Secrets Of The School Lunch Box.
Author/s: Lynn Walters
Issue: Jan, 1999
Mornings are usually quite a challenge. Getting
your children dressed, fed, and out the door to
school can fill every second of available time.
Yet you also have to find the time to make their
lunches. Luckily, it's possible to create
nutritious, attractive, and delicious meals very
quickly, with the proper planning.
Rule number one: Remain flexible. Even as a food
professional, I am continually challenged by my
children's changing appetites. One time I found
something that they liked, and I made it for two
weeks straight. They do not ever want to see that
lunch again. On the other hand, a friend of mine
has made cream cheese and green olive sandwiches
every day for two years for her 11-year-old daughter.
Every morning this mother cheerfully asks her child
for lunch requests. The answer is always the same.
The point is that appetites vary in children, just
as they do in adults. Making healthy and appealing
lunches is partly about cooking. But it is also about
having a sense of humor. Within reason, try and
accommodate your children's requests and desires.
A Weeks Suggestions
Do not ignore the guidelines of good nutrition, however.
Growing children should eat a variety of foods, including
protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. I was
almost 35 before I finally experienced the tremendous
benefit of eating protein for lunch every day. The long-
lasting energy that protein provides helps children stay
alert throughout the afternoon. Protein-rich foods include
beans, nuts, tofu, tempeh, meat, and cheese. Good
carbohydrates include whole grains, cereals, and breads.
Fresh fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins,
minerals, and fiber.
What follows is a week's worth of easy, healthy lunch
suggestions. Mix and match as you and your child desire.
Monday:
Tofu salad pockets (recipe follows)
Red bell pepper strips Apple,
quartered, cored, and put back
together (this makes eating easier
and minimizes browning)
Tuesday:
Hearty bean soup (send it in a small
thermos, with a spoon)
Carrot and celery sticks
Dried apple rings
Wednesday:
Nori rolls (vegetable sushi,
purchased or homemade)
Mini rice cakes
Fresh pear, quartered, cored, and put
back together
Thursday:
Tortilla wrap (cooked hot dogs
-- preferably chicken or tofu -- rolled
up in a tortilla)
Cherry tomatoes and jicama slices
Dried apricots
Friday:
Wild rice salad (recipe follows)
Hard-boiled egg
Orange, sectioned or cut into wedges
Packaging Tips:
Small reusable containers, whether plastic tubs
or lovely Japanese lunch boxes, work well for
most sandwiches and other hard foods without the
waste of disposable bags. Check to make sure that
your children can open the containers easily.
Ziploc[TM] bags are useful for wet fruits,
vegetables, or pickles.
Recipes:
Tofu Salad Pockets
8 ounces soft tofu
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons celery, minced
1 teaspoon parsley (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Pinch black pepper
Lettuce or spinach leaves
2 pieces pita bread
Mash the tofu with a fork. Add the mayonnaise
and turmeric. Stir well. Add the vegetables,
parsley, salt, and pepper and mix lightly.
Cut the pita bread in half. Lay a lettuce or
spinach leaf flat inside each pita half. Fill
with tofu salad. Makes 4 pockets.
Wild Rice Salad
1 cup wild rice
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden beet, peeled and
julienned
1/2 cup carrot, diced or cut into
thin half-moons
1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas, strings
removed
1/2 cup pecans, lightly
toasted and chopped
Cook the rice in the water and salt. Drain
and cool. In a large bowl, add the beet,
carrot, and celery to the rice. Blanch the
peas in boiling water for two minutes, or
until they turn bright green. Immediately
drain the peas and plunge them into ice-cold
water. (This will keep them a beautiful
emerald green.) Drain the peas again and add
to the rice and vegetables. Then add the
pecans and stir until well mixed.
Serves 4 to 6.
