Four Lunchbox Friendly Salad Recipes (1)

As mentioned in my 'About Me' section on this blog as well, it is hard for me to claim to be much skillful around the house, especially in the kitchen. However, luckily, most healthy foods don't require a lot of cooking or baking and I am not going to complain about it at all. As a family, healthy lifestyle is important to us and we try to educate our children accordingly as well. Our children have always been introduced to healthy options whenever and wherever possible and that is what they appreciate most of the time. Especially raw foods are an important part of their diet.

Our son started Prep this year and therefore, we too are on the same boat as many other parents who try to offer variety of foods for their children's lunchboxes on a daily basis. Let me tell you that it is NOT easy if you have not experienced it for yourself yet. The good news, however, is that with the invention of the internet and particularly social media, there are online recipes everywhere. You are the best person to know your child's habits and needs and you can easily find the best options that would work for you and your child, if needed, with some adjustments in recipes.

In our case, our son often brings some sort of a sandwich for lunch but also has some salad as a main or to go with his sandwich as well. He brings some snacks too but I may be able to share some ideas on snacks at another date. Today, it is about salads.

There are four recipes below but be ready for more to come later on as well, as it is only a matter of finding the time to photograph his salads when made freshly in the mornings. Again, that too is not always the easiest task to do. That is why, for the moment, I will only be sharing what I have been able to photograph so far.

SPINACH SALAD

Ingredients:
- Baby spinach leaves
- Fresh cherry tomatoes in a few colours
- Fetta cheese cubes
- Nigella seeds

PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:
- Cooked pasta
- Blanched green beans
- Blanched broccoli
- Raw red capsicum

TOMATO SALAD

Ingredients:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Chunky lettuce leaves
- Red capsicum
- Carrots
- Sunflower seeds

SORREL SALAD

Ingredients:
- Some fresh sorrel leaves (They are hard to find at stores but I have them in my garden. If you can't find them, you can substitute them with any of your favourite salad leaves).
- Carrots
- Cherry tomatoes in a few colours
- Avocado slices
- Cranberries
- Linseed

Note: I do not use seasoning for my son's salads at school. However, you can easily add your choice of seasoning if preferred. 

Enjoy something fresh today!

Lunchbox Friendly Vegetarian Koftas

Remember my post on 'red lentil koftas' from last year? (Click here for the recipe) Here is a slightly more attractive presentation of them for kids.

The inspiration simply came from my love for my son. One school day, he asked for something special (as he often does). I know he normally enjoys red lentil koftas, which I learned how to make last year and have been making some at times ever since. It was during a really hot week and I thought the red lentil koftas would be just perfect. I simply made the mix the night before and left them in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, made small koftas with them, wrapped them around with some fresh juicy, crispy lettuce and voila! When he came home, there was no sign of any leftovers. He surely loved his lunch.

Have a very happy day!