Packing lunches for school

By LISA LOSASSO BELL

Fall is here. The kids are back to school. Our schedules are filled, but we still need to find the time to make sure our children are eating nutritious lunches.

Don’t worry. You’re not in this alone. According to Beth Stefura, Ohio State University Extension educator and registered dietician, since 2006, all schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are required to implement a local wellness policy to promote healthy eating and increased physical activities.

These schools receive cash subsidies and donated commodities from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each meal they serve. All lunches must meet Federal requirements, and schools must offer free or reduced price lunches to eligible children.

USDA also provides schools with technical training and assistance to help school food service staffs prepare healthful meals and to educate children to help them understand the connection between diet and health.

So, when you forget to pack lunches the night before and hit the snooze button on your alarm clock too many times the next morning, don’t panic. Your children will still be provided with healthful choices.

Options for preparing healthful and creative packed lunches are endless. According to Stefura, it’s important to incorporate whole grains such as breads, tortillas and flatbreads; vegetables, fruits and dairy products and proteins. Roll-ups are a great way to combine several different food groups. Tortillas and flatbreads can be wrapped around lettuce, tomatoes and turkey as an alternative to a plain old sandwich. “This makes it fun,” she said, also suggesting kebobs made with fresh cubed melon and cheese.

Kids can also build their own creations with a little inspiration, some crackers and fun toppings such as cheese, tuna, chicken or ham salad, or peanut butter. “Packing sliced cucumbers or baby carrots with low-calorie dressing for dipping or celery with peanut butter gives parents the option to provide their children with healthy options,” she said. “Kids love to dip things.”

When packing apple wedges, first dip them in lemon juice so they will not become discolored. Also, to keep lunches cold, Stefura suggests storing 100 percent fruit juice boxes in the freezer. When placed in with a school lunch, a juice box will keep everything cold and by lunchtime it will be thawed enough to drink.

Other favorites, she said, are cold yogurt, baked tortilla chips with salsa and low-fat pudding.

“Incorporate dialogue with your child to include them in lunch decisions and preparation,” said Stefura. “If they’re involved, they’ll eat it.”

In order to make lunches waste-free, healthychild.com suggest packing food in reusable containers and avoiding pre-packaged food. Also, instead of buying single serving foods such as yogurt, purchase the large container and spoon out single servings into smaller containers. This can also work for applesauce and bulk bin items such as peanut butter, nuts, dried fruits and granola.

For more lunch tips and recipes visit www.healthychild.com; www.eatbetterdobetter.org, or go to www.mypyramid.gov for educational and interactive resources to help you and your children make fun and healthy meal choices.

Melon Salad

1 cup watermelon

1 cup cantaloupe

1 cup honeydew

Using melon baller, scoop out three types of melons. Top with a spring of fresh mint or lemon wedge. Serve with a side of vanilla yogurt.

Caution: This salad may be a choking hazard to children ages 4 and under.

Turkey Salad Sandwich

4 slices whole wheat bread, or Bavarian sweet wheat

2 cups roasted turkey, finely minced

1 small celery stalk, diced (1/4 cup)

1 small dill pickle, diced (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or low-fat mayo

In medium bowl, add turkey, celery, pickle, parsley, and mayonnaise. Mix ingredients together and salt and pepper to taste. Cut two slices of bread into your child’s favorite shape. Spread turkey salad between bread and store in plastic wrap or lunch box container.

Fresh Raspberries and Peanut Butter Sandwich

1‚Ñ4 cup smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons raspberry jam

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon maple syrup

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup raspberries, fresh

Mix together peanut butter, syrup, vanilla and raspberry jam until well blended. Spread peanut butter mixture on both top and bottom pieces of bread. Press fresh raspberries into spread. Press sandwich gently together (this will keep berries from falling out).

Makes two servings

Recipes from “Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids” DVD available through healthychild.com.

Carrot-Top Tuna Sandwich

2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna in water, drained and flaked

1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup) or 1 cup pre-shredded carrots

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1‚Ñ2 cup light canola mayonnaise

1 tablespoon honey mustard

12 slices whole wheat bread, toasted, if desired

Combine tuna, carrot, apple, mayonnaise, and honey mustard in a medium bowl and mix well. Spread the tuna mixture evenly over each of 6 bread slices. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut in half and serve.

For even more fiber and flavor, add 1‚Ñ2 cup golden raisins and/or 1‚Ñ2 cup chopped walnuts.

Serves 6.

Recipe from eatbetterdobetter.org

Ranch Snack Mix

1 cup whole grain fish crackers

1 cup pretzels, any shape

1 cup Wheat Chex cereal

1 cup peanuts, plain

1‚Ñ4 cup dry buttermilk salad dressing mix, do not prepare

1 tablespoon canola oil

Combine crackers, pretzels, cereal and peanuts in a large bowl or bag. Mix together salad dressing mix and oil. Pour dressing over dry ingredients. Toss or shake well. Store in airtight container.

Serves 8.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

3‚Ñ4 cups all natural chunky peanut butter

3‚Ñ4 cups honey

1‚Ñ2 cup sugar

1‚Ñ3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl, beat together peanut butter, honey, sugar, and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir into peanut butter mixture. (Batter can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day). Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Using a fork, gently flatten the dough in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 50 cookies

Finger Lickin’ Chicken Salad

1‚Ñ2 cup cubed roasted boneless skinless chicken breast

1‚Ñ2 cup rib celery, cut into one inch pieces

1‚Ñ4 cup drained mandarin orange segments

1‚Ñ4 cup seedless red grapes

2 tablespoons fat-free lemon yogurt

1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Toss together chicken, celery, oranges and grapes. Place in covered plastic container. For dipping sauce, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, soy sauce and pumpkin pie spice. Pack chicken mixture and dipping sauce in insulated bag with ice pack.

Serves 1.

Cheesy Spinach Wraps

8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Prewashed baby spinach

Italian or Caesar salad dressing

Roasted, shelled sunflower seeds or dry-roasted

Place tortilla on a microwave safe plate. Arrange 1‚Ñ4 cup cheese, a handful of spinach leaves, 1 teaspoon of salad dressing, and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds over the tortilla. Heat in microwave for 45 to 60 seconds or until cheese melts and spinach wilts. Roll up, cut in half and serve.

Serves 6-11.

Source: “The Mom’s Guide to Meal Makeovers, Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!; Janice Newell Bissex, M.S., R.D., and Liz Weiss, M.S., R.D.

Blueberry-Chipotle Chutney

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple

1‚Ñ2 cup white wine vinegar

1‚Ñ3 cup sugar

1‚Ñ3 cup honey

3 tablespoons grated orange rind

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (about 2 chilies)

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Cool; pour into airtight containers up to two months.

Consider using this chutney as a barbecue sauce, basting it onto meat on the grill. Or spread it onto a tortilla, top with sliced grilled chicken and goat cheese, and roll up.

Makes 4 cups

Source: www.cookinglight.com

Apple Fruit Leather

11‚Ñ2 cups applesauce (unsweetened or no sugar added)

(Other fruits like cherries, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums and strawberries can be used too. Place fruit in a blender to create a puree).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread applesauce (or other fruit puree) evenly over cookie sheet. Place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Bake about 3 hours or until applesauce isn’t sticky and can be peeled off the cookie sheet. Remove from oven. Cut into 4 inch by 4 inch squares with scissors. Store in airtight container.

Make 4 servings

Source: “Making Healthy Lunches Your kids Won’t Trade; by Sandra Nissenberg, M.S., R.D., and Barbara Pearl, M.S., R.D.