Meal Plan for a Week: Healthy Snacks as Students’ “Baon”

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Bringing a lunch box has become part of school life, especially for Filipino students. This has long been a common practice among local families—a proof of parents’ care and love for their kids.

Locally known as “baon,” parents prepare foods to ensure that their children eat only the safe and nutritious foods while inside the classroom.

As a parent who always prepares a “baon” for your kid, sure you’re running out of idea on which meal or snacks to make. The thought that you need to do this task for roughly 200 school days is what makes it more tiring.

While making sandwiches (with hotdog, sausage, tuna, egg, or other flavored spread as filling) is easy to do, your child may get tired of these foods. The good thing is that you can make some twists to surprise your child.

Weeklong Surprise

As a staple food, do not forget to feed your child with rice before he leaves your home—it’s his full meal, anyway. Make sure to pair it with different viand each day.

How about a light meal or the so-called “merienda” when he’s in the school?

Below is a suggested meal plan, one that contains healthy snacks to be eaten during 30-minute break time:

-      Monday: baked sweet potato fries

Get two to three medium sized potatoes and cut them into thin strips (bite-size). Place them in a bowl and bake in an oven for 30 minutes. Be sure to include ketchup as the fries’ dip.

-      Tuesday: cheese sticks

Get cheese, slice them into thin strips, and wrap in a spring roll wrapper (popularly known as lumpia wrapper). Deep fry them until they turn golden and crisp. Prepare a mix of mayo and ketchup to serve as dip.

-      Wednesday: graham cracker mini-cake

Get graham crackers and arrange them in layers with cream in between crackers. Put toppings (your kid’s choice). Refrigerate or freeze it. Seal the lunch box tightly so it will maintain the desired texture and the cream will not spill.

-      Thursday: juice jelly cubes

Get cups of your kid’s favorite juice and sprinkle unflavored gelatin over it. Boil the mixture and let it chill. When it gets firm, cut it to make medium-sized squares.

-      Friday: pizza bites

Get a chunk of pizza dough and put your choice of topping (grated cheese). Slice it in bite-size pieces. Bake it in an oven for 25 minutes. Prepare your preferred sauce.

All these snacks are kid friendly, easy to do, and inexpensive. Above all, these healthy foods will help inspire students while learning in school.