Healthy School Lunches
August 31, 2010
My oldest started school this week and one of the things he needs to bring with him is Lunch 2x a week when he stays all day, He also has to bring in a snack and drink daily. I want to continue feeding him the same way at school as I do at home. I did have to make some adjustments since he doesn't have use of a microwave and I want to give him things that he can easily open and eat quickly. I've realized after going to orientation is that they are not given a whole lot of time to eat, and Jackson tends to socialize A LOT! ( hope that isn't an issue in the future)
When I make lunch for the boys I tend to make a lot of sandwiches whether it's on a bagel, thin rice cake, whole grain bread or soft whole wheat tortilla. Since we do eat sandwiches almost daily I buy either Pepperridge Farm VERY Thin Whole Wheat Bread or some sort of Whole Grain sprouted bread. There is less sugar, preservatives, and NO High Fructose Corn Syrup. Yes...most breads have that so READ labels!
Main Lunch Ideas
Sandwiches
* PBJ using organic fresh Peanut Butter with a natural preserve such as Apple or Pumpkin Butter. Use can also use Honey too.
* Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese on a Bagel or toast bread
* No Preservative Turkey with Cheese, instead of using the traditional American switch it up and use Havarti, Munster, Swiss, Fontaina or Gouda. Much less salt and much more flavor
* Make your own Veggie Cream Cheese and spread that on a bagel, torialla, pita or even whole grain bread
* Pizza Bagels using mini whole wheat bagels, all natural or homemade pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake the morning of or the night before. We all LOVE room temperature pizza.
* Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad, you can make it into a sandwich or even serve it with crackers.
Alternatives to the Traditional Sandwich
* Hummus with Pita chips or crackers
* Cheese and Crackers
* Pancakes or French Toast with Honey/Maple Syrup dipping sauce
* Energy Bar or Granola Bar that is either homemade or made with whole grains, no preservatives.
* Cubed Chicken with your child's favorite dipping sauce
* Pasta Salad
Side Dishes
Fruit
We can always throw in an apple, banana or orange into our child's lunch box. Depending on the amount of time they have to eat lunch and their ability to peel fruit, it might be best to try these ideas. Not only are they fun and more eye appealing but easy to pop into their mouth.
* Fruit Kabobs
* Sliced apples with peanut butter/honey dipping sauce
* Sliced fruit with yogurt dipping sauce
* Fruit Leather
* Dried Fruit, seeds and nuts mixed together
Veggies
* Veggies with a dipping sauce such as ranch or hummus
* Dried Veggies such as green beans or pea pods and call them "Green Fries"
Snacks and Such
* Lifeway Yogurt Squeezable's ( filled with goodness and Probiotics)
* Cheese Sticks
* Apple/Carrot Squeezable's I find mine at Trader Joe's
* HAPPYBABY Squeezable's - you may think these are for babies but you are all wrong. They don't need to be refrigerated and they come in amazing flavors such as Banana, Peach, Coconut and Prunes.
* Cubed cheese with grapes
* Yogurt covered raisins
* Muffins or bread (try adding some grated zucchini and carrots to the mixture, adds a little texture and extra nutritional value
Drinks
I cannot stress this enough....WATER! WATER! WATER!!!!! use a reusable BPA free squeeze bottle and fill it with ice water so it stays cold. You can even place it in the freezer the night before and double it as a cold pack too.
Now I told you what my favorite school lunches are, I'd love to hear what ideas you have!!
When I make lunch for the boys I tend to make a lot of sandwiches whether it's on a bagel, thin rice cake, whole grain bread or soft whole wheat tortilla. Since we do eat sandwiches almost daily I buy either Pepperridge Farm VERY Thin Whole Wheat Bread or some sort of Whole Grain sprouted bread. There is less sugar, preservatives, and NO High Fructose Corn Syrup. Yes...most breads have that so READ labels!
Main Lunch Ideas
Sandwiches
* PBJ using organic fresh Peanut Butter with a natural preserve such as Apple or Pumpkin Butter. Use can also use Honey too.
* Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese on a Bagel or toast bread
* No Preservative Turkey with Cheese, instead of using the traditional American switch it up and use Havarti, Munster, Swiss, Fontaina or Gouda. Much less salt and much more flavor
* Make your own Veggie Cream Cheese and spread that on a bagel, torialla, pita or even whole grain bread
* Pizza Bagels using mini whole wheat bagels, all natural or homemade pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake the morning of or the night before. We all LOVE room temperature pizza.
* Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad, you can make it into a sandwich or even serve it with crackers.
Alternatives to the Traditional Sandwich
* Hummus with Pita chips or crackers
* Cheese and Crackers
* Pancakes or French Toast with Honey/Maple Syrup dipping sauce
* Energy Bar or Granola Bar that is either homemade or made with whole grains, no preservatives.
* Cubed Chicken with your child's favorite dipping sauce
* Pasta Salad
Side Dishes
Fruit
We can always throw in an apple, banana or orange into our child's lunch box. Depending on the amount of time they have to eat lunch and their ability to peel fruit, it might be best to try these ideas. Not only are they fun and more eye appealing but easy to pop into their mouth.
* Fruit Kabobs
* Sliced apples with peanut butter/honey dipping sauce
* Sliced fruit with yogurt dipping sauce
* Fruit Leather
* Dried Fruit, seeds and nuts mixed together
Veggies
* Veggies with a dipping sauce such as ranch or hummus
* Dried Veggies such as green beans or pea pods and call them "Green Fries"
Snacks and Such
* Lifeway Yogurt Squeezable's ( filled with goodness and Probiotics)
* Cheese Sticks
* Apple/Carrot Squeezable's I find mine at Trader Joe's
* HAPPYBABY Squeezable's - you may think these are for babies but you are all wrong. They don't need to be refrigerated and they come in amazing flavors such as Banana, Peach, Coconut and Prunes.
* Cubed cheese with grapes
* Yogurt covered raisins
* Muffins or bread (try adding some grated zucchini and carrots to the mixture, adds a little texture and extra nutritional value
Drinks
I cannot stress this enough....WATER! WATER! WATER!!!!! use a reusable BPA free squeeze bottle and fill it with ice water so it stays cold. You can even place it in the freezer the night before and double it as a cold pack too.
Now I told you what my favorite school lunches are, I'd love to hear what ideas you have!!
Posted by Trina O'Boyle. Posted In : School Ideas
One of the reasons why I LOVE summer is because of all the veggies and herbs I get from my garden, and all the local Farmer Market fines.
I am always thinking of ways that I can make my mornings run smoother. I have been making batches of Pancakes, Waffles and French Toast then freezing them for years. When we are running a little late or just want a no fuss breakfast I can pop one of these out of the freezer and re-heat. 
It never fails every year I have at one veggie in the garden that pops up all at once, last year it was zucchini this year it's the broccoli. There is just so many days I can force my boys to eat broccoli and after awhile we get sick of it too. So I decided to save if for this winter by freezing it. YES...you can freeze broccoli but there are a few steps that you need to do so it stays fresh in freezer until you want to use it. 
Thanks for stopping by O'Boy! Organic's blog. This blog is a work in progress for me. I love to share recipes I cook for my family and hopefully you will enjoy them too.
