FAQ's

What goes in a tiffin box ?

What goes in a tiffin box ?

The tiffin box can be filled with different types of foods - veg or non-veg. Non-veg non-Asian tiffin carries hardboiled eggs, nut paste, butter, cheese slices, yoghurt or milk, bread, crackers and roll. The basic items in the Indian tiffin box are Indian curries, vegetables like aloo gobi, dal tadka, chawal, pickles and roti. In non-vegetarian Indian tiffin, one can find chicken tikka, Hyderabadi lamb curry, gosht, korma and other types of dishes.

A tiffin box is a two to three-tier lunch or mini meal carrier with extra pockets for storing snacks, stir-fried or grilled vegetables, curries, flatbreads, seasonal drinks, such as buttermilk, juices and coffee, bringing in complex, diverse flavours, herbaceous tangy and rich delicacies, wraps and sauces to your table for an ultra-satisfying bright meal experience.

You can add healthy sandwiches, cosy soups, grain bowls, and protein-packed dishes for extra fun, crowd-pleasing feasts and balance your lunch with rich nutrients to energise your body with natural supplements. 


What Is A Tiffin Box?

A tiffin box contains a snack, a packed lunch, a mini-meal, or a dessert box, which is eaten in the afternoon or evening. It is mostly packed as a light but nutritious meal served in small portions, and these tiffin boxes transport food. Nevertheless, the food must be stored in leak-proof sealed containers to avoid pouring out from one box to another, losing flavour, and contamination from various sources. 

Some boxes carry soups, buttermilk, and sauces that can be insulated or reheated, while some containers carry meals that can be easily held for eating on the go and can satisfy your mid-meal hunger pangs. 

The Asian metallic tiffin boxes contain rice, lentils, papadum, sauces, vegetable fries and curries, snacks, and salads, and the typical European standard carrier boxes would contain soup, the main course, and salads. 

Indian tiffin lunchboxes contain home-cooked light meals for office workers who cannot go home for a midday meal. The humble lunch boxes, mostly large circular metallic boxes, contain food prepared at home. Each dabba has two, three, or four tiers. The bottom contains rice; other boxes contain curry, vegetables, lentils, flatbreads or roties, and a dessert. The metallic containers are often not meant for baking and cooking.  


Indian Tiffin Box

An Indian tiffin box contains a full serving of vegetables, lentils, Indian bread, rice, and sauces. A typical South Indian meal contains dosas, idlis, wadas, sambar, chutney, stews, vegetable fries and fritters, papadum, and several other delicacies presenting a range of flavours, aromas, and tastes in one meal box that you can relish to the fullest. 

Various other combinations of dishes can contain meat, plenty of steamed vegetables, sauces, potatoes, lentil soups, and steamed grains. Some other options include fresh yoghurt, stir-fried vegetable salads, roasted nuts, and countless curries made with chicken, shrimp, paneer, and lamb and prepared with a unique blend of aromatic spices. 

Nowadays, officegoers prefer grab-and-go meals on busy days. You can have bright, multi color fresh veggie or the healthier vegetarian, flavourful lentil bowls you can get to avoid a takeout. 

You may add low-carb roasted or sautéed vegetables, seasonal fruits, beans, roasted nuts, seeds, and paneer recipes such as paneer tikka masala, matar paneer and kadai paneer or the typical South Indian choices that contain outstanding flavours of steamed lentil cakes, zesty chutneys and savoury sauces. Also, you get many varieties of mushrooms, peas, lotus stems, and leafy greens, such as sarso ka saag and mustard green, with yoghurt as a great choice. 


Types Of Tiffin Box

No matter your style, the selection of lunchtime containers depends on your need for space and the kind of food you carry in the tiffin boxes. You can use a brown bagging eco-safe, economical insulated box or something stylish with extra pockets, zippers, magnets, a Velcro closure, and a streamlined look. 

