Good nutrition begins at home. There is no better way to encourage this than to prepare lunch for, and better yet, with your children. A bagged lunch is always better than the school lunch AND it gives you more control over what your children are eating.
Some children may ask for PB&J every day, but try not to fall in a brown bag rut. There are no rules when it comes to lunch. Cereal with milk, cold pizza, leftover dinner, baked potatoes � pack whatever your children like to eat.
Tips for preparing lunches:
Know what your children like to eat.
If you get children involved in the food shopping and preparation of their lunch, they are more likely to eat a healthy lunch.
Make it look good.
Children, as well as adults, eat with their eyes first. And remember to pack up all that delicious food in a lunchbox they like to carry.
Find out your child's schedule for the day.
If there is snack time, pack food that will give them energy to make it through the rest of the day: half a sandwich, peanut-butter-filled pretzels, or fresh fruit.
Aim for two to three different food groups at lunch.
Just add vegetables to a sandwich or tuck in a fruit as a snack.
Pack properly.
You don't want a mushy sandwich, bruised fruit, or crumbled snacks. Use small containers, sandwich bags, and good plastic wrap.
Keep food at the proper temperature.
Use blue ice, special containers, or a thermos.
Make healthy snacks.
They usually get eaten first, but don't totally eliminate fat and sugar, because you don't want constant lunch-trading.
Avoid snacks made with trans fats.
Make drinks count.
Try smoothies or protein drinks instead of 10-percent-juice drinks, and don't forget water.
Use a thermos for soups, stews, and other hot foods.
These snacks are low in fat and high in nutrients, so feel free to add them to lunch:
� Red, orange, yellow, and green pepper strips
� Celery or carrots with peanut butter
� Yogurt or smoothies that can be put in a thermos
� Homemade gorp ("good old raisins and peanuts") or trail mix
� Peanut-butter-filled pretzels
� Whole-wheat bagel, whole-wheat pita, or graham crackers with nut butter
� Peanut butter and banana on whole-wheat bread (Lilienthal's personal favorite!)
� Fruit, vegetable, or cheese kebabs
� Fruit salad with yogurt or cottage cheese
� Whole fruits, such as apples, peaches, and bananas
� Salads (toss your child's favorite veggies together and add a dressing)
� Guacamole dip with blue corn chips
� Turkey with lettuce and tomato in a pita pocket
� Homemade soups, stews, or chili (in a wide-mouthed thermos)
� Chocolate-covered almonds
Healthy Lunchbox Recipes
These tasty lunch recipes, put a new twist on brown-bagging:
A Twist on peanut butter, - add banana and date to sandwiches
Servings: Serves 4.
2 whole wheat pita breads
8 tablespoons chunky or smooth old-fashioned peanut butter
6 pitted dates, chopped
8 teaspoons honey
2 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced
Lightly toast pita breads; cut each in half crosswise. Open pita pockets. Spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter on 1 side of the inside of each pita pocket. Sprinkle chopped dates over peanut butter, dividing equally. Drizzle honey over. Divide banana slices among pita pockets; close sandwiches, pressing slightly to adhere.
Easy picnic chicken
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried summer savory
1 4 1/2-to-5 pound roasting chicken
Combine first 6 ingredients in blender and blend until garlic and bay leaf are finely chopped. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add chicken to bowl and turn to coat. Marinate chicken in bowl in refrigerator, breast side down, overnight.
Preheat oven to 375�F. Place rack in roasting pan. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Place chicken on prepared rack and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until chicken is cooked through, basting occasionally with reserved marinade, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Serves 6.
Alphabet pasta stew
4 cups vegetable bouillon
1/2 carrots in tiny cubes (the size of small peas)
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup diced yellow summer squash (optional)
1/2 cup baby corn, in 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup small peas
1/2 cup diced firm tofu
Bring the bouillon to a boil in a medium-small saucepan. Add the carrots, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the carrots are just tender, then add the zucchini, optional summer squash, and corn. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are perfectly tender.
Stir in the peas, tofu, and cooked pasta, and simmer for just a couple of minutes longer. Serve hot or very warm in small bowls with small spoons.
Makes 5 cups.
Pasta with tuna, basil, and lemon
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 garlic clove
1 lemon
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
a 6-ounce can tuna in olive oil (not drained)
Bring a 4-quart pasta pot three fourths full with salted water to a boil for penne. Mince garlic. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 tablespoon and squeeze 1 teaspoon juice. Cut basil into thin strips. In a large bowl toss together garlic, zest, juice, basil, and tuna with oil from can.
