School meals should be healthy and wholesome as kids spend most of the time in school. They need good nutrition for all the physical and mental work. As parents, we try to make sure that our kids eat healthily but it is tricky as half of the time kids either don’t like what we give or bring it back from school.

School age children( between 5- 12 years) need good nutrition as this is their growing phase. You are going to see a change in their eating preferences once they start school.  Many factors like peer pressure and the exposure to junk food change their preferences.

It is also important to make the school meals and snacks interesting.  Do you think you can enjoy the same sandwich or the same paratha and vegetables every day? Why not make it fun for kids?

Keep these points in mind-

  1. Make it healthy and yummy,
  2. Try making it interesting by giving variety.
  3. The trick is to make changes by using the same ingredients in different ways.
  4. It’s ok to give a piece of cake or sweets once in a while.
  5. Remember quality matters over quantity. Don’t over fill the boxes.

Healthy poha recipe-

Poha

Dietician mom’s tips– Poha is in itself a very healthy recipe especially when you add a good amount of vegetables and peanuts in it. Poha is gluten free, rich in vitamins like Vitamin B and minerals like iron. As it is rich in carbohydrates, it keeps you full for longer periods of time.

As always, my lunch box and snack box is not complete without a fruit for kids. This time I added peach slices in the snack box.

Healthy twist- I add my magic ingredient oats to it to make it healthier.

Healthy Poha Recipe for Kids Snack Box
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
It is a very common recipe for breakfast in Indian homes. It is my favorite and a regular in my kid's snack boxes too. Poha is made with flattened rice so a good source of carbohydrates, peanuts give the protein content and the veggies make up for vitamins and minerals. A perfect combination of healthy and yummy, isn’t it?
Ingredients
  • 1 cup poha
  • 2 medium size onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp oats (Roasted)
  • 2-3 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • Salt as per taste
  • Curry leaves – few.
  • Coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing.
Instructions
  1. Wash the poha properly and keep it aside.
  2. Take a pan and add oil.
  3. Fry peanuts for some time and take them out. You can also dry roast the peanuts.
  4. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chillies.
  5. Add onions and fry for two to three minutes until the onions are transparent.
  6. Now add chopped potatoes and cook for some time.
  7. Add salt and turmeric powder. Give it a stir and add the poha and oats mixture. Mix everything nicely.
  8. Add roasted peanuts. Mix further.
  9. Add lemon juice and mix properly.
  10. Add coriander leaves.
  11. Serve hot.
Notes
Oats can be added in different forms. You can use powdered oats also just to give it a healthy twist. I added potatoes and onions but you can use different vegetables like peas, carrots, and capsicum too.

In Nutrition niche, I not only share recipes with a healthy twist but also some tips as a dietitian mom. See previous week’s recipes- 

Mango Mania for kids

Yummy and healthy burritos

Oats dosa with coconut chutney 

Bread Rolls

Paneer rolls

Pizza Sandwich

Red Sauce Pasta

Chicken Quesadilla

Oats pancakes

White sauce pasta

 

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