Kid's Lunch-Box -I

I am sure many of you like me also struggle in early morning ,to fix the daily lunch-box. In this post I have tried to share some tips and ideas that I generally follow ,to include in my daughter's lunch-box who is a toddler.
Arranging and preparing your kid’s lunch-box,I do think this is the most elaborate topic, it's difficult to choose and give in healthy nutritional supplements in tiffin when our kid's dont give us much options.I know it's pretty tempting for them to munch potato chips and kurkure but that is not what we want them to have ,right.
So we can give home-made potato fries instead of chips or store brought french fries , a much better option than those highly salted, saturated and preservative added stuff.
Like this ,here I have written about some easy and quick-fix tiffin ideas .Hope it helps you out to some extent.

This recipe goes to Monthly Mingle , this month's theme is Kid's lunch hosted by Srivalli , visit here for more details - Kid's lunch at cooking for all season
The event is the brainchild of Meeta of What's For lunch Honey , visit Here for complete details of the event.
Now to the recipe of Aloo Bhaja and Porotha

1 cup of whole wheat flour
Pinch of salt
2-3 medium size potato for potato fry
Oil to fry the potatoes
Method
Cut the potatoes into 1 inch long pieces and marinate them in turmeric powder and salt.
Meanwhile knead the dough for paratha making (you may knead the dough in night and store in refrigerator and make paratha in morning)
Roll them to rounds and with small katoris/bowls cut them to small rounds or you may use any of your cookie cutters to make different shapes.
Now after sometime ,little water will be coming out from potatoes , drain out the water and deep fry them in hot deep bottomed pan with little bit of oil.
Take out and cool.

Arranging your kid’s lunch-box.
I do think this is the most elaborate topic, how to prepare and fix kid’s lunch box.
To me I try to make things as per my daughter’s wish (that doesn’t mean I end up giving her potato chips or kurkure or things like that which we call junk food, which is every kid’s fantasy)
I pack her lunch –box in front of her, keep asking her what she wants to have.
Usually I give her three choices and ask her to pick one among these.That chosing gives her immense satisfaction makes her feel like grown up.
While packing lunch-box for toddlers it’s essential to understand, that they are small, so they need things which can be bite-size or they can hold on while eating like a roll.

Carbohydrate -Vitamins - Roll Recipes can be varied, I would like to draw attention towards rolls made in Indian way not the usual stuff like rolling in mayo or peanut butter, but then these are available now in India also and one can assemble these in lunch-box also .The stuffing can be any subzi much more healthy option than mayo or peanut butter .like a cauliflower-potato subzi, Recipe Link (with less spices), or Bhindi/okhra fry or even chole chaat ,Recipe Link .

Fruits -I also chop some apples /cucumber (bite size) and try to include in her lunch-box. Bananas Make the tiffin messy so avoid it , even they dont want to eat oxidised fruit pieces which turns little black due to this.Sprinkle some sugar and lemon juice over chopped pieces of fruits , it remains very much fresh and enhances the taste.
Cake pieces and wafers can also be given once in a while, that breaks the monotomy of daily lunch box.

Cereals-Flavored corn flakes can also be given; it can be a wonderful substitute for potato chips. I am sure your kid will love munching them. Spread some butter over high fiber biscuits like 7 grain biscuits and include it ,in your kid's lunch box.
There are innumerable varieties of corn flakes available out there like mango, honey almonds,bananas and of various shapes also; my little one is fond of having mango flavored corn flakes.
Minerals and Vitamins -Some dry nuts like cashews or walnuts can also be included .It will be great if the cashews are fried and salted.It will be even nice if you try making it at home .Just fry them in some oil at low and sprinkle salt over it.Store in air tight container, it stays fresh for 2-3 weeks.Include them as your kid wish to.
I will update more in next post with a home-made jam recipe, a perfect as a spread over toasted whole wheat Bread for toddlers.

Menwhile do drop in your two cents regarding this topic and it will be great to know how you fix your kid's lunch box.

Happy Cooking Friends