Lunch Ideas for School

Lunch Ideas for School
Are you looking for lunch ideas for school that will provide your kid with proper nutrition? If yes, this article will give you information on healthy lunch ideas that will be loved by your kid even if he is a picky eater.Obesity has become a problem not just among adults, but also with school going children and the main culprit for this is unhealthy eating habits. As parents nowadays have a busy scheduled, they often do not have time to monitor what their kids have for lunch at school. Due to this, many children tend to indulge in fast foods like burger, pizzas, french fries, etc., on a daily basis.

Though some children receive lunch from their school, the nutritional value of these foods are quite debatable. Moreover, as the school lunch is not a favorite among children as much as the taste is concerned, it is likely that they opt for their favorite fast foods. This has become a great concern among parents because too much of fast foods is not good for the kids' health and has become a cause for many serious health ailments in children. Hence, it is important that kids eat meals that are healthy and nutritious. Read on kids lunch box ideas.

Though parents are able to watch their kid's eating habits at home i.e., during breakfast and dinner, what he/she eats at school usually go uncontrolled. This can be totally avoided by making sure that they pack a lunch for their kid. However, as nowadays almost both parents go to work, making lunch in the morning can seem to be a hassle. However, this is not as difficult as people think and can be made with proper planning. Here are some lunch ideas for school children that can be prepared easily as well as quickly. Read more on kids lunch ideas and healthy meal ideas for picky eaters.

Healthy Lunch Ideas for School Kids

As children can be very choosy about what they eat, parents usually find it difficult to feed them a nutritious meal. However, with a little bit of creativity and intelligent planning, you can actually provide your child with a healthy meal that he/she will surely love. It is also important to add variety to the lunch so your kid will look forward for having a lunch that is brought from home. If you do not have the time to cook lunch in the morning, using leftover food for your child's lunch is also a healthy idea. If you are finding it hard to think about new and innovative lunch ideas, here are some simple lunch ideas for school that you can prepare in no time. What is more interesting is that some of these lunch ideas can be easily prepared by the kids themselves. Read more on easy lunch recipes.

Sandwich with Ham and Vegetables

The good thing about sandwiches is that they can be made easily with the leftover food at home. Thought this sandwich is made with ham, if you do not have ham, you can make it with chicken or by grilling vegetables like mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and even sprouts available at home. Read more on sandwiches.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked ham, finely chopped
12 slices bread
1 teaspoon onion, grated
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Butter- as required for the bread
Directions

Take the finely chopped ham, celery and onion in a medium sized mixing bowl and combine them with mustard and mayonnaise. Mix well and set aside. Spread butter on a slice of bread and fill it with the salad mixture. Place another slice of bread over it and cut them diagonally before packing.

Bean Salad

Salads are also great lunch ideas for kids and can be made in very less time. Just like sandwich filling, even salads can be made by mixing different types of dishes found in your refrigerator like salad made with fruits, meat, vegetables, pasta, rice, etc. Read more on salads.

Ingredients
16 ounces kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1½ tablespoon while wine vinegar
2 apples, chopped
1/4 cup mild green chillies, chopped
1½ tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
Salt - as per taste
Dash of hot sauce
Directions

In a mixing bowl, mix beans, celery, chillies, green onions and apples. Add hot sauce, salt and vinegar oil to this mixture and mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour. This can also be made at night and packed for lunch on the next day to save time.

Tortilla Wrap

If your child is bored of eating sandwiches all the time, surprise him with a tortilla wrap for lunch next time. Here is a tortilla wrap recipe that your child will definitely love.

Ingredients
25 cm large flour tortilla
3 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup baby spinach leaves
3 teaspoons red onion, chopped
2 ounces cooked turkey, sliced
1 ounce Cheddar or Swiss cheese, sliced
3 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 thin slices, tomato
salt and pepper- as per taste
Directions

Combine mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl and set aside. Take a tortilla (flavored or regular) and spread this mayonnaise and cheese mixture evenly over it. Fill one third of the tortilla with turkey, sliced cheese, tomato slices, spinach and red onion. Sprinkle little salt and pepper over it and roll the tortilla tightly. Chop them into half and pack them in the lunch box.

You may like to know more on:
Healthy Chicken Recipes for Kids
Healthy Recipes
Healthy Foods
Apart from these foods, you should also encourage your child to drink milk or fruit juices during lunch hour to ensure that he/she does not indulge in carbonated drinks. These are just some of the lunch ideas for school and you can surely come up with your own ideas as well. Another important thing that one has to remember is that you should keep in mind your child's likes and preferences while packing lunch. This does not mean that you have to fulfill all his/her whims and fancies. Rather, just by adding some creativity to the foods that they like, you can come up with lunch ideas that are nourishing as well as delicious.