The summer break has come to an end, and it’s time to pack lunches again!The kids are after all spoilt with all the holiday delicacies, so why not continue the trend? With these nutritious and innovative lunch box ideas, let your kids continue their sumptuous albeit yummy meals at school.
Nutty Pumpkin Muffins
Try this healthy and wholesome recipe to earn those brownie points from your kids
Ingredients
1 ½cupsflour
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup yellow pumpkin, grated
½ cup corn
¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 small onions, chopped
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup thick curd
2 tbsp nuts, chopped
Butter – to coat the muffin cups
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease the muffin moulds (6) with oil.
- In a bowl, mix flour and baking powder, and then add pumpkin, corn, cheddar and shallots.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and yoghurt in a jug. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix well.
- Fill the muffin moulds with this mix and sprinkle the nuts on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let it cool well before you pack.
Paneer cheese and corn jigsaw sandwiches
Everyone loves sandwiches, fill them with the goodness of cheese, paneer and corn, all in one.
Ingredients
4 sliceswhole wheat bread
5 tbsp cheese, grated
¼ cup paneer, crumbled
5 tbsp sweet corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- In a bowl combine crumbled paneer, grated cheese, sweet corn, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Take one slice whole wheat bread and spread half the mixture on it and top it with another slice. Similarly make the second sandwich.
- Use jigsaw cookie cutters or a knife to cut each sandwich into a jigsaw and swap the pieces.
Sandwich Sushi
Inspired by sushi, this delicious alternative will leave your kids wanting more.
Ingredients
8 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1 tbsp butter
½ avocado, sliced
1-2 iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded
½ redcapsicum, sliced
For stuffing (veg)
1 ½ tbsp, cheese spread
½ carrot, grated
1 tbsp, raisins
For stuffing (non veg)
½ chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup, creamed corn (canned)
1 tbsp chives, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
Method
- For the vegetarian stuffing, mix the carrot, raisins and cheese spreadin a bowl.
- For the chicken and corn filling,combine chicken, corn and chives and mayonnaise in a bowl.
- Place bread on a flat surface; use a rolling pin to flatten the bread. Spread butter on one side of each bread slice.
- Spread the filling over the slices, leaving a 2cm strip along top edge. Top with avocado. Roll up and close the pocket. Cut each sandwich into 3 rounds.
- Wrap these sandwiches tightly in cling film. Refrigerate until required.
Mexican Wraps
This saucy Mexican wrap will have your kids licking their fingers.
Ingredients
1 tortilla wrap
1 ½ tbsp, cheese spread
¼ red capsicum, chopped
¼ yellow capsicum, chopped
50g paneer/chicken, grilled
2 tbsp tomato salsa
For Salsa
1tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 onion, chopped
3-4 jalapeños, chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves
1 lime, juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
For grilled paneer/chicken:
6 chicken breastsor 1 cup paneer, sliced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp lime zest
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp salt
¼ tspblack pepper powder
Method
Salsa:
- Roughly blend tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Grilled Paneer/ Chicken:
- In a bowl,mix oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, oregano, chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Marinate the chicken/paneer in this and refrigerate for an hour.
- On a non stick pan, with a few drops of oil, grill the marinated chicken/paneer till cooked for about 6-8 minutes.
Assembling the wrap:
- Spread the cheese spread on a tortilla wrap.
- Place both the colored capsicum, grilled paneer(or chicken) and the tomato salsa along the centre.
- Roll the wrap up to enclose it.
- Cut in half and serve.
Big Bite Burger
Go healthy on this junk food alternative and let your kids satiate their love for burgers.
Ingredients
For the cutlets:
1/3 cup cooked broken wheat (dalia)
2 tbsp carrots, chopped
2 tbsp Frenchbeans, chopped
2 tbsp sweet corn
2 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 slice of whole wheat bread
½ tsp green chilies, chopped
¼ tspblack pepper powder
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
For the burger:
6 bread buns
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
12 lettuce leaves
2 onions, sliced
2 green cucumbers, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
6 cheese slices
Method
For the cutlets:
- Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
- Make 6 even sized cutlets.
- In a pan, take oil and cook the cutlets till they are golden brown.
For the burger:
- Toast the cut buns lightly on a griddle.
- On the lower half of each bun spread tomato ketchup and place 2 lettuce leaves over it.
- Place the onion, cucumber and tomato slices with some seasoning of salt over it.
- Finally a slice of cheese and a cutlet and close the burger with the bun.