All parents always try to prepare the best lunch for their children who are in school. In addition to saving money, it can also be a medium to foster children's interest in food that meets balanced nutritional guidelines.
However, this can be a big challenge for parents, especially if their children have entered adolescence and are attending junior high school. Generally, at this age, children begin to be reluctant to bring lunch because of peer pressure (peer influence), which has a high interest in contemporary snacks.
This fact makes the task of parents in preparing lunch more challenging. However, don't worry! Here are some recommendations for school lunch ideas for teens that are high in fiber and healthy. Check them out and try making them at home!
Recommended School Lunch Ideas for Teens
A healthy lunch not only supports students' physical health but also their mental health. On the contrary, processed foods can trigger inflammation throughout the body and brain, mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Therefore, as a parent, you need to be committed to preparing lunch for your children, especially if they have entered junior high school. This is because during this period, there is a transitional phase that involves physical, psychological, and cognitive changes.
There are many creations of school lunch ideas for teens that can be made so that children do not lose their appetite. However, besides the food menu, mineral water is equally important.
Well, for that, make sure you complement your kids' lunch menu with AQUA 600 ml to fulfill their daily fluid needs.
AQUA water has a cool sensation when drunk at room temperature, even though it is not refrigerated, proof that AQUA comes from a protected source whose natural mineral composition is maintained. So, it is perfect to accompany your kids to enjoy their school lunch.
AQUA is also 100% SAFE from physical contamination and pathogens, and 100% SAFE from chemical contamination, so it is 100% SAFE for consumption by children.
In addition, AQUA is also 100% pure mountain water containing natural minerals from selected mountains. This makes AQUA reliable to fulfill your children's hydration needs during their school activities.
If AQUA 600 ml is already available, then you can immediately make some of the following school lunch ideas for teens, down below:
1. Tofu Fish Rollade
This first healthy school lunch idea is very easy to execute. First, mix 150 g minced fish meat, 100 g mashed tofu, 1 egg, 40 g peas, 2 tbsp spring onions, 40 g carrots, 3 cloves each of red and white onions, ⅕ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp salt, and ½ tsp sugar.
When well mixed, make an omelet, then add 5 tablespoons of tofu fish mixture, flatten, and roll. Steam for about 25 minutes, cut into pieces, then serve.
2. Mushroom-Stuffed Omelette Rolls
Prepare the ingredients that include 3 eggs beaten well, 50 g thinly sliced button mushrooms, 30 g tomatoes cut into small cubes, 2 tbsp sliced spring onions, 1 tbsp chopped onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves, ¼ tsp salt, and 3 tbsp cooking oil.
Start by mixing the eggs with the mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, onions, garlic, and salt evenly.
Start heating the oil to cook the batter. When it is half-cooked, gently roll the omelette and wait until it is cooked. Remove the cooked omelette, cut into pieces, and arrange in a lunch container.
3. Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a classic dish from the United States. This dish combines macaroni pasta and cheese sauce that is processed by baking.
Mac and cheese has a complete range of carbohydrates and calcium, making it suitable as a healthy menu for school lunch.
Start by boiling the macaroni with ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil. Once cooked, you can drain it. Next, melt butter in a pan, add flour, and mix well. Pour milk gradually while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Add grated cheese, sliced cheese, pepper, sugar, and ground nutmeg. Cook until the cheese melts, then add the pre-boiled macaroni. Stir everything until the sauce thickens. Mac and cheese are ready to be packed in a lunchbox.
4. Inkigayo Sandwich
This middle school lunch menu inspiration comes again from Korea. Making an Inkigayo sandwich is very easy. First, make the cabbage salad by mixing 50 g cabbage, 30 g carrots, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste.
Next, make the egg salad by mixing 2 crushed boiled eggs, 3 pieces of crabsticks, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. The filling ingredients are ready, and it's time to assemble the sandwich.
Take 1 piece of bread, add the cabbage salad on top, then cover with more bread. Spread strawberry jam, then cover with bread. Add egg salad and cover again with bread. Cut into 2 pieces diagonally, and the inkigayo sandwich is ready for lunch.
5. Eggplant Tempura
You can start by cutting 2 eggplants with a thickness of 1 cm. Next, combine 2 cloves of crushed shallots, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 75 g of wheat flour, 3 tbsp of rice flour, salt, sugar, pepper, and enough water. Mix until smooth.
Coat the eggplant with the flour mixture and fry until browned. Now, tempura eggplant is ready to be used as lunch with white rice. You can also add spicy mayonnaise sauce or chili oil if your kids like spicy flavors.
However, avoid spicy sauce when your child is experiencing diarrhea. As a recommendation, you can bring lunch in the form of drinks for children with diarrhea to help relieve the symptoms.
6. Butter-Fried Chicken
Butter-fried chicken has a light, sweet, and savory taste and is generally liked by children. Start the process by preparing 500 g of chicken, cutting it into small pieces, and frying it until half-cooked.
Next, heat the margarine to sauté onions and garlic. When you start to smell the aroma, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 5 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Stir until thickened, then add the chicken and spring onions. Stir until smooth, and the butter fried chicken is ready to be arranged in the lunch container.
7. Tofu Paprika Omelette
To make this, combine 4 eggs, 250 g cubed silken tofu, 2 slices of red pepper, ½ sliced onion, and 2 thinly sliced spring onions. Add ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and seasoning, then mix well.
