Are you already stumped when it comes to packing lunches and snacks? Do you find it hard to come up with quick yet healthy breakfast ideas? Help is here!
This week, we held a highly informative teleclass, led by registered dietitian and mom Sally Kuzemchak and generously sponsored by Happy Family, during which participants learned the basics of packing healthy lunches and snacks your child will want to eat.
In case you missed it, or would simply like ongoing reference and support, you can find a link to the recorded teleclass HERE.
Some additional resources to keep you and your kids out of a PB&J lunchbox rut:
Check out Sally’s fave lunch packing gear.
Here some great recipes on Sally’s blog.
Also, Dina Rose and Sally have a podcast together! Their latest episode was about breakfast. Listen HERE.
Finally, here are some school lunch ideas from the Happy Family website by, Susan Fishman, which should help keep you going throughout the school year!
School Lunch Ideas
It’s a wrap. So much you can do in a wrap (preferably a whole-wheat tortilla wrap), which helps when the sandwich thing gets old. My kids like the idea of assembling things themselves, so I usually pack the items individually, and let them do the work. This also keeps the wrap from getting soggy by the time lunch rolls around. (Note: Look for an upcoming post on good quality packing “tools,” which also makes everything a heck of a lot easier.) Here are some options:
- turkey and cheese
- cream cheese and black olives (one of my kids’ favorites)
- black beans, lettuce, shredded cheese and/or salsa20140808_135325
- hummus with cucumber slices, tomato, lettuce and/or black olives
- chicken Caesar – grilled chicken strips, lettuce, Caesar dressing and grated parmesan
- tuna fish, plain or with tomato and/or lettuce
- egg salad
- even just a plain wrap with salsa for dipping
It’s a lettuce wrap. What’s healthier than wrapping things up in a whole-wheat tortilla? Wrapping them up in a vegetable! Pack a nice big leaf of romaine alongside any of the above options.
Meat & cheese roll-ups. We use faux turkey with Havarti or Muenster in our house, but you can layer your kid’s favorite cheese on his or her favorite meat and roll it on up. Stick a toothpick in, and you’ve got the easiest sandwich you ever made (and they can eat it right off the stick!).
All about the snacks. My kids are definitely all about the snacks, so I pack what looks like just a bunch of snacks or sides (i.e., no “main course”), but is really a pretty well-rounded meal.
- Black olives
- Chickpeas w/ olive oil and salt
- Plain lettuce with favorite dressing (packed in separate containers)
- Frozen raspberries (or any frozen fruit) with a little raw sugar sprinkled on top. (The berries melt into a nice sweet-n-sour slush by lunchtime.)
- Greek yogurt with honey and granola or berries
- hummus with a tortilla, tortilla chips, pretzels or carrot sticks for dipping
- celery, carrots or cucumbers with ranch dressing (try mixing greek yogurt, a little mayo and ranch seasoning — delish!)
- edamame
- hard boiled egg
- string cheese or other cheese sticks with whole-wheat crackers
- favorite fruit or dried fruit
- granola or Z-Bars
- fruit pouches or crushers, or “squeezers” as well call them (Happy Squeeze pouches are a top choice, packed with vitamins and minerals. They’re great to mix in baked goods or other recipes, too).
Double-up soup. When the weather gets cooler, we make a lot of soups, and I usually double the recipe so we have plenty left over for lunches. If you want to wait several days or weeks before serving it again, freeze some in individual containers, and you can thaw overnight for school the next day. Try our favorite minestrone soup (add a piece of bread or crackers, and you’re done).
Pasta a plenty. Pasta leftovers are always easy, too. Like the soup, you can put it in a good insulated food container to keep warm. I’ll make a big pot of whole wheat pasta on Sunday night and use it for a couple days worth of lunch. My kids like it with tomato sauce, olive oil and Parmesan or Ginger dressing.
The added treat. We generally try to eat healthy, but I’m all about the occasional treats or sweets to keep everyone from feeling too restricted or “deprived.” So I will throw in some chocolate, cookies or other sweet once or twice a week. And maybe scribble out a quick note from mom. If I can find an extra minute. Or remember.
Sally Kuzemchak is a registered dietitian, writer, educator, and mom of two boys. She is the author of the new book Cooking Light Dinnertime Survival Guide. She blogs at www.RealMomNutrition.com. She has packed more than a thousand lunches for her kids.
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