How to Pack a Bento Box Lunch for Kids

How to Pack a Bento Box Lunch for Kids?

Nutrition is one of the main factors that concern the parents of a growing child. Kids at a young age not only require a well-balanced meal to grow well but also a well-thought-out meal plan for each meal they consume. Though kids in this age seek pleasure in fast foods and packaged sweets, parents must take extreme care to make sure that at least 80% of what the child eats is prepared from scratch at home. It is completely okay to indulge in cravings once in a while, but it is definitely not good for the growth of young children to feed on junk from packets and restaurants. A healthy body requires a well-regulated amount of nutrients and water every day. This food is not simply for the development of the body but is also necessary for the development of the brain. Cognitive development and mental health are directly related to gut health, especially in the case of children. Therefore, to aid your child in growing well, it is extremely necessary that you take care of his/her nutritional needs.

When it comes to nutrition, school lunches attract the primary concern of parents. This is the meal that children consume away from home and hence, it is not always freshly prepared. It also has to be very strategically prepared in time for the child to carry it to school. Now we do know those mornings are the busiest in each household. The homemaker has to prepare breakfast, prepare the child to attend school, pack lunch, and so on. The parent cannot be troubled about preparing a whole meal for the child. Therefore, considering these factors, the lunch to be packed must not be time-consuming, but must also be nutritious enough to keep the child full throughout the day.

Packing a lunch is a thoughtful project, especially for the parents of young kids in primary classes. There are a lot of factors to be considered- the food items have to be nutritious; they have to be appealing for the child to indulge in, and must be packed in a way that they remain fresh and edible for a few hours at least. If you are a weekly planner, you must be keeping track of what all nutrition you are providing your child with. Health experts advise that a child must be given appropriate amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and micronutrients to help the child grow well. It is also advised to limit the calories intake from packaged items with added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats.

While talking about packing a child’s lunch box, bento boxes have come quite popular these days. The word “bento” has its roots in Chinese and roughly translates to convenience. The box is usually divided into compartments from as simple as two to four or even five. This word has also been associated with the Japanese tradition of serving “shidashi” which means “a little bit of everything”. Now since the child has to be provided with a little bit of all nutrients, bento boxes are quite convenient in the scenario. However, it is also believed that a bento box might be convenient and appealing for the one who eats from it, but it does require quite a labor from the one who prepares. Now that we have already mentioned the necessities about why a child’s lunch must be nutritious as well as easy to prepare, it might not be very simple for the homemaker to prepare a bento box. Here are a few tips one could use on how to pack a bento box lunch for kids:

1. Plan in Advance: You could plan ahead weekly, or on the previous night, depending upon your working schedule. All you have to keep in mind is that the packing must not consume too much time in the morning, and must carry the appropriate amount of nutrients. The USDA advises parents to prepare lunch boxes for kids in the following proportions: 20% protein, 30% whole grains, 40% vegetables, and 10% fruits. You can imagine how a bento box can be so convenient when it comes to breaking down the nutrients and packaging them. You can easily pack a block of cottage cheese, fish, soya, etc., for proteins, a roti, or paratha or bread for grains, a salad for vegetables, and a few slices of the seasonal fruit. You can even go for options like sandwiches, parathas, sabzi-rotis, salads, and so on, depending upon the preparation time and the eating preferences of the child. If you want to save on time, you can prepare something for dinner the night before, that can also be packed for the child’s lunch.
2. Make Sure that the Food is Appealing: While packing the lunch, the main concern parents have is that the child might not even eat it. We have seen many occasions of children returning their lunches as it is or feeding them to other children. To tackle this, you can ensure that the food items you pack are among the favorites of the child. To keep the child from being bored of a routine lunch, pay attention to the aesthetics of the planning. Young children are very attracted to bright colors. Therefore, make sure that the lunch appears colorful with different vibrant fruits and vegetables in it. This trick is not only used to draw the child’s attention but is also quite useful to build a nutritious lunch as it is often believed that the more colorful your food looks, the more micronutrients you are consuming.
3. Keep a Track of the Nutrients: Schools are quite exhausting for young children. There is a lot of physical as well as mental exertion, besides the growth, they are experiencing. Therefore, the lunch they consume at school must not only be nutritious but must also keep children full. Researchers have found that people crave or junk more often when they are frequently functioning on empty stomachs.  A well-balanced diet, therefore, is the only way to keep children away from junk and build healthy eating habits from the start. Food groups like proteins are extremely essential for growing children as they are the building blocks of the body. They are extremely necessary for growth and healing. A good amount of protein in your meal also ensures that you will remain full for longer periods and helps you keep away from unnecessary snacking. Therefore, make sure that your child feeds on a well-balanced diet in each meal he/she consumes.

Each parent wants his/her child to grow in the best environment possible. Therefore, parents make sure that their nutrition and other growing requirements are well taken care of. Just like nutrition helps in building body and mind, education helps in building the mind and should of the individual. Parents dream about their children getting well educated and independently building a future for themselves. The Summit School is here to help children on their path towards success. This school holds a great reputation among the best CBSE schools in Kolkata. The school aims at providing individual attention and holistic development for each child that is enrolled. If you want your child to begin their educational journey in an environment where they can feel safe, secure, and confident, enroll them at The Summit School today!

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