You can find many varieties of stylish steel round, rectangular, and square lunch boxes with additional compartments and leaf-proof lids. 

Some features of commercial tiffin boxes are mentioned below – 

1-  Pack cold lunches, such as sandwiches and veggie salads, in good-quality reusable containers, such as lidded glass, ceramic, steel, or plastic. 

2- You can use wide-mouthed Mason Jars to store leafy green salads containing cherry tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, spring onions, roasted potatoes and vegetables, lentils and legumes, chicken cubes or shreds, and chunked cheese. You must keep the toppings, dressings, and croutons in other containers and add the tastemakers to the meals at lunchtime.

3- Traditional steel tiffins do not have insulation, but nowadays, many metallic tiffin boxes have extra outer layers to keep the food hot or cold for an hour or more. The typical steel lunchboxes come with handles for better mobility, which prevents food contamination, and they can be easily carried to various places. 

4- Some tiffin models have compartments that store different soups and beverages, which can be reheated in the microwave.

5- Some are covered with bamboo; these are strong meal boxes with a tight seal preventing food from leaking. 


Instant Tiffin Box Recipes

Your mid-day lunchtime or evening meal plan must not just be a snacking option; you must have a plan to meet all kinds of dietary requirements, have gluten-free picks, and have something you can bring quickly to the table. You can get healthy and fun tiffin boxes containing sandwiches with perfect filling or pre-plan a multi-cuisine meal packed in the containers to create a sophisticated, adventuresome and memorable mise en scène. 

Add flavourful chickpea curries with biriyanis, roasted cashews, garlic-mint-based flatbreads, and dips for a lavish meal. Prepare lentil pakoras, dips, and sauces for a light snack, or add lentil curries, breads, entrees, and a flavoursome healthy dessert. 

Add soy or meat-based sweet and zingy barbeque combos with grilled vegetables, or add sprouts, leafy vegetables, soya granules, or other types of lean protein and fibre-rich diet with veggie-packed salads. It can make a perfect bring-along lunch that helps you get all the nutrients for the day. 

You can prepare a high-protein vegan lunch with basic ingredients, a hearty mixture of healthy chopped veggie-heavy salads with shredded sprouts, broccoli, and a base. 


Healthy Indian Lunch Box Ideas For School

Adults and schoolchildren may carry two different types of tiffin boxes —one for lunch and the other for mid-meal snacks. The tiffin meal must contain proper portions of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, proteins, and energy-giving items, but it must not be high in sugar and fat.

  • A healthy Indian lunch box idea for school contains sautéed vegetables such as baby corn, carrots, and beets served with cheese dips. 
  • Kids like compact meals that do not require extra spoons or accessories. Food like spinach paratha, vegetable fries, paneer wraps, and paratha stuffed with vegetables can be eaten anytime. These are simple, easy-to-have meals and are not too zesty and spicy. 
  • You cannot pack leftovers in insulated tight containers to be eaten later in the day because it can deteriorate the aroma and quality of the food. You must not add complicated heavy meals to the boxes; instead, freshly cooked sabzi-roti, sandwiches, salads, fresh-cut fruits, and desserts can be added. You must properly pack food, with small portions of various items added to the containers in a typical style to avoid contamination.
  • School-going children can be served poha, stir-fried rice with veggies, daliya, idly-chutney, theplas, and burgers—these are popular snacks and can be prepared kid-friendly.
  • They can be served chapatti, French toast, an egg sandwich, a paneer sandwich, paneer rolls, bhurji roti, a variety of sprouts salad, steamed corn, dry fruits, fruits, dhokla, roasted peanuts, and laddus as sides.
  • You can find varieties of relishing Indian bread for the get-and-go possibility. For instance, naan can be stuffed with seasonal grilled veggies or plain bread with roasted paneer wrapped inside, giving it a unique flavour. Depending on your choice, you can also add bacon, nuts, dried fruit, and shredded cheese or veggies for extra layering inside. 


