Packing Healthy Plant-Based Lunches For Your Kindergarten Child

There are multiple reasons you might choose to opt for a plant-based diet, but there ought to be a focus on making sure your child eats the right vegetables and grains to gain the right amount of nutrition. Raising children on a plant-based diet can be challenging since kids can get bored soon with one type of diet. So, when it comes to thinking of what healthy food to pack for lunch for the little one at home, it is imperative that you don the creative hat.

Tips to overcome the challenge of packing lunch for your child

• Plan ahead for the whole week
• Presentation helps too, so stock up on fun lunchboxes, colorful paper napkins, a variety of tubs, and cookie cutters for cutting sandwiches into interesting shapes.
• Go for lunchboxes with different compartments. Many boxes come with a variety of side compartments for side dips.
• Create each lunchbox around a main, a snack, fruit and veg. The snack can be healthy too. For the snacks think breadsticks, banana bread or vegetarian cookie.
• Include fruits and vegetables, cut them into sticks or bite-sized pieces.
• Cook extra pasta, vegan sausages or pizza when you make the evening meal to add to their lunchbox and save yourself some time in the morning.

Child-friendly healthy lunch ideas for kindergarten

Whole-wheat noodles: Not only are these a healthy alternative over traditional noodles, this recipe packs a punch when it comes to nutrition as well. Made from wholewheat spaghetti, it can be combined with vegetables, nuts, coriander, and sesame seeds.

Tasty tofu wrap: Made up of stir-fried tofu and bell paper wrapped in tortilla or whole wheat bread, these wraps are healthy and nourishing.

Peanut butter sandwich: Peanut butter is a delicious alternative to the dairy butter. It can be combined with cut cucumbers, tomatoes, and boiled potatoes to increase the nutrient value of the sandwiches.

Banana pancake: These can be made with bananas, whole wheat, and maple syrup, and topped up with almonds and cashews.

Cashew cream pasta: Grind some cashews into a rich cream, and pair it with some cooked pasta. Voila! You have an easy, creamy, indulgent, yet healthy pasta recipe! And which kid does not like creamy pasta? Add some cut veggies and you have got a healthy meal.

Easy vegan tacos: These tacos are made with only pantry ingredients, but if you have extras like fresh cilantro, vegan cheese, or ingredients to make fresh salsa, feel free to jazz them up!

Peanut-butter banana oatmeal: They are easy, budget-friendly and delicious. While peanut butter packs in the proteins, there are loads of micronutrients in bananas, and lots of fibres in oatmeal.

Vegetable cutlet: Vegetables mashed with potatoes and shallow-fried or baked can be made in the shape of cutlets. Other vegetables can also be added to change the colour of the cutlets, such as grated beet roots, or pureed spinach.

Packing lunch boxes and getting kids to eat them can be a stressful affair. However, a little creativity and variety can go a long way to inculcating healthy eating in kids.