MonkeyBox brings goodness to a child’s school lunch box

KINDLY NOTE: MonkeyBox had discontinued its lunch box services currently

It’s a busy world for both parents and children. Children need nutritious and healthy food in their school lunch box to do well in school and to find the energy to play after they get home. Many kids, though, are tired and cranky when they return from school.

There may be many reasons for this but one of them could be inadequate nutrition. Merely rice, vegetables or chappatis don’t make a meal balanced and wholesome.  There are many wonderful children’s lunch box providers in Bangalore, so how do you choose one that meets your child’s specific needs and schedule?

I found that MonkeyBox offers some very good features, ones that we, as parents, really look for when choosing a school lunch provider.

Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene! 

Let’s face it; we need top hygiene when it comes to food for our kids. What I like about MonkeyBox is that they invite you to visit their kitchens any time to check on how they prepare the meals. Freshly made, freshly packed and temperature controlled, the food does not contain sugar, spice or high sodium ingredients.

Portions are based on the Indian Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), and nutritionists and five-star chefs plan the meals meticulously. You can also get a free consultation with them along with your subscription. This can help you understand how the meals are planned and what nutrients your children are getting.

Variety

When my daughter started preschool, she would come home cranky and irritable. I could not understand what was bothering her, until I realised that she did not enjoy the food in her play group. There was no variety and very little nutritional value.  Children get bored with the same food. Even the food I cook at home can become repetitive and one-track.

MonkeyBox does not repeat a food item more than once in 21 days. For the toddler menu (yes, they have a specialized toddler menu!), they don’t repeat the same dish more than once in 15 days. It’s amazing how the menu combines Indian, Western and pan-Asian cuisines. Broccoli and capsicum paddu is paired with coriander chutney and pineapple-rosemary syrup. Subji Hariyali and Hyderabadi Biriyani are accompanied by insalate caprese, which is a yummy Italian salad that is made to resemble the Italian flag. Yes, salads can be yummy!

Food can also look good and convey something, instead of being a straitjacketed square meal that just ticks off boxes. I would love my child to be exposed to cuisines from around India and the world.

Texture is important too

Here’s the problem with blended food — it isn’t food. Pasta and rice are wonderful but salads, fruits and raw vegetables introduce texture to a child. Babies and toddlers should eat different kinds of foods, with challenging textures, which are age-appropriate of course.

I confess, I was guilty of this too. I did not expose my child to to more textured foods, like kosambri, cucumber cups or pineapple, which is why she never got around to eating salads or fruits. When she got older, I had to try every trick in the book to make her eat different types of foods.

MonkeyBox provides textured food for tots. It also keeps in mind that your tot could be teething, so the food is designed to meet with these developmental milestones. Of course, as a parent, we need to understand if our child is ready to move on to more challenging foods, so you can always choose what you want from the menu. If a dish is sometimes too much for your child to chew, you can always opt for another!

Their app is a godsend

What I found to be MonkeyBox’s best feature is its app. No other school meal provider in the city has an app as flexible, convenient and efficient as this one.

Imagine this –

• You can choose a meal with your child the day before.
• You can even get food delivered to your child’s day care!
• If your child misses school, you redeem that day’s meal.
• You can plan your entire subscription and your child’s meals on the app.
• No logistical nightmares, no back-and-forth calls with the person in charge. It’s that simple.

There’s more to life than just gulping down breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and going about your tasks. Most of our lifelong eating habits, whether healthy or not, are created during childhood.

MonkeyBox makes healthy food yummy and this is a crucial mantra in getting kids to understand that healthy food can be both adventurous and delicious!

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Interested to learn more?

Give MonkeyBox a call today or check them out on their website! Download the MonkeyBox app: App Store, Google Play

*This is a sponsored post written in collaboration with the brand.