How Does A Tiffin Box Work?

Since skipping meals can lower your productivity during pressure hours, it is best to opt for home-cooked meals that are healthier than takeout lunches.  The lovely, classy, two-tiered tiffin boxes are the right choice for packing your lunch. The typical Indian tiffin boxes, prepared for people working in city offices or distant places, include a main dish, a side dish, rice chapatis, and pickles.  

Lip-smacking Indian tiffin boxes present an array of delicious dishes influenced by Asiatic, European, Mughal, and British flavours and tastes. 

Various preparation styles of chicken pakora, chicken tikka, nuggets, and meat dishes are available, served with rich platters for dipping and sharing in tiffin boxes. Packaging various food items separately in differently insulated containers is vital to ensure the nutrients, flavours, and aroma remain intact, and the meal presents a balanced amount of calories, proteins, and vitamins to boost the person's energy level for the rest of the day. 

A large three-tiered tiffin boxes is perfect for picnics or outdoor get-togethers. You can pack sandwiches, salads, grains, sauces, curries, desserts, pastry parcels with meat or vegetable fillings, biriyani, and other healthy and nutritious meals in the tiffins. As the meal is stacked and re-packed in the tiffin carrier, you must ensure the flavours are not degraded hours after transportation when you carry it to your workplace, picnic, party, or school. 

Regular Indian tiffin boxes carry several vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, sweet and savoury gulab jamun or jalebis, foods like chole bhature or lentil curries, chickpeas, and a variety of meals in small portions for breakfast and lunch. 

Indian tiffin boxes contain home-cooked, plant-based, ready meals, often prepared from scratch and low in calories. You can get the most delicious lunch or dinner of your choice. The quality of food delivery ensures the freshness and nutritional value of the cuisine. Further, it must be packed in the right portion size to make it a wonderful, impressive grab-and-go meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.   

Each item must be carefully packaged so the palatableness remains the same when the containers are opened.  


What Are Tiffin Boxes Made Of?

Whether you need soup or salad, are eating a go-to favourite meal, or something a bit more gourmet, you need the right container to keep the food's texture, flavours, and aroma intact. You can keep the food in an insulated container or pack it in a container that can be reheated later.

There are two types of box containers - Insulated and microwavable.

You can store the meal in an insulated tiffin boxes if you do not want to use the communal cooking equipment. Alternatively, if you want to access the lunchroom and reheat your food, pack the lunch in a container and put it directly into the microwave. To prevent leakage, you can use a tiffin container made of microwavable glass or ceramic with tight lids, preferably made of rubber or silicone rings. 


How to Pack a Tiffin Box for Lunch?

Lip-smacking Indian cuisine presents an array of delicious dishes influenced by Asiatic, European, Mughal, and British flavours and tastes. 

Various preparation styles of chicken pakora, chicken tikka, nuggets, and meat dishes are available. They are served on rich platters with sides, salads, and dips that can be shared in tiffin boxes

Packaging a meal requires planning, organisation, time, and creativity. You must also consider the nutritional, financial, and environmental impact. A healthy meal delivery pack has many benefits:

  • It allows you to carry a variety of meals.
  • You can reduce the number of takeouts you buy.
  • It also reduces food waste while promoting wellness with healthy menu options.

Modern meal delivery tiffin boxes kits serve nutritious meals made from varied ingredients needed for better meal options for all dietary preferences. You can add pescatarian, vegan, vegeterain or flexitarian meals. 

Steps to store and package meals – 

  • The first step in packaging a tiffin box is to sanitise the containers and countertops by cleaning the dishes and utensils with hot water.
  • The fruits and vegetables used to prepare the meal must be rinsed under running water.
  • The packaging material selected must be of good quality—food wraps or paper bags. An insulated container must have temperature tolerance to store hot soups, stews, and curries. 
  • To prevent spillovers, perishable food and beverages must be stored in separate containers with tight lids. 


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