Healthy tiffin snacks for kids: what our customers' notes tell us

What families tell us

These numbers come straight from the notes customers pinned on our feedback board, and they update automatically:

Why tiffin time is a good time for dried fruit

The NHS recommends eating dried fruit with meals rather than as a between-meal snack, because it sticks to teeth. The school tiffin is a meal, so a few apple rings or kiwi slices alongside lunch fit that advice well.

How much for a child?

For adults, 30 g of dried fruit counts as one portion of fruit. For children, the NHS suggests a portion is roughly what fits in the palm of their hand, so younger children need less.

Under-fives: cut it small

Dried fruit is chewy, and young children don't always chew well:

• Under 1: don't give whole dried fruit. The NHS advises always cutting it into small pieces.
• Young children: the American Academy of Pediatrics advises cutting food into pieces no larger than about half an inch (just over 1 cm).
• Always supervise while young children eat.

For the youngest, our fruit powders mixed into food avoid this risk altogether.

10 tiffin ideas that work

1. Crunchy apple rings with a small box of curd.
2. Tangy kiwi slices with paneer cubes.
3. A pink beetroot roti roll with potato or paneer filling.
4. Moringa paratha strips with a little pickle.
5. Strawberry milk (strawberry powder in milk) in a thermos.
6. Masala pineapple with roasted chana.
7. Poha or upma, with a few dried mango strips on the side.
8. Makhana mixed with chopped dried fruit (handy where schools are nut-free).
9. Idli with moringa chutney.
10. Mini mango lassi in a leak-proof bottle, if your child has a cool bag.

Keeping it fresh in the tiffin

Dried fruit softens when it picks up moisture, so pack it in its own small dry box, not next to wet sabzi or cut fresh fruit.