Kid lunch pack

I always asked my mom, was I so fussy when I was a kid? Frankly, I don’t even remember I was wasting food or leaving all the veggies in my plate! You might say mom’s cooking is rocking! Ok, I agree but beyond that I never got any other choice I guess! My mom never ran behind us to feed! I neither did to my son. Forcing a kid to eat will definitely backfire; he/she might feel uncomfortable or even started hating the particular food! I usually don’t pack any lunch! He eats in cafeteria. I felt, it is best when the kid is exposed to the "Healthy lunch menu" from salad, fruit, main meal and milk! Seeing other kids eating, he learnt to eat all the options given in plate! But certain days, if the lunch menu doesn’t fit to his palate. He asks me to make the veggie noodle. It is quiet easy and filling too. The most important thing he doesn’t filter out all the veggies! The lunch pack comes empty. That would be one of the happiest things for a mom to see the box emptied, right? This veggie noodle is my son favorite well even my favorite! Try to find out what your kid like and pack for lunch! Now to keep the lunch hot or warm, I suffered one year to find out a solution. I always send in small hot pack, but he said the food turn out cold at lunchtime. I bought a food termos here. Before filling with food. Fill the termos with boiling water for at least 10 minutes. The prepared food should be hot too. After 10 minutes, pour the hot water out and fill it with food. The food stays hot or warm for 4 hours! The recipe is quiet simple and I usually toss with some stir- fry vegetables! Stir-Fry vegetable: consists carrot, snow peas, chestnut, bell pepper, onion, celery, mushroom, broccoli, etc..


 

Ingredients

Hakka noodle: ½ packet
Stir fry vegetable: ¾ cup
Soy sauce: 2 tsp 
Sesame Chilli oil: 1 1/2 tsp 

Method: 
 Fill a pot with water, bring to boil. Pour some boiling water in the food termos. In the remaining water add salt and the noodle. The hakka noodle will be ready in 4 to 5 minutes. Drain it. Heat a wok with sesame oil in high heat! Add the vegetable and sauté 1 or 2 minutes. Stir the noodle and add the soy sauce. When the sauce is well coated, taste it, adjust the salt (not required usually). Empty the termos and fill it immediately with noodle and close tightly. His lunch pack is filled with noodle, fruit yogurt and water or juice! 


 The lunch box is reaching Monthly Mingle 31 : Kids Lunches hosted by Srivalli. Update: (April 09-09) Many moms requested where I bought the thermos for kid. Check out the link of the product or even type in the query box: Thermos u get a long list! The company is THERMOS and I showed my noodle packet! Note: I am not promoting any product! I only share my personnal views regarding the kid lunch hot or warm! ************

Comments

Dori said…
Oh yeah... try to force a kid to eat something, they get some kind of control, and they go crazy... won't eat it for anything!!! Noodles look yum!
Gita Jaishankar said…
Very ideal lunch box menu Cham, kids love to color in their dishes, good idea!
Varsha Vipins said…
Thermos sounds cool Cham..Wish it was there when I went to school..i used casserole's,but was not that good..:)..Noodles with veggies sounds good..better to go with Whole wheat noodles..I hear they add this MSG to noodles as well..dunno if true..
I loved the pic..:)
Cham said…
Varsha: The hakka noodle we get in Indian store is 100% made with Durum wheat, contains no MSG,no egg! checked the packet!
Vikis Kitchen said…
Noodles and the facts about ur son are lovely. Nice brought up.
Laavanya said…
Now which kid wouldn't want to polish off these yummy noodles - my daughter likes noodles too. Looks great Cham.
yummy noodles.. i also make it.. but instead of soy sauce i put pepper!
Nandinis food said…
This noodles recipe is easy and quick to cook early in the morning for packing lunch! I like the thermos tip and it's useful. Adding stir-fry vegetables to the noodles is healthy and mmm.... (to kids!)
Meenal Mehta said…
looks yummy Cham , the pic looks great...I like the Thermos idea
Vaishali said…
Love the simple recipe, and how flavorful it is despite the short ingredient list. Nice idea for a kid's lunch, Cham.
Lakshmi said…
Noodle looks yumm! my kiddo hates eating noodle :D for some reason. I agree that mom's should not run behind children to feed them.
Vibaas said…
i just love this too ;-) looks yum!
nice tip about the thermos!
Soma said…
My DD also eats in the cafeteria whenever there is food which we are allowed to eat. the other days I pack & she usually eats without fuss.. she will ask only for a sandwich or sometimes pasta.

