WITH children of all ages now fully back in school, the dilemma of what to prepare for their lunch boxes will surely hit parents again.
A well balanced nutritious meal helps a child stay focused in class and avoid distracting hunger pangs, and do pay attention to the ingredients you use for your child's meals.
Organic produce which is free of harmful chemicals from pesticides is best for young children as research suggests that even low levels of pesticide exposure in an extended period can affect young children's neurological and behavioural development.
Here are some tips from Alce Nero on how to make simple but creative and healthy lunch boxes for your child.
Start with a base that kids love
The majority of children love pasta. Pastas can be prepared in numerous ways to suit your child's preference. Savoury, sweet, spicy and even air-fried as a healthy bento box snack.
Prep ahead, leftovers included
Cook up a larger than required dinner, so that there will be enough to pack for next day's lunch. Fill the bento boxes before serving dinner, then refrigerate. In the morning, add sauce to pasta and microwave and then add fresh fruit; carrot, cucumber or celery sticks and some cherry tomatoes. Use cupcake cases or lettuce leaves as separators in your bento box.
Cuteness encourages appetite
Picky eaters can be encouraged to eat just a little bit more with cute food. Alce Nero's Organic Kids Pasta for example, comes in the shape of alphabets, vehicles and sports equipment and is visually pleasing.
The pasta also includes dehydrated organic spinach for green shapes and dehydrated organic tomato for its orangey red shapes. Depending on your child's interest they will love playing with and eating their favourite pasta shapes.
Why not personalise their bento box lunch by spelling their name using alphabet pasta? The young and the young at heart will both love this little touch.
Make it saucy
Kids love pasta with tomato sauce in their bento boxes. Prepare Alce Nero Organic Kids' Pasta according to the instructions and at the same time, warm up Alce Nero Pasta Tomato Sauce in a pan. Depending on your child's tolerance for organic vegetables and proteins, add what they like, then combine the pasta with the pasta sauce. Grate some cheese over this and it's ready.
Get Creative
Have you tried making dessert pasta salad? Cook up a serving of Alce Nero Organic Fun Shapes pasta and toss it with Alce Nero organic honey flaked almonds or other nuts, raisins or dried cranberries, sweetcorn kernels and some diced cucumber or celery. Top with cherry tomatoes or strawberries. Add a creatively sliced boiled egg on the side and you have a balanced, colourful, cute and tasty bento box.
Portion control and nutritional balance
Children tend to eat smaller meals than adults, but their meals need to be well balanced. The Malaysian Healthy Plate by the Ministry of Health recommends that a meal should be half vegetables and fruits, a quarter of protein and a quarter of carbohydrates. An easy way to portion kids' meals is to get a well-proportioned bento box, and not overfill the compartments.
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