Meal Plan & Lunch Box Ideas

This week, the Weekly Meal Planning has recipes and menu ideas from Bhindi Kadhi, Cheesy Pasta Casserole, Banana Oat Smoothie, Kulchas and more. I hope you find this meal plan useful and let us know how you managed your week.Most of these recipes serve 4 to 5 people — we are a family of 2 adults, 2 pre teen boys and a house help. And with all the cooking, we very rarely have leftovers. If you have a larger family, you might want to consider making a larger quantity or if you have a smaller family then you can half it.

This weeks recipes of Weekly Meal Planning for the summers is here.I hope you find this meal plan useful and let us know how you managed your week. Most of these recipes serve 4 to 5 people — we are a family of 2 adults, 2 pre teen boys and a house help. And with all the cooking, we very rarely have leftovers. If you have a larger family, you might want to consider making a larger quantity or if you have a smaller family then you can half it.

Into another week of what started of as the Summer Meal Planning, has been super successful and stress week. So this week's meal and menu planning has a few new dishes.I hope you find this meal plan useful and let us know how you managed your week. Most of these recipes serve 4 to 5 people — we are a family of 2 adults, 2 pre teen boys and a house help. And with all the cooking, we very rarely have leftovers. If you have a larger family, you might want to consider making a larger quantity or if you have a smaller family then you can half it.

Weekly Meal Planning Ideas have become a regular at my home now. When I plan my meals, I try to break monotony from one particular cuisine, at the same time make sure that there is a balance of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. At the same time, I try to make sure I use a certain amount of good cooking techniques and not compromise on the taste and health. Most of these recipes serve 4 to 5 people — we are a family of 2 adults, 2 pre teen boys and a house help. And with all the cooking, we very rarely have leftovers. If you have a larger family, you might want to consider making a larger quantity or if you have a smaller family then you can half it.

With the Summer heat catching up, planning what goes into the main meals of the the day has become all the more important for me. I started the #SummerMealPlanning hashtag on Instagram and it took off so well; not only for me but I found many found this planner very useful. So here I am in my first planner for Archana's Kitchen, sharing it with you, to make your lives easier too. This weeks menu are recipes already on Archana's Kitchen that are being tried and tested many times over to give you the perfect recipe. Most of these recipes serve 4 to 5 people — we are a family of 2 adults, 2 pre teen boys and a house help. And with all the cooking, we very rarely have leftovers. If you have a larger family, you might want to consider making a larger quantity or if you have a smaller family then you can half it.

A Weekly Meal Plan where you will find breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas like Methi Matar Malai, Raw Mango Rice, Pad Thai, Cold Soups, Salads and more. Let us know how you managed your week. Most of these recipes serve 3 to 4 people. If you have a larger family, you might want to consider making a larger quantity or if you have a smaller family then you can half it.

Kids School Lunchbox Ideas - Healthy Penne Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin sauce makes great saucy and creamy lunch box for children and even adults. I have used a Durum Wheat Pasta and the addition of the creamy pumpkin sauce adds to the nutrition for their lunches. The addition of stir fried broccoli in the pasta, gives them the added nutrients and fiber needed for their growth and development. 

The Dal Makhani & Paratha combo is a favorite with the kids and they simply love to dip the parathas into the creamy dal. I most often also pack the box with some plain yogurt or curd rice to make the meal complete and making their lunch box filling and nutritious. I most often make the dal the previous evening and the dough for the paratha is also kept ready. In the morning, I just pack in the dal and make the paratha fresh to pack into the lunch box.

School Lunch Box Ideas and Recipes: The Pav Bhaji is one a great dosh when cooked right, has all the goodness of vegetables and the pav buns add to the carbohydrates giving the required energy to sit through the classes and the day. I like to pack such dishes along with some comfort food like curd rice as this helps them to digest the pav bhaji and gives them the yogurt protein as well. 

Note: When making the Pav Bhaji for children, I make is less spicy, so that children are able to have it with ease at school. Pack small portions so children don't get overwhelmed with a lot of food.

Kids School Lunch Box Ideas: Conchiglie Al Forno with Carrots and Basil recipe is made from a shell type pasta that is smaller that its larger shell counterparts. This creamy sauce along with cheese is tossed along with carrots and basil giving it delicious taste and a creamy texture. This pasta stays perfect until lunch giving the children the carbs, proteins and vitamins through the pasta, cheese and vegetables.

School LunchBox Ideas & Recipes: Granola Bars, and Thepla’s are a perfect combinations. I typically smear the thepla with a sweet lime pickle for the lunch box. The whole grains from the thepla provides carbs and the Granola Bars with peanut butter and dates provide all the protein, iron, carbs and energy making the children stay alert for their school session

You can make the thepla dough ahead of time the previous day. This way making a couple of fresh thepla’s in the morning becomes a breeze. I typically make a batch of No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars so it stays fresh for a couple of weeks and can be packed for the lunch box in a jiffy.

School Lunch Box Recipes & Ideas: The Multigrain Waffles recipe is a delicious recipe of waffles that is made from finger millet flour, oat flour and whole wheat flour. The goodness of all the grains when made into a waffles is simply delicious.

