Why Your Kid’s Lunchbox Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between Culture and Belonging

I’m often working with families, and as another school year is fast approaching, I've found myself reflecting on my own childhood relationship with food — and how it ultimately shaped both my connection to my culture and the way I now support clients from diverse backgrounds as a dietitian.

What a Lunchbox Really Represents

School lunches are about so much more than nutrition. For kids growing up in multicultural households, opening a lunchbox in the cafeteria can bring pride, curiosity — or, all too often, embarrassment. That mix of emotions is something many South Asian and immigrant families know well, and it's a bigger part of a child's relationship with food than most people realize.

I remember bringing Gujarati food to school in a community that wasn't very culturally diverse. As I opened my container of mag (moong dal) and bhaat (rice), the aroma of tempered curry leaves, mustard seeds, and cumin caught the attention of the kids around me.

"What is that?" someone asked.

"It's beans and rice," I said.

Some of the looks I got were curious. Others felt judgmental. Those were the ones I remembered.

Hiding My Culture to Fit In

I hated bringing rotli (flatbread) with shaak (cooked vegetables) because it was "messy," and I was convinced people were judging me for it. This continued through elementary school and into high school. Eventually, I asked my mom to just pack a cheese and green chutney sandwich — something with no smell, where I could hide the chutney between the bread and keep my hands clean. I'd pair it with a Minute Maid juice box, a cheese string, and a strawberry Quaker granola bar. Anything to blend in.

If my mom packed something different, I sometimes wouldn't eat it at all — until the bus ride home, once I was the last one left and no one could see me.

At home, it was a different story. I was completely comfortable eating all my Gujarati favorites — thepla, dhokla, muthiya, khichdi — and just as excited about the other cuisines my mom made from scratch: homemade pizza, pasta, lasagna, burgers, tacos, spring rolls, soups, Schezwan noodles, fried rice, and cookies, often with her own Indian twist folded in. I grew to love food from cultures all over the world.

Except my own.

The Turning Point: Learning to See My Food Differently

That started to shift in grade 10, when I took a food and nutrition course that explored different cultures — their ingredients, traditions, and dining etiquette — and gave me hands-on experience cooking. Over time, I learned to appreciate and respect the food I grew up with, and the rich culture behind it. I dove into the history of Indian cuisine, watched documentaries, and learned how to bring authentic ingredients into balanced, everyday meals.

That journey — unlearning food shame and rebuilding a healthy relationship with cultural food — is exactly what shapes how I now support clients today, especially within the South Asian community, and any family navigating nutrition, weight loss, or healthy habits without wanting to give up the foods that matter to them.

Why Cultural Food Belongs on the Table (and in the Lunchbox)

Looking back, I'm grateful my relationship with my cultural foods eventually evolved into one of pride instead of shame. Today, I see food as so much more than fuel — it's how we stay connected to our culture, our families, and our memories.

For parents raising kids between cultures, here's what I'd want you to know: 

• Your child's food doesn't need to be "translated" to be valid. It doesn't have to look like a sandwich to belong in a lunchbox.
• Familiarity builds confidence. Sending a favorite cultural dish alongside something familiar to classmates can help ease the social pressure without erasing identity.
• Conversations at home matter. Talking openly about where your food comes from — and why it's worth being proud of — plants the seed for the confidence that might take years to fully bloom (it did for me).
• You're not alone in navigating this. Food identity struggles are incredibly common among first- and second-generation kids, and they're workable with the right support.

Nutrition Support That Doesn't Ask You to Choose

My goal as a dietitian is to help families feel confident nourishing themselves without giving up the foods that are meaningful to them. Nutrition and cultural identity shouldn't be at odds — they can, and should, work together.

This summer, I'm taking on a limited number of families for 1:1 nutrition support and meal planning, to help you:

• Prepare confidently for back-to-school lunches
• Build sustainable, realistic routines and healthy habits
• Navigate different food preferences and cultural foods around the family table

If this story resonated with you — whether you're raising kids who are figuring out their own food identity, or you simply want practical, culturally-aware nutrition guidance for your family — I'd love to work with you.

Reach out to learn more about summer nutrition coaching spots.