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School tiffin planner

பள்ளி டிபன் திட்டம்

Choose how your family eats, vegetarian, vegan, Jain, eggetarian, millet or high protein. We plan five school days of tiffin and the grocery list for the week.

How does your family eat?

Also keep it

Age

Vegetarian tiffin: what to know

Most Tamil lunch boxes are already vegetarian. Aim for one grain, one dal or protein, and one vegetable or fruit in every box.

Keep in mind

  • Add a dal, chana or curd on most days for protein.
  • Poori and fried items are best kept to once a week.

Easy swaps

  • Curd rice or paneer for calcium
  • Sundal and moong dishes for protein

General information for healthy children, not medical advice. For allergies, medical conditions or special diets, ask your paediatrician or dietitian.

Your week

  • Steamed, light, easy to digest

    Pack it: Brush the idlis with a little gingelly oil so they stay soft until lunch.

  • Quick, with vegetables mixed in

    Pack it: Add grated carrot and peas so the vegetables are hidden in the upma.

  • A favourite that travels well

    Pack it: Fold the dosa in four and keep the podi in a small side box.

  • Rice and moong dal together give a filling meal

    Pack it: Pack it warm in an insulated box and skip the thick coconut chutney, which spoils sooner.

  • Does not spoil easily in a lunch box

    Pack it: Add the lemon juice after the rice cools a little; it stays fresh and does not turn bitter.

Buy this week

  • Idli rice 250 g
  • Urad dal 100 g
  • Coconut 1
  • Roasted gram 50 g
  • Rava 100 g
  • Onion 50 g
  • Cooking oil 50 ml
  • Carrot and beans 100 g
  • Gingelly oil 50 ml
  • Idli podi 50 g
  • Raw rice 100 g
  • Moong dal 50 g
  • Ghee 50 g
  • Rice 100 g
  • Lemon 1
  • Peanuts 50 g
  • Banana 10

Packing it so it stays fresh

  • Let it cool first. Closing a hot box makes steam and the food spoils sooner.
  • Use an insulated box. Add an ice pack for curd rice, egg and paneer dishes.
  • Keep wet and dry apart. Pack chutney, podi and kurma in a small side box.
  • Eat within four hours. Skip coconut-heavy and curd dishes on very hot days.
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Questions people ask

What tiffin can I pack for school?

Dry or semi-dry dishes travel best: lemon rice, tomato rice, curd rice, upma, ven pongal, chapati with kurma, idli with podi, and veg sandwiches. Pick one for each day and mix rice and tiffin days.

What can I pack for a vegan child?

Idli, dosa, adai, pesarattu, chana sundal rice, coconut rice and ragi dosa are all plant-based. Use coconut or groundnut oil instead of ghee, and ask your paediatrician about vitamin B12, which plant foods do not provide.

What is a Jain-friendly school tiffin?

Dishes with no onion, garlic, potato, carrot or other root vegetables: idli, dosa, coconut rice, lemon rice, curd rice, adai, pesarattu and paneer paratha. Practice differs between families, so check your own rules.

How do I handle nut allergies?

Turn on Nut-free. We remove dishes with peanuts. Always check ingredient labels on podi, chutney powder and bread, and tell the school about the allergy. For any medical diet or allergy, follow your doctor's advice.

How much does each child eat?

We plan for a child of 6 to 10 years: about 50 to 80 g of raw rice, rava or atta per day plus vegetables and oil. Choose the age group above to scale the quantities for younger or older children.

Can I plan for more than one child?

Yes. Set the number of children and every quantity scales up. Then tap 'Fill my basket with this' to order the week's groceries.

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