We love our noodles:-D this kind is usually our very wanted dinner sometimes.
Rachel said…
If I don't forcefeed mine would fast....:(
Unknown said…
looks delicious and the running behind the kid with the food factor is really true :(for each and every snack(even for a cookie) i have to run..may be I forced him a lot earlier :(
Unknown said…
good one..tasty way to have the healthy veges..
Rajee said…
My son loves to eat what I cook. In school, the food will be so cold, even adults cant eat home-packed food in summer as they use air con. But in winter, it will also be the same. I love ur yummy noodles. Does it come with its taste maker? We're very mad about it. Can u pls post its packet so that I can easily choose to try?
Rajee said…
Can I know where u bough cute thermos? Most of other brands, I try it, it doesnt work for me and went to cool down before 4 hrs.
Suparna said…
Hi Cham,
That was very thoughtful of you to share the lunch pack idea. Noddles look yummy anyone would polish it off clean. I too add veggies to noodles as it's another smart way of downing the veggies :) Hmmm...read about the wheat noodles thing mentioned abt Varsha and u....it's so true Cham these days people have become very health concious and opt for healthier option wherever possible..it's a concious effort people do these days...That was a good mention by u!
TC
Cham said…
Rajee I will post the pict of noodle packet , may be the full picture of Kid termos lunch tomorrow.
About the lunch termos pack, I got in target or walmart , can be found in aisle where u get the insulated bag/thermos/coffee termos etc..
lubnakarim06 said…
That's really a nice idea. Noodles look droolworthy.
Uma said…
You're one responsible mom! Your son is very lucky to have a mom who takes care of him sooooo good! Noodles look really mouth-watering. My older one doesn't like noodles. She prefers chapathis to noodles :) But my little one just adores noodles, so I will try this recipe on her! Thanks for many useful tips dear! You call me a pro, but anyone can agree that you're! :)
Pooja said…
yummy noodles..nice lunch box cham...
Miri said…
That looks delicious! and I didn't know there were food thermos available! must be great to keep food hot!
Veg hakka noodles is my 4 year old's fav meal at home apart from my version of pasta. Both have always been given to her with veggies and she likes it as is.

I have just got into the tiffin box mode since she started "big" school this week. She needs only a snack since she finishes at 12, so I just pack whatever we are having for breakfast and give her a smoothie or a milkshake in the morning before she leaves.

So far so good, but I'm hoping she doesn't tell me she doesnt want to take semiya,upma,poha,sabudana or idlis etc because no one else brings that stuff! Delhi doesn't seem to have a breakfast culture!
Anonymous said…
That was a great idea to share cham..even i use enough veggies with noodles and found meanigful with my daughtie..
the picture looks yummy too cham !!
jayasree said…
This is our dinner once in a week. I too use the hakka noodles. Good that your son doesn't filter the veggies.
Unknown said…
Lovely pic and lovely lunch box Cham..
Chitra said…
hmm, good idea,sure kids love noodles.nice post!!
suvi said…
Loved reading this post Cham. My child has driven me to tear my hair in frustration - she is such a fussy eater! And I really cannot run behind her to make her eat healthy food..so I do what mothers do best - just sneak it in in various ways.

The noodles look yum! And thanks for sharing the thermos idea.
Kayal said…
Great work as a mom :) I haven't started giving noodles to my kid. I am scared whether its too early to feed these foods. Your noodles looks yummy.
gtyuk said…
simple and ideal, kids will sure love this;
My kids eat well (touching wood):), and they come home for lunch, so no problem for packing :)
vandana rajesh said…
yummy lunch box menu cham, don't mind accompanying ur son to school anyday if that is what u did be packing for lunch:)
Sanghi said…
Mmm.. delicious!
Priya Suresh said…
Thats a delicious lunch box menu cham,love the tips u have given for thermos!
Deepthi Shankar said…
I love Hakka noodles, that looks very delicious .. Kids always love noodles
FH said…
I was never fussy as a child, even today I don't care what is served to me. If I am hungry, I eat anything unless it's Seafood like Sushi or something!:D

Hakka Noodles looks delicious.

