Asian-Inspired Lunches For Kids

The next time you’re grocery shopping for the coming week, consider changing it up for your kids’ lunches. Try these Asian lunch ideas for kids to expand their pallet and show them something exciting and different. Asian cuisines are diverse so we wanted to start with the more basic to cook and child-friendly meals.

Asian recipes are a fantastic way to get kids to eat nutritious meals. The approach to veggies and proteins is so different from Western cuisines that you may find you can slip some veggies by without your kid noticing. 

The change in textures and flavors might surprise them at first but serve them Asian meals at home first and get a feeling for what they like. If they like hoisin sauce, lean on that. If they prefer soy sauce then you’re in luck and there are tons of soy sauce forward recipes that you can make. Cooking the first few meals at home will help them feel safer about trying it and you can encourage them to at least try it.

Another approach to introducing Asian lunches to your kids is by mimicking their favorite meal. If they like chicken nuggets, try chicken skewer recipes. If they prefer simpler meals try Onigiri. That’s essentially rice and whatever filling you want to use. In fact, you don’t have to use a traditional filling. We’ve never tried peanut and jelly in a rice ball but it could work for a kid.

Asian Lunch Ideas

2. Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl – Chicken is an easy meat to get kids to eat and there are a few ways to prepare it so they’re already used to it. Cook with teriyaki sauce and put it over rice with vegetables and you’re essentially done. Cook the chicken with broccoli or carrots, use a store-bought teriyaki sauce packet, and put it over rice and you’re done. This can easily be bulk made and meal prepped.

4. Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) – Onigiri are rice balls filled with your choice of ingredients and made to be eaten with your hands. It requires rice that can be molded around the filling and stay together as it’s eaten. This is a little bit trickier because you have to be able to cook rice to the right consistency to get it sticky enough without it turning into jelly. With a little bit of practice, and a rice cooker, you’ll get it right and once you do you’ll be set. You can fill it with anything though. Ham and cheese, salmon, tuna and mayo, peanut butter and jelly. Finish it off with a piece of nori for a more authentic approach or leave it off if it doesn’t fit the filling. Also you can use cookie cutters as molds for the rice so that they come out as fun shapes like stars or hearts. This is a really nice touch and a lot of fun for kids.

5. Dumpling Lunchbox – Dumplings can be a great place to start since they’re so versatile. You can steam, pan-fry, or boil them, they can be filled with a series of different ingredients, pork, chicken, veggie. The store-bought dumplings are great and the only potential issue is the sodium. Service with a little sauce of choice and it’s an excellent, fun meal for kids.

7. Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce – Chicken Satay skewers are a perfect place to start with asian lunches for kids. It’s essentially baked chicken which most kids are happy to eat. Add a sauce on top as they cook made from coconut milk, garlic, and honey for a tasty flavor. On side include a peanut sauce for dipping with cucumber slices and introduce a whole new cuisine to your kids.

Tips for Making Asian Lunches For Kids

• Make it colorful: Everyone eats with their eyes first but that is especially true for kids. Make it look exciting and they’re far more likely to try it.
• Use bento boxes: Bento boxes are compartmentalized containers filled with a series of small portions of food. This is great for variety, maximizing nutrients, and addressing picky eaters (they’re more likely to like something if you serve 5 or 6 foods)
• Keep flavors mild: Asian cuisines are known for their use of spices with bold flavors that are unique and delicious, however kids who are not used to these flavors or boldness may be turned off. Build up to strong flavors but until then, keep it mild.

Introduce your kids early to new flavors and cuisines and encourage them to explore a variety of food. You may also find that Asian lunches for kids are a great way to serve veggies in a way your kids actually like. Try some of our delicious and nutritious asian recipes for easy to cook meals.

Asian-inspired lunch ideas for kids