Snack Recipes For Lunch Boxes

by Chetan Chopra Interested in Healthy Food

Every parent who packs lunch for their kids, knows that it is difficult to pack a nutritious lunch box that actually comes home empty at the end of the day. In an ideal world, parents would not have to worry about striking a balance between taste and health when it comes to their kids. Unfortunately, with the growing predominance of lifestyle conditions such as obesity, lethargy and juvenile diabetes in children, parents find themselves trying various means to safeguard their kids. Hence, constantly struggle to find a mid-path to the perfect lunch box that would keep their children’s energy levels up.

 

While most schools these days have cafeteria serving exciting food items, they cannot be categorised as healthy food for kids. These food items are usually filled with sugars, salt and empty calories, too much of which cannot be good for anyone.

 

Hence, to ease the pressure of finding that perfect balance, we bring to you some easy snack recipes which are both tasty and healthy, for your children:

 

Badam & Anjeer Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

·       Spinach baby leaves – 3 cups

·       Almonds (blanched& peeled) – ½ cup

·       Anjeer (dry) – 8 nos

·       Tomato diced – 1 cup

·       Watermelon diced – 1 cup

·       Onions thinly sliced – ½ cup

 

For dressing

·       Olive oil – 4tbl spn

·       Tamarind paste – 2 tblspn

·       Salt – ½ tsp

·       Black salt – ½ tsp

·       Ginger powder – ½ tsp

·       Jeera bhunna – 2 tsp

·       Red chilly pwd – ½ tsp

 

Preparation

·       Soak anjeer overnight in water. Drain the water and cut into quarters. Mix anjeer with the rest of the veggies, fruits and sliced almonds.

·       For the dressing mix all the ingredients and whisk it. Pour over the salad and toss it. Serve immediately

 

For nutrition information of the above recipe, click here.

 

Badam ki Nan Khatai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Butter (unsalted) – 250gms

Powdered sugar – 250 gms

Maida – 250gms

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Almonds (finely chopped) – 100gms

Cardamom pwd – ½ tsp

 

Preparation 

·       Soften the butter and mix with the sugar. Mix vigorously and then gently fold in the maida, baking powder and cardamom powder.

·       Now fold in the chopped almonds. Work it to a dough. Now grease a baking tray and sprinkle some maida. On this tray make equal sized round balls of the dough.

·       Bake the nan khatai at a temp of 140c for 20-25mins. Take out of the oven. Allow to cool and store in an air tight jar.

 

For nutrition information of the above recipe, click here.

 

 

Roasted Almond dip with Baked Namakpara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Ingredients for Almond Dip:

·       Almonds roasted & crushed –1/2 cup

·       Tomato chopped - 1 cup

·       Garlic cloves – 2 no

·       Sprig Basil – 1 no

·       Lemon –1/2 no

·       Salt –1/2tsp

·       Pepper –1/2tsp

 

Ingredients for Namak Para:

·       Refined flour - 250 g

·       Sugar - 10 g

·       Salt - 1 tsp

·       Olive oil - 20 ml

·       Water – 150 ml

 

Preparation

Method for the dip:

·       For the dip, place the tomatoes in a bowl

·       Crush and then chop the garlic, add to the tomatoes

·       Finely chop the basil sprig and add to tomatoes with rest of the ingredients

·       Refrigerate for a while

 

Method for the Namak Para:

·       Prepare dough with the above ingredients

·       Give it a rest for 10 minutes

·       Now roll out very thin sheet and bake it in a pre- heated oven at 200c for 10-12 minutes

·       Remove and break into pieces. Serve with the almond dip

 

For nutrition information of the recipe, click here.

 

Almond, Oranges and Roast Pumpkin salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

·       Pumpkin – 50 g

·       Fresh Orange – 50 g

·       Mixed Lettuce – 200 g

·       Almond Flakes – 50 g

·       Olive oil – 25 g

·       Honey – 10 g

·       Mustard – 10 g