Next, heat the margarine in a pan, pour the batter, and flatten it. Cook until both sides are cooked. The savory, soft, and delicious paprika tofu omelette is ready to be packed in a lunchbox.
8. Vegetable Salad
Is vegetable salad suitable for children's school lunch? Of course it is! As long as you can combine it well, your kids will be interested. You can add carbohydrates like roasted potatoes or wedges seasoned with salt and oregano.
Vegetable salad can be made by combining several vegetables such as watercress, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Add olive oil and lemon juice as dressing, then mix well. Don't forget to sprinkle grated cheese on top.
9. Fried Vermicelli
To prepare this menu, first boil 175 grams of corn vermicelli until half soft, then drain. Sauté ground spices consisting of 3 cloves of garlic, 6 cloves of shallots, and 3 roasted candlenuts.
Add carrots cut into matchsticks, 1 thinly sliced spring onion, and 2 eggs. When the carrots are tender, add the rice vermicelli stew, ¼ tsp pepper, and salt, and mix well. Add 1 celery stalk and 1 bunch of thinly sliced mustard greens. When the mustard greens are wilted, remove from the heat and serve in a lunchbox.
10. Butter Rice Smoked Beef
If your kids are getting bored with white rice, then butter rice can be a great substitute. You can combine it with smoked beef to enrich the flavor.
First, put black pepper, seasoning, water, and rice into a rice cooker. Then, stir everything together until smooth. In the steamer section, place the carrots that have been cut into small pieces and the corn. When the carrots and corn are cooked, immediately put them into the rice cooker.
Finally, add the smoked beef and margarine, then stir until everything is mixed. Close the rice cooker and wait about 10 minutes for all the ingredients to cook completely.
11. Padang Omelette
To make this menu, first grind 4 red chilies, 4 cloves of shallots, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 hazelnut, ½ tsp each of ground pepper, ground coriander, and ground turmeric. Then, beat the egg until frothy and add the ground spices to it.
Add sliced chili, spring onion, salt, seasoning, toasted coconut, and rice flour solution. Stir all ingredients until smooth. When the flavor is right, fry on low heat until both sides are cooked and crisp. Finally, drain and cut as desired.
12. Black Pepper Chicken
The first step you need to take to make this menu is to sauté 4 cloves of garlic and 1 onion until fragrant. Then, add 250 g of diced chicken fillet. Stir until the chicken turns color.
Add 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce, 1 tbsp chili sauce, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, and 300 ml water. Cook until the chicken is tender and the water has reduced. Add the spring onions and stir until wilted. Serve with rice in a lunchbox.
13. Eggplant with Sambal
The next school lunch idea for teens is eggplant with sambal. It's quite easy to make. You can start by splitting the eggplant into 2 halves without cutting it, soaking it with salt water, then draining it. Next, fry the eggplant until cooked.
Coarsely mash 10 red chilies, 1 tomato, 5 shallots, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar. Saute the spices until cooked, then add the eggplant and cook until the spices are absorbed. This dish is ready to be packed in a lunchbox with fluffy white rice.
14. Streamed Noodle Schotel
The next healthy school lunch idea is steamed noodle schotel. First, boil 1 pack of egg noodles until cooked, then drain.
Next, make the filling by sautéing 1 onion and 1 sliced garlic clove. Add minced chicken and stir-fry until it changes color. Add grated carrot, salt, and ground nutmeg and mix well.
In a separate container, stir together the noodles, stir-fry filling, milk, and egg. Put the mixture into a small bowl greased with olive oil. Prepare a steamer, then steam the mixture until fully cooked. Steamed schotel noodles are ready to be your baby's favorite lunch.
15. Mini Egg Martabak
To make this lunch, you need to sauté 30 g sliced onions until wilted, then add 4 tbsp corned beef. Mix well and set aside. In a separate container, beat 3 eggs, add corned beef, 1 sliced spring onion, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp curry powder.
Prepare 1 sheet of spring roll skin, add 1 spoonful of filling, then fold. Finally, fry until browned. Remove, drain, and serve in a lunchbox.
16. Beef Teriyaki
The last middle school lunch menu inspiration uses beef as the main ingredient. Start by sautéing garlic, onions, and ginger that have been mashed. Add the thinly sliced meat, then cook until it turns color.
Add honey, sweet soy sauce, soy sauce, pepper, and water to taste. Cook until the meat is tender and the spices are absorbed. Add cornstarch solution to thicken the dish. When it boils, remove from the heat and pack in a lunch container topped with toasted sesame seeds.
Those are some inspirations for school lunch ideas for teens that you can make so that your children don't get used to snacking carelessly. By using a variety of proteins, the menus above help fulfill nutritional needs and prevent your kids from getting bored.
However, as mentioned earlier, make sure your kids always bring AQUA 600 ml when going to school to keep their bodies hydrated.
Why does it have to be AQUA DULU? Because not all water is AQUA. AQUA is naturally filtered by layers of natural mineral-rich rocks and processed untouched by human hands, and goes through 400 stages of quality testing before being sent through the distribution network.
AQUA Bottle 600 ml has the right size, not too big or too small, so it can be put in a bag. In addition, the AQUA 600 ml Bottle also has a practical packaging that is easy to open and close, so there is no fear of spilling.
And last but not least, AQUA is an authentic Indonesian product. AQUA has been certified Halal, BPOM, and SNI, so it is safe for consumption. AQUA is 100% Pure, 100% Indonesian, and 100% Halal.
