School Lunch Ideas

Hey Guys! I know it’s been a long while since any blog posts have been put up – what can I say, life is busy! Today, my friend Tanveer Kaur from Playing with Painti is writing a guest contributor post today sharing some healthy lunch ideas for your kiddies! Also, keep your eyes peeled for a Playing with Painti review coming soon!

-ThatSikhMama (Kiranjot Kaur)

Sometimes I feel like the mama struggles I deal with are exclusive to me and I’m the only one dealing with these issues while every other mama out there is looking at me like, ‘Can’t you get it together?”

But I’ve come to learn that if I’m struggling with something, it is highly likely that I am not the only one! When talking to my mama friends, I can find solace in knowing that I am not the only one navigating an onslaught of challenges every day! Just being able to share what I’m going through with someone who GETS IT can itself be healing and uplifting.

So, I’m thankful to Kiranjot Bhainji who has created That Sikh Mama: a safe place to read, connect, share and reflect. And I thank her for inviting me to share with all of you! Us sisters need to support each other, celebrate each others’ successes and stand up for each other. I am a firm believer that we Sikh mamas are the cornerstone of the Khalsa, our strength is the kaum’s strength radiating out to the world.

With that said, I’m Tanveer Kaur, mama to two boys: 5 and 2. My 5 year old just started full time Kindergarten at Khalsa School Calgary this year, and that means packing lunches.

Every. Single. Day.

Along with the challenge of varying the lunches, there is the challenge of finding a balance of protein, carbs, fruits and veggies with a vegetarian diet, especially since there is a no nut products rule at school. Then there is my picky son who is very stubborn about trying new things. If he would eat it, I would add more quinoa, couscous, and a wider array of veggies. I finally got him eating cherry tomatoes after offering them every so often and asking him to try it again 🙂 I hear that’s the trick: to not force them to eat everything, but to keep giving them the opportunity to try different foods. They might try it the tenth time. And that’s a win for me!

Sometimes I need a little bit of inspiration and fresh ideas of what to pack! There are more and more ideas coming to the forefront with vegetarian and vegan diets becoming more popular. Also, I find it super easy to pack leftover dinner as next days lunch. My LO doesn’t mind his food being room temperature so it works for us!

So, here are a handful of lunches I’ve packed for my kiddo to give you some ideas 😊

The lunch container is by Thinksport and is called the GO2 Container (you can find it on amazon.ca). I love this lunchbox system, especially because each compartment is completely sealed. There is NO LEAKING either from one compartment to another or outside the container. It comes with a spoon and fork which fits right into the lid. I can put all parts into the dishwasher and I’m not looking for separate containers. It’s all in one and I love it!

I hope this gets your creative lunch juices going. Happy lunch packing!

*Note: All my Indian cooking is done in the Instant Pot. My BFF.