When I packed this for my kids lunch box, then came back saying that "Mom the whole class was sitting on top of my table trying to get a bite of my waffles, they simply loved it". As a mother, I felt so happy to hear that and that it made my kids happy to share their lunch box too :)

School Lunch Box Recipes & Ideas: Chola Masala and Puri/ Paratha combination for a lunch box is special for children and adults as well. Since the mornings are super hectic with getting the children ready, I most often make the Chola masala ready the previous day. Making the Paratha or Puri fresh in the morning is simple and quick if the masala is ready.  Pack this lunch box along with some freshly cut fruits or carrots and cucumber and a bowl of yogurt to make a complete and satisfying meal.

Things you can keep ready for the morning lunch box

Knead the dough for the Puri or Tawa Paratha and the cook the chola the previous day. This will help ease the mornings for the lunch box cooking and packing

School Lunch Box Recipes & Ideas: Beetroot Paratha Recipe is made from whole wheat flour dough stuffed with grated beets that is sauteed until tender. Making the Beetroot Paratha came out just like that like a spart to my mind to see other ways to consume beets and the parathas and the combination worked out great. This thought process is in my constant endeavour to make school lunch boxes fun and exciting for the kids.

LUNCH BOX PACKING TIP: I smear the parathas with sweet lime pickle and also pack some curd rice or plain yogurt in another box. The yogurt helps to satisfy the dryness from the parathas, as well as helps in digestion.

School Lunch Box Recipes & Ideas: Pasta with tomato basil sauce is a lunch box saver recipe. The kids love this recipe because of its simple flavours and with a creamy pasta. The addition of vegetables like broccoli adds to the nutrition to the kids lunch box

Kids School Lunchbox Ideas:Cabbage Rice recipe is like a vegetable fried rice that makes it perfect for travel and lunch boxes. The vegetables like cabbage when sauteed along with spices brings out the flavor and texture to the cooked rice. The cabbage rice also tastes good when it gets to a normal temperature. I typically pack the rice along with a bowl of yogurt and curd rice along with it. You can optionally pack the rice with some chips or papad to make it more exciting for the kids to eat their lunches.

School Lunch Box Recipes & Ideas: Egg Rolls are a perfect Lunch Box for the kids. With a little advance preparation, your mornings for packing lunches can become a breeze. I keep the sauces in a separate box and also avoid the chillies for their lunch. The kids dip the rolls in the sauce and love them for school. Its easy to hold on to, as well.

Tips for Packing:  Allow the rolls to cool a bit before packing it. You could roll it in butter paper or pack it tight next to each other for the lunch box. You can again optionally pack it along with fruits and nuts or granola bars to add some excitement to the lunch box. 

Here, we are back with our new Kids Lunch Box that has some delicious recipes such as Punjabi Rajma Masala, Steamed Rice And Curd. Rajma Chawal is one great lunch box dish that stays and tastes well even when cold. I usually pack it along with yogurt or with steamed vegetables or sliced raw carrots and children simply love it. Due to its high protein and carb content, the Rajma Chawal keeps the children full and nourished with energy and nutrition throughout the day.

School Lunch Box Ideas & Recipes: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip pancakes with maple syrup or honey makes a delicious kids school snack box. The addition of whole wheat adds to the grain and the eggs or the yogurt adds to the protein. Drizzling the whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes with honey or maple syrup or even spreading nutella helps in provide the adequate energy from the sugars and carbohydrates.

School Lunch Box Recipes & Ideas: A quick cauliflower (Gobi) vegetable for a lunch box can be make as quickly as 15 minutes if you have all ingredients ready the previous day. It stays well through the day and children simply love this non-messy combination for their lunch boxes. Pack this lunch box with Tawa Paratha and a glass of buttermilk for lunch. You could also pack some fruits to make the meal refreshing.

School Lunch Box Ideas and Recipes: Carrot Uthappam with Apples are nutritious and filling for the kids school snack box. The lunch box provides wholesome nutrients from the carrot used using regular Dosa Batter. The addition of fruits like an apple into the lunch box gives the required energy from the sugars making the kids feel alert during the day.

School Lunchbox Ideas & Recipes: Walnuts or Almonds, Cheese Cubes, Chocolate Chip Cookies  & a fruit like Pomegranate are a perfect friday snack box treat for the kids. Packed with healthy vitamins, minerals and calcium, the combination of this kids lunch box ensures that your child eats something healthy which is also delicious and filling.

Back To School Snack Box Ideas: Chickpea Sundal is a healthy and delicious recipe, made from Chana which is more often called Kabuli Chana. It is amazing to see how interesting children find it, picking up the chana one by one and relishing it for their school snack box. Combining it with a fruit, makes the child feel more refreshed with the sugars from the fruit, giving them that added energy.

School Lunchbox Ideas & Recipes: Walnuts or Almonds, Cheese Cubes, Chocolate Chip Cookies  & a fruit like Carrot are a perfect friday snack box treat for the kids. Packed with healthy vitamins, minerals and calcium, the combination of this kids lunch box ensures that your child eats something healthy which is also delicious and filling.