Boil penne until al dente and drain in a colander. Add penne to bowl and toss with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 2.
Oriental noodle and chicken salad
INGREDIENTS:
Salad
2 pounds linguine
1/4 cup oriental sesame oil
2 - 2 1/2-pound roasted chickens, skinned, boned, shredded or 12 cups cooked turkey
4 bunches green onions, sliced
2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped
4 jalape�o chilies, seeded, deveined, minced
1 1/4 pounds snow peas, stringed, thinly sliced lengthwise
Dressing
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly
ground)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
Napa cabbage leaves
PREPARATION:
For salad:
Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add sesame oil; toss to blend. Mix in chicken or turkey, onions, cilantro and chilies.
Cook snow peas in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Mix into salad.
For dressing:
Combine soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil and sugar in processor; blend until smooth.
Pour dressing over salad and mix with hands to blend well. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Line large platter with Napa cabbage leaves. Mound salad over and serve.
Serves 20.
Tuna and sun-dried tomato wrap
Healthy bonus: Protein, vitamin B12, and niacin from tuna
2 cans (6 oz each) chunk light tuna in water, drained
1/4 cup minced sun-dried tomatoes
3 tbsp lowfat mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
2 tsp stone-ground or Dijon mustard
4 small (8-inch) spinach or whole-wheat tortillas
4 leaves red leaf lettuce
In a bowl, combine tuna, tomatoes, mayonnaise, parsley and capers. Add salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 tsp mustard on tortilla. Layer lettuce leaf, then add 1/4 tuna mixture on each tortilla, spread to within 1/4 inch of the edges, and roll.
Makes 4 servings.
Sports bars with dried fruit and peanut butter
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups puffed whole grain cereal (such as Kashi)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries
1/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Preheat oven to 350�F. Spray 9-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix cereal, walnuts, dates, cherries, and raisins in medium bowl. Combine peanut butter, honey, and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking constantly until mixture bubbles vigorously and thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture in bowl; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press to compact. Bake until just golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into 2 1/2x1 1/2-inch bars. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in single layer between sheets of foil in airtight container at room temperature.)
Makes about 18 bars.
Banana-oatmeal bars with chocolate chunks
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 2.6-ounce bars mild sweet chocolate (such as Hershey's Special Dark), cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
Preheat oven to 350�F. Butter and flour 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. Blend first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas, then vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then chocolate and pecans.
Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into 3x2-inch bars and serve.
Makes about 3 dozen bars.
Oatmeal cookies with dried fruit
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes
1/2 cup dried sour cherries or dried cranberries (available at specialty foods shops)
In a large bowl cream the butter with the brown sugar and beat in the egg, the baking soda mixture, the flour, the salt, and the vanilla. Stir in the oats, the apricots, the prunes, and the cherries and combine the dough well. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough about 4 inches apart onto greased baking sheets and with a fork dipped in cold water flatten and spread each mound into a thin round, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated 375�F. oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer them with a spatula to racks, and let them cool. The cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Makes about 30 large cookies.
Pumpkin-apple muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup chopped peeled cored apples
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter
Preheat oven to 350�F. Grease eighteen 1/2-cup muffin cups or line with muffin papers. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Stir sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs in large bowl until well mixed. Mix in dry ingredients, apples, raisins and walnuts. Place equal amounts of batter into prepared cups.
For Topping:
Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in butter with fingers or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted into centers of muffins comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.
Makes 18.
Pita sandwiches with eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and cucumber
Makes 6 servings.
ingredients
sauce
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, chopped
1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, pressed
sandwiches
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
Fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread
All purpose flour
1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), unpeeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 pita bread rounds
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into strips
for sauce: Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, peppers, basil and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
for sandwiches: Preheat oven to 425�F. Spray 2 heavy large baking sheets with vegetable oil spray. Whisk olive oil, vinegar and oregano in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Place breadcrumbs in shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. Lightly dust each eggplant slice with flour; dip eggplant into egg mixture and then into breadcrumbs, coating completely. Place eggplant slices on prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil mixture. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake until brown on both sides and tender, turning occasionally, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool eggplant on baking sheets.
Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices in each pita. Stuff each pita equally with tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper strips. Drizzle 1/3 cup sauce over filling in each pita and serve.