I found more photos of mine in "Khana Pakana" again! :P
AnuSriram said…
Wow.. Looks delicious! Nice idea! My kid would love to eat this. I'm running behind him if it is for Rice :(
Lavanya Raj said…
Cham, Yesterday i prepared the same Hakka Noodle's. My son did'nt like the taste, as he is very much used to Maggi:) I liked it and the sauces gave a diff flavour..
Vani said…
Need that thermos tip for when I have to start packing lunch for M :) So nice to hear that your son eats veggies and is not fussy. M loves noodles too. Looks yum, CHam!
Bong Mom said…
This is a family favorite. Those thermos are great, liked your idea.
Pavani said…
After having that healthy noodles, your son must have been a happy little kid. Love the thermos.
Cilantro said…
Amma tells me I was fussy eater while a kid. I now know how she must have felt. With all the options available for the kids, it becomes more difficult for us.
Veg Noodles looks delicious.
Premyscakes said…
Thats looking absolutely cool for kids lunch pack and lovely click too.
Srivalli said…
Thanks for the lovely entry Cham..that sure is same at my household now..:)
Madhu said…
hi cham,
could u tell me more about these food thermos?? where can i find them?? any specific brand or can i get them in the stores?? Been on a hunt for this for quite sometime but in vain :(.. Looking forward to hear back! Thanks!
Sujatha said…
Lunch box for kids, is quite challenging as always.. That thermos idea sounds neat! I have the same issue with hot-pack.. Where did you buy the thermos?
Recipeswap said…
I too have stopped forcing my daughter to eat..she asks when shes hungry now......that is true you force them and then they start acting up..
Nice Lunch not just for your son but for all!
Unknown said…
Nice post .. really yummy.. delicious..
karuna said…
love tht tiffin. nicely done. the hakka noodles look yummy. I use the same braand of hakka noodles. they come out well. Have you tried their sauces? they are yummy. specially the schezwan one.
Purva Desai said…
The lunch box is sooo cute....I wish even I was still a kid....Noodles look saucy and yummy
Chutneytales said…
Very nice lunch box menu..The noodles with veggies sounds yumm..Thanks for the thermos tip :)
Anonymous said…
Wow...thats a nice idea for keeping food hot! The noodle recipe is really simple and yummy!
mitr_bayarea said…
Cham-

Lovely noodles packed in the lunch box. I love the way your blog template changes according to the season- the easter bunny is so cute.
You have a very interesting comments section.I enjoyed reading it. My daughter loves noodles and regarding the thermos my sister packed maggie noodles for her daughter and looks like they got some pizza at school that day so she got the food back home and forgot all about it. the next day when my sister opened the themos the noodles was still very hot. I was so impressed.
This is one of my daughter's favourites too, right down to that brand of noodles!
I never thought of myself as a devious person, but I have become one when it comes to disguising vegetables in food my duaghter likes!! :D
Manju said…
loved that pic, cham!! such an easy recipe and you are sure the kids will finish them off!! :)
Sum Raj said…
not ony ur kid, even v eder would surly love ur hakka noodles..my kiddo too very fond of nood;essoweekly once there will be a noodles dish..
Kumudha said…
Noodles looks so tasty! And it's vegan!
Raks said…
Lucky Kid...:)
Looks cool Cham and the pictures looks gorgeous !!!
I could see so many mom's comments here...;D Lovely post!
A_and_N said…
Its perfect for kids! :)
Jamie said…
Great lunch idea Cham! I had a thermos when I was a kid too!
Dhanya Ganesh said…
Looks yum Cham. Will try this soon. My son is a huge fan of noodles. Havn't tried the hakka noodles yet.
Noodles are my favourite too...
Deepa Hari said…
Lovely noodles Cham....kids will love it....Thermos sounds cool...Thanks for sharing.
Yasmeen said…
Yummy lunch box,noodles are sure kiddie favorite.I must buy the food thermos too next year,my son misses taking noodles and pasta for the same reason of becoming too cold.
CurryLeaf said…
Love the healthy dish.Full of vegetables and noodles add the required carbs.I too used to buy the same hakka noodles from Indian stores
Barry Kraft said…
Wow... This is lovely noodles Cham my kids will love it. Very good idea,sure kids love noodles. Great post. Looks yummy Cham , the pic looks great...I like the Thermos idea. thank you for posting and sharing it.