School’s been in session for a couple months and ideas for school lunches might be getting a little stale. Here’s a few ideas that your kids can make for themselves that are different from standard sandwiches.
Wraps made with whole grain tortillas or pita pockets are great. There are an abundance of things that can be rolled into a tortilla or stuffed into a pita bread.
- Beans, grated cheese, chicken, tomatoes and salsa
- Cream cheese, tuna or salmon mixed with grated carrots and apple.
- Peanut or almond butter and blueberries, banana or chopped apple.
- Chicken salad made with chopped or shredded chicken, plain yogurt, mayonnaise, chopped cucumber, celery and red bell peppers
- Leftover dinner—e.g. meat, fish or poultry and roasted vegetables
- A salad is any mixture of food that is typically eaten cold, and lots of salads can be complete meals.
- Pasta, rice, quinoa, corn, cubed cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes + veggies + beans, cheese and/or meat/fish/poultry dressed with vinaigrette dressing, or olive oil and lime juice, or a creamy dressing.
Green salad topped with frozen corn, beans, and meat/fish/poultry and your favorite salad dressing.
Round out the lunch with a piece of fruit and a small dessert, and for bigger appetites some whole grain chips (e.g. tortilla chips or Sun Chips).
If overweight is a challenge your child faces, put in a sandwich bag filled with popcorn (good brand is “Skinny Pop”, made with just popcorn, sunflower oil and a little salt—no preservatives); popcorn helps fill us up without a lot of extra calories.
