy.Ontheotherhand,motherstrytofillasmuchnutritionaspossibleforthegrowthanddevelopmentoftheirkids.Nutritionistssaythatitisimportanttorespectyourchild’slikesanddislikesandtoincludeatleastthreefoodgroupsinthelunchbox.Childrenalsogetboredwiththesamekindoffoodeverydaysomothershavetoinventinterestingwaystomakehealthyfoodlookdelicious.Herearesomehealthylunchboxrecipesthatshouldhelpmomsinthischallenge.InthisarticleMoongDalkaChilaUpmaMasalaKhichdiSouthIndianLemonRiceMaharashtrian-StylePoha1.MoongDalkaChilaChilacanbewelldeclaredthemostlovedbreakfastafterparanthas,andwilllookgoodinyourchild’slunchboxaswell.Itismadeofbesanorgramflour,andlookslikeapancake.Besanbeingfillingflour,itispackedwithgood-qualityproteinsandhaslowcalories.Tomakeitmorenutritiousandtasty,youcanaddtoppingsofgratedvegetables,mushrooms,paneerortofu.Somehaveitwithbutterandcrushedjaggery,butitisbestplainservedwithgreenchutneyandtomatochutney.2.UpmaUpmaisanotherfavouritelunchboxrecipeofSouthernIndiaandMaharashtra,madefromdryroastedsemolinawithvegetabletoppings.Nowadays,wefindanumberofvariationsofupmasuchassoojiupma,wholewheatupma,riceupma,cornupmaandvermicelliupma.Cashewnuts,carrots,almonds,corn,gratedcoconutsandbeansareaddedtosomevariationstomakeitnutritious.Upmaisrichinpotassium,ironandproteinswhichboostsenergyinchildrenandkeepstheirbonesandnervoussystemhealthy.Inall,itisahealthylunchboxoptionforchildren.3.MasalaKhichdiChildren’sfavouritecomfortfoodandequallyfilling,masalakhichdiisawell-knownonepotrecipethattakesalmostnotimetocook.Ithasrice,dalandvegetablestofulfilthenutritionfactorandspicestocatertochildren’spalate.Thebestthingaboutkhichdiisthatitissoversatile–itcanbeeatenasthesimplevegetablekhichdi,bajrekikhichdi,sabudanekikhichdiandmoong-dalkikhichdi.Khichdiisrichinproteins,carbohydrate,dietaryfibreandpotassiumalongwithlotsofothernutrients.Itincreasesenergyandalsohelpsinactivatingthedigestiveenzymeswhichmakesiteasilydigestible.4.SouthIndianLemonRiceThisricedishpeppedupwiththetangytasteoflemonwillsurelyfillyourchild’sstomach.Itisalsoagreatwaytouseleftoverricespicingitupwithlemonjuice,spicesandpeanuts.Thoughtherearemanyvariationsofthesamedish,theSouthIndianrecipeincludesgratedcoconutandcurryleaves.Lemonriceisahealthyoptionforyourchild’slunchboxasitcontainscalories,healthyfats,carbohydrates,dietaryfibreandproteinalongwithvitamins,calciumandiron.Thetemperingalsohelpsinhighlightingthetangytasteoflemonrice.5.Maharashtrian-StylePohaLikelemonrice,pohaishighlynutritiousandcanbepreparedveryeasilyinthemornings.Cookedindifferentstylesacrossthecountry,pohaisdousedwithvegetables,peanuts,soyanuggetsandcoconutandadashoflemonjuicewhichmakeitaverysatisfyingmeal.Itispackedwithiron,preventinganaemiaandgood-qualityprotein.Itisalsoagoodsourceforcarbohydrateswhichgivesenergy.Asingleservingofpohakeepsyourchildfullformostpartoftheday,whichstopsthemfromreachingouttounhealthysnackslikechipsandrolls.Thekeytopleasingchildrenwithhealthyrecipesisre-invention.Donottrytoforcechildrentoeatwhattheydonotlike.Instead,lookforinnovativewaystofeedthem.Aschildrenneedtheirnutrition,motherscankeepexperimentingwithdifferentingredientstocombinebothhealthandtaste.Whicharethemostfavouritetiffinboxrecipesofchildren?Howtoencouragechildrentofinishtheirtiffinbox?Whicharetheeasy-to-prepareandhealthytiffinboxrecipes?Discusshere.

