Five easy & nice toddler lunch box ideas.

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with design or interiors, but my daughter just completed her nursery and I realised how fast did this one year go. I still remember her first day at school, which is when this picture was taken. We all were very happy, except for little Mr. Butters, the poodle. He protested by not coming inside the kitchen. 

I know a lot of moms who are starting this new phase of sending their kids to school for the first time, and I thought that sharing some easy and fun lunchbox ideas would be nice. 

First off, the lunch box. I chose Lunchbots because I try to avoid as much plastic as I can. Somehow the idea of a permanent lunch box made of stainless steel just appealed to me. And who can deny that neon glazed colours come out really well on metal. That's a lesson in design. 

And now, off to the lunches. Luckily for us, Sayuri's school gets over at 12 noon, so I figured that a small healthy meal would keep her going till lunch time at home. 

Sandwiches - We all grew up on them. And I'm yet to meet a single person who can deny a good grilled cheese sandwich. I make sure to add a lot of coloured peppers just for fun and the antioxidants. 

Paratha - Oh what a treat to open your lunch box and find the goodness of a delectable paratha. My daughter loves it cut like a pizza, no points for guessing why. 

Chillas/Crepes - Of course us as moms can't deny the fact that we want to push healthy proteins whenever we can. It's a brilliant idea to have them develop their taste for besan/moong dal crepes. I try to make them cute & bite sized with any veggie toppings. I make sure to put enough extras for her friends. 

Pasta - I have no clue why kids love pasta so much. Well, I love it too. You just have to avoid the sauce ones. So your best bets are Pasta aglio olio without the pepper. You can experiment with as many vegetables as your kid likes. Bite sized sausages is a very good idea as well. 

Skewers - this is somehow a huge hit with my daughter and her whole class. Just keep my fingers crossed that none of these tooth picks will end up in anyone's eyes. And voila! I give her cheese, paneer, tofu & at times potato with pepper & olives. As you can tell, my daughter can't get enough of peppers in all colours. 

Other cool options are chickpea salad, and on days when you don't feel like cooking - a home made cake slice. It works wonderfully well if you can ask your help to prep a night before by keeping chopped vegetables and batter for crepes ready if needed. For drinks, I shuttle between water and fresh coconut water. 

Of course it's a great idea to give them a tiny serving of fruit with the "main course" tiffin d'jour. And if you could have savouries like chocolate eclair waiting for them every once in a while, you suddenly become the best mommie in the world. And why not.