14 Mar Lunch Box Recipes for Indian Kids

In the fast-paced life of today, your primary challenge as a Mom is
“What should I pack in my child’s lunchbox?”
And not for a day, but it’s every morning struggle!
Because you can’t just pack anything in the lunchbox.  Tiffin recipes for kids should be:
· Nutritious
· Easy to prepare
· Capable to stay fresh for long
Even if you are the Master Chef of your family, it’s easy to run out of ideas with your child’s lunch box.

Here are the 10 easy, quick, and vegetarian Indian lunch box recipes for 3-year-old to 6-year-old kids.

1. Moong Dal Chilla/Rava Chilla

Moong Dal/Rava Chilla is a good way to introduce good quality proteins in your child’s meal. Easy on the digestive system, you can cook it with less hassle in the morning.

You can add capsicum, onion, and carrot to give that extra touch of nutrition and taste. Top it with mushrooms, paneer or tofu to make it more exciting for the kids.

2. Upma

A staple diet of Southern India, it will keep your kids full till they get back home from their school.

You can try various varieties like Semolina/rava Upma, Quinoa upma, or Soya Upma.
Quinoa is rich in fibre, gluten-free, and with a low glycaemic index. It’s a great substitute if your child doesn’t like oats.

Upma prepared from Soy chunks provides your child with the amount of protein necessary to stay active in school.

It won’t consume much of your time in the morning. It’s one of the 5-minutes lunch box recipes to pack for your child.

However, be cautious. Don’t pack immediately after cooking. Let it cool down for a few minutes before packing it in the lunchbox.

3. Bread Poha

Chunks of bread mixed with green peas, carrot, and light masala makes up for the wholesome tiffin meal. Easy and quick to whip up in the morning, it won’t make you cringe and worry whether your child will finish his lunchbox or not.

4. Lentil and Mushroom burgers

Do burgers sound like a junk food?

Well, they need not be! You can make delicious patties with lentils and mushrooms placed between whole wheat buns.

Why not give the kids the meal of their choice on any day and yet keep it healthy? These burgers can be prepared easily at home and are packed with all the required nutrients, yet tasty!

5. Pasta salad with broccoli and baby corn

Pasta, if eaten occasionally is not bad. Whip up pasta and veggies together and see how your kids get hooked to this tasty lunch box recipe. Adding bright and colourful veggies to the pasta will make your kids want more. It’s a nice and easy way to introduce veggies in your kid’s routine, who generally make faces on seeing them. It is also one of the effective ways to maintain a balanced weight in young kids. 

You can also dress it up with some herbs and a dollop of fresh cream to make it irresistible!

6. Rice and Soya Paratha

Aloo/Gobhi paratha can get monotonous for the kid’s lunch box recipes. Why not try something new?

“Rice and Soya Paratha” provides simple proteins and the muscular strength your kids need for the sports activities in the school, but without making them feel full and lethargic.

7. Poha Cutlet

The competitive life of today places an undue pressure on the kids under which they get smashed sometimes.

Make them ready to face the challenges of life with good nutrition. Poha cutlet is one such nutrient-dense recipe that provides the required energy, fat, proteins, iron, and Vitamin A to your child.

Image source: hebbbarskitchen.com

8. Sesame Soya Tikki

Kids love something fried in their lunchbox, at least once a week. But, a simple bread pakora/potato tikki sounds boring each time.

Image source: tarladalal.com

So, bring freshness to your menu with Sesame Soya Tikki. Protein-rich soya with calcium-rich sesame gives kids the crunchy meal they desire with considerable nutrition.

9. Broccoli fritters

Broccoli fritters are prepared by dipping broccoli pieces in the maida batter and frying them. They provide your child the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals along with the anti-oxidants.

Plus, it’s a fun and tasty way to feed greens to your child.

10. Sprout Sandwich

Sandwiches are everyone’s all-time favourite. Quick to prepare, they take little of your energy and time.

However, you can give a healthy and interesting twist to those boring simple sandwiches with this tangy sprout sandwich. Also, a good option if you have leftover sprouts from the previous day snacks.

Image source: indianhealthyrecipes.com

Eggs and meat are a good source of proteins, but packing an egg/meat recipe in the lunchbox is not always favourable. Such recipes rarely stay fresh for long and can get spoiled. That’s the time when sprouts come in handy to provide the requisite amount of proteins to your child.

Kids get tempted to eat and finish their lunchbox when it’s not monotonous. So, break your stereotypes, and try these new and easy lunch box recipes for your kid.