Do you wonder what to pack in your child’s tiffin box every day? Read on to find top 5 all time favourite recipes of children to be packed in their tiffin box.

Packing the perfect tiffin for your child is a challenging task for mothers, as they can be demanding eaters. Kids have more enhanced taste buds and it is difficult to get them to eat healthy. On the other hand, mothers try to fill as much nutrition as possible for the growth and development of their kids.

Nutritionists say that it is important to respect your child’s likes and dislikes and to include at least three food groups in the lunchbox. Children also get bored with the same kind of food everyday so mothers have to invent interesting ways to make healthy food look delicious. Here are some healthy lunchbox recipes that should help moms in this challenge.

1. Moong Dal ka Chila

Chila can be well declared the most loved breakfast after paranthas, and will look good in your child’s lunchbox as well. It is made of besan or gram flour, and looks like a pancake. Besan being filling flour, it is packed with good-quality proteins and has low calories. To make it more nutritious and tasty, you can add toppings of grated vegetables, mushrooms, paneer or tofu. Some have it with butter and crushed jaggery, but it is best plain served with green chutney and tomato chutney.

2. Upma

Upma is another favourite lunchbox recipe of Southern India and Maharashtra, made from dry roasted semolina with vegetable toppings. Nowadays, we find a number of variations of upma such as sooji upma, whole wheat upma, rice upma, corn upma and vermicelli upma. Cashewnuts, carrots, almonds, corn, grated coconuts and beans are added to some variations to make it nutritious. Upma is rich in potassium, iron and proteins which boosts energy in children and keeps their bones and nervous system healthy. In all, it is a healthy lunchbox option for children.

3. Masala Khichdi

Children’s favourite comfort food and equally filling, masala khichdi is a well-known one pot recipe that takes almost no time to cook. It has rice, dal and vegetables to fulfil the nutrition factor and spices to cater to children’s palate. The best thing about khichdi is that it is so versatile – it can be eaten as the simple vegetable khichdi, bajre ki khichdi, sabudane ki khichdi and moong-dal ki khichdi. Khichdi is rich in proteins, carbohydrate, dietary fibre and potassium along with lots of other nutrients. It increases energy and also helps in activating the digestive enzymes which makes it easily digestible.

4. South Indian Lemon Rice

This rice dish pepped up with the tangy taste of lemon will surely fill your child’s stomach. It is also a great way to use leftover rice spicing it up with lemon juice, spices and peanuts. Though there are many variations of the same dish, the South Indian recipe includes grated coconut and curry leaves. Lemon rice is a healthy option for your child’s lunchbox as it contains calories, healthy fats, carbohydrates, dietary fibre and protein along with vitamins, calcium and iron. The tempering also helps in highlighting the tangy taste of lemon rice.

5. Maharashtrian-Style Poha

Like lemon rice, poha is highly nutritious and can be prepared very easily in the mornings. Cooked in different styles across the country, poha is doused with vegetables, peanuts, soya nuggets and coconut and a dash of lemon juice which make it a very satisfying meal. It is packed with iron, preventing anaemia and good-quality protein. It is also a good source for carbohydrates which gives energy. A single serving of poha keeps your child full for most part of the day, which stops them from reaching out to unhealthy snacks like chips and rolls.

The key to pleasing children with healthy recipes is re-invention. Do not try to force children to eat what they do not like. Instead, look for innovative ways to feed them. As children need their nutrition, mothers can keep experimenting with different ingredients to combine both health and taste.

Which are the most favourite tiffin box recipes of children? How to encourage children to finish their tiffin box? Which are the easy-to-prepare and healthy tiffin box recipes? Discuss here.