Memories of the school lunchroom bring to mind globs of macaroni and cheese, or wilted pizza on a cracker with a nutritious side of soggy french fries and canned peas. Add a carton of chocolate milk to that and you’ve got a lunch that I hope my child never ingests! That being said, school lunches have improved quite a bit. Some schools have even gone organic and offer a salad bar and fresh fruit daily. (insert applause!)

Our challenge today: How to make a nutritious lunch our children will love!

I’ve had many requests for lunch box idea’s for kids. Parents really want to put healthy choices in their children’s lunch but it’s so much easier to grab a few pre-packaged items, throw them in a bag and race out the door. The key to a delicious and nutritious lunch for any of us is to pre-plan. Get the family together on Sunday afternoon and slice, chop and shred your way to easy lunches all week!

A friend recently recounted what was in her lunch bag as a kid. A sandwich, mini bag of chips, Little Debbie treat, and a can of soda. When asked what she puts in her own children’s lunch bag she said a sandwich, bag of chips, juice box, and if she has time, cut up apples. This is what a lot of lunch bags contain. I asked why she included the chips and she answered “as a filler.” None of us want our kids to go hungry. It’s a long time between lunch and the end of the school day. Add a bus ride home and lunch has to go a long way.

So What’s in a GOOD Lunch?

Most of us know what a well rounded meal consists of: protein, a carb, veggies and fruit (with an emphasis on the latter). Notice, this does not include sugar, salt or fat! Although fat is needed, it naturally occurs in most proteins.

Sandwiches don’t have to be two slices of bread with mayo and meat in between. Whole grain bread, mini bagels, pita’s and tortillas are all a great start. Don’t forget the veggies! Lettuce, spinach, cilantro, parsley, tomato, avocado, sprouts, cucumbers all help to keep that sandwich/wrap/pita from tasting dry and boring. Pre-wash veggies and put a damp paper towel between layers or use lettuce from a bag to save time. Finish it off with a protein: meat, hummus, nut butter and/or cheese and you’re off to a fabulous start to a filling and healthy lunch.

Don’t feel like you have time to make a sandwich?

Who says all the ingredients of a sandwich have to be put together? If time is an issue, your kids are perfectly capable of throwing a hunk of bread, a piece or two of beef jerky (or other protein choice), some of those pre-sliced fruits and veggies and a goodie in their lunch bag and you’re out the door in less than 3 minutes!

Keep in mind that deli meat is not the healthiest choice out there. It is pressed meat to which chemicals and preservatives are added. Grandma knew best. She’d make a big Sunday meal which generally included a roast meat and then she’d use the leftovers for sandwiches for the rest of the week. If time is an issue grab a Rotisserie Chicken from your local supermarket and shred it up for use in soups, salads and sandwiches for the week. If you’ve got a few minutes to spare I highly recommend giving Garlicky Chicken a try. It is simple, tender and delicious. Make extra to use in sandwiches and salads. Trust me, you’ll think you went to a great little sandwich shop for lunch! It is good and it has been kid approved!! Did I mention it was EASY??

Let’s Talk PBJs

PB&Js are an easy and healthy choice. My kids love almond butter and now demand it instead of peanut butter. Almonds are the most nutritionally dense nut providing Vitamin E, fiber and magnesium. Costco sells organic almond butter and organic peanut butter for a reasonable price. However my kids prefer the fresh ground almond butter from Fred Meyer. It’s not organic and is a bit pricey but really good! Trader Joe’s also has almond butter and organic peanut butter. It’s not so important to get organic almond butter as almonds grow in a hard shell which protects the “meat” or nut. Peanuts on the other hand, are one of the most carcinogenic and pesticide-contaminated foods we commonly eat so I do suggest organic in the case of peanut butter. Marantha organic peanut butter is an excellent brand and one of my favorites. Look in your grocer’s health food section for Marantha.

When choosing a jam for that PBJ, select an “All Fruit” or “low in sugar” variety. Remember to check for High fructose corn syrup!

But I NEED my “pre-packaged” food!

It is not easy to stay low in sugar, salt and calories with pre-packed food. Chips have no nutritional value. Absolutely none. They will keep your child full for about 5 minutes before they are converted to sugar in the blood stream. This goes for most crackers too. Don’t fool yourself. YOU and your kids can make your own pre-packaged food! Shop, chop and drop (in the lunchbag, not on the floor silly!) You don’t even have to invest in fancy Tupperware. Inexpensive little plastic containers that can be washed and re-used until lost or smelly are readily available.

The idea of Lunchables is great. Unfortunately, these are pure high fructose corn syrup, salt and preservatives wrapped up in a cute little plastic container. Between the juice, candy, white flour cracker, and pressed meats the cheese is the only decent part of these nutritionally void spectacles! Instead, your child can have fun coming up with his/her own concoctions. Whole grain crackers, slices of meat and cheese, a cookie and a bottle of water are a place to start. If it’s the mini pizzas that your child can’t live without don’t despair! Shredded cheese, whole wheat english muffins, canadian bacon and marinara sauce make for a tasty little pizza! PS All of these (pizza) ingredients keep well in the freezer!

Look forward to lunch!

Apples, oranges and bananas travel well but do get a bit boring. Add pineapple to your Sunday chopping list. Pineapple is very acidic and holds well in the fridge for quit a few days. Did you know that you can eat that fuzzy skin on a kiwi? Wash well, cut off the ends and slice. So easy and so fast! Mangoes seem laborious but if you know what you’re doing (click here" for tutorial) it can be done in no time at all. Mix together and you’ve got a fruit salad that nobody can resist!

Everybody likes a little treat, especially kids! Oatmeal cookies, or one made with whole grains are especially filling. Any homemade cookie is better than store bought. Substitute up to half of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour and your cookie will go a long way in keeping your child full. If your child will eat nuts, then add those too. Don’t have time to make your own cookies every week? Make a double batch and put the dough or the cooked cookies in the freezer. Both freeze very well and should last up to 3 months in the freezer.

Juice (even 100% organic fruit juice) and chocolate milk (again, even organic) are high in sugar and are unnecessary in a child’s diet. An 8oz/1 cup carton of either can easily contain 30 grams or more of sugar (4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar, so that is 7.5 teaspoons of sugar in one cup). Ridiculous! Water or plain milk are the best choices as far as beverages go.

If you’re kids are still hungry how about a bigger sandwich, or more fruits and veggies? Apples contain a lot of fiber and are quite filling. If your child is not allergic, nuts are a filling and simple snack as well as long as they are not heavily salted. Hummus is a great dip for veggies and very filling. Veggies and a couple of tablespoons of hummus¹ make an easy snack.

With a little bit of planning you and your child are on your way to healthy, yummy lunches! Remember to include your children in the preparation of their own lunches. They can slice up the fruits and veggies, make their own sandwich and pack their own lunch bag. All the while learning how to make healthy choices for themselves!

Make A Lunch!

Below are categorized lists of items that aren’t usually considered the old stand by. You already know those and don’t need me to repeat them for you! Mix it up, roll it up, spice it up and lunch will be something to look forward to instead of something to dread! Pick one from each list and you’ll have a lunch!

¹ If you’re not familiar with hummus, it is a mix of ground garbanzo beans and spices. My favorite is Trader Joe’s Mediterranean hummus.