A collection of Indian Recipes for School Lunch

Aug 102010

There has always been confusion and uncertainty around what to prepare for a standard School Lunch. As a kid I remember taking bread, paratha or even cakes to lunch. Looking back at the recipes I have already posted and also recollecting the days when I used to take lunch to school, I am creating this short collection of possible School Lunch Indian Recipes here. This list will be an ongoing one. I will keep adding to this list as and when I come across similar useful recipes for School Lunch.

Also feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment section below.

1. Aloo ka paratha with coriander chutney is good option for School Lunch as it is not only heavy and will keep the stomach full for long, but also relatively healthy. You can add coriander chutney or even normal pickles with it. This school lunch recipe takes only 20mins to prepare.

2. Hakka chowmein (egg) is a perfect fast food item that your kid (and his/her friends at school) will simply love to have during the lunch. Of course you can prepare the Egg Hakka Chowmein in a slightly healthier way, for e.g., limiting the quantity of oil and spices used. You can pre-mix the chowmein with sufficient tomato ketchup so that it doesn’t dry up till the lunch bell rings. It takes about 25-30mins to prepare Egg Hakka Chowmein.

3. French Toast is a great quick preparation item that tastes delicious and loved by kids in general. Since this is a pure fried recipe, I would recommend using less quantity of oil when frying and also putting the fried french toast on a tissue paper to soak extra oil. You can also add tomato ketchup to this school lunch item. It just takes 15mins to prepare this item.

4. If you have left over rice, do not worry, just refrigerate it for the next day school lunch preparation. This left over rice can be converted into a delicious vegetable pulao. This is a healthy option as it has lots of vegetables in it. I would recommend very less oil to fry them to keep the item even healthier for the kids. Since this dish needs some vegetable chopping, it takes about 30mins for preparation.

5. Sattu ka Paratha is similar to aloo ka paratha but filled with sattu stuffing instead of aloo. This item is even heavier than aloo ka paratha and lasts longer in the stomach. Of course sattu is healthier option than aloo (potato). Put this menu for school lunch in between lighter dishes or on days when your kids needs some extra boost of energy. It takes about 25mins to prepare Sattu ka paratha.

6. Upma is a quick and easy recipe to prepare for school lunch when you are in a hurry. This is a healthy one too. Prepare this recipe as an alternative to heavy flour/atta/rice school lunch recipes. Also this is a “hands-free” school lunch item as the kids can completely finish this item using spoon (no hands necessary). And it just takes 20mins to prepare Upma.

7. Khasta Kachori with coriander chutney or pickle is less “messy” option for kids. This dish is quite heavy too. Also the size of the Khasta Kachori is relatively smaller, hence easy to hold and finish quickly (loved by kids). It takes about 30mins to prepare this recipe