A human needs nutrition at all ages. One of the most crucial ages, when nutrition is very important, is a person’s childhood. The human body grows the most when it is in the child phase. Children have growing brains and bodies for which they need consistent nutrition. Malnutrition is very common in children who do not have the right eating habits or lack access to proper food resources.
Every child has a right to nourishment through a balanced diet. Parents should always take care of a child’s diet so that he has access to proper nutrition at all times. Unfortunately, not every child is lucky to access proper food and nutrition at all times. Children are born into differing economic and domestic conditions, which mean that the nutrition level in children varies. Not every parent is fully equipped to provide for his child’s basic necessities.
Such social conditions, however, lead to malnutrition in children. Malnutrition is a serious concern among the next generation of humanity. If our next generation continues to struggle under a cloud of malnutrition, our future is unsafe. Therefore, the responsibility of nutrition and nourishment falls on the institutions in society. As an institution, schools play an important role n teaching and nurturing children. A child spends the majority of his daily routine in school.
The schools can also play a major role in the kids’ nutrition. Schools can fortify the lunch they provide so that every kid gets the right amount of nutrition. By providing wholesome school lunches, schools can ensure that the nutrition gap in children fills up. School lunches are a huge part of a child’s diet. What children eat in their school lunch determines how well they study and learn. Food plays a crucial role in the overall development and physical ability of a kid.
Many governments have made a rule that the schools have to provide healthy lunches to their students free of cost. On the other hand, some schools provide healthy and consistent lunches at low cost to children. Therefore, school lunches are pivotal in keeping the children well fed. There is a conscious effort to make school lunches more nutritious and healthy for kids.
If you are looking at school lunch recipes to infuse more health and nutrients into them, here’s a list of recipes you must place in the new menu -
Chicken Taco Salad - Who does not like a good chicken taco? Children love eating tacos. When you combine the idea of a chicken taco and salad together, Chicken Taco Salad is born. If you want the students to eat more greens but do not want to make it boring for them, Chicken Taco Salad is the perfect recipe for it. The recipe has a balanced amount of greens, herbs, meat, and carbohydrates. Thus, it can be a full, balanced meal for kids. A chicken taco salad is highly filling and also nutritious. Creating a chicken taco salad is very easy because you toss everything together and put in some delicious dressing to top it off.
Pitta Pockets - Sandwiches as school lunches are easy to make and eat. However, not all bread has good carbohydrates in them. Schools are searching for better alternatives to sandwiches. Moreover, the new Pitta pockets are the perfect alternative to old-school sandwiches. Pitta is a low-fat option for sandwiches and is healthier. Pitta pockets filled with grilled meat and stir-fried vegetables are very healthy for kids. Pitta pockets are very easy to carry and are refreshing to taste. Pair some good pitta pockets with some healthy finger food or nuts to up the nutrition quotient for your kids.
Peanut hummus with fruit and veggie sticks - Are the kids shying away from eating their vegetables and fruits? Are you searching for an interesting recipe so that the kids eat veggies and fruits without a fuss? Fruits and vegetables can be tasty if the recipe is right. You just have to find the right way to present fruits and vegetables to the students. Veggie and fruit sticks paired with peanut hummus are a great way to include vegetables in the lunch menu. Veggie and fruit sticks are easy to eat, colorful, and taste great with hummus. The nutty dip is easy to make and packed with healthy fats and nutrients. Hummus is not just for adults; kids can also eat them.
Chicken Carrot and Avocado rolls - By now, all of us know that avocado is packed with nutrients. Avocado is a popular ingredient in different recipes, especially breakfast recipes. When avocado is paired with chicken and carrots, the recipe is protein and vitamin-packed. Chicken, Carrot, and Avocado rolls are the perfect combination of fats, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates to include in a lunch menu. Kids will find it easy to eat this roll and love the taste of it. The rolls are fuss-free but filling, the way a school lunch should be.
Green bean and penne salad - Kids do not like to eat green beans. But, they love to eat pasta. The key to making a successful school lunch is to create recipes that are half fun and fully nutritious. Combining fun elements like pasta with greens is a classic way of helping kids eat healthily. Some creamy pasta with green beans is flavorful and packed with nutrients. Pasta salads are great for hunger and taste. Moreover, they are packed with the right nutrients in a balanced manner.
PB and J Apples - A balanced lunch menu always has dessert because kids love dessert. Dessert does not need to be packed with sugars. Using fruits in a dessert makes desserts delicious and nutritious. Apples baked with peanut butter and jelly make the dessert tasty.
These recipes are easy to make and very tasty for kids. Apart from these, there are many other recipes that kids will love to eat. Making school lunches fun and packed with good nutrients is a step towards better kid’s health and growth. Schools can play a responsible role in promoting healthy eating habits through school lunches.
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Neelam Dimri
Neelam Dimri is an ESL teacher with over 7 years of experience in writing articles on her favorite topics - food and health. In her free time, she loves trying out new recipes, reading, listening to music, and walking in nature.
