Coco & Boo
Just curious, as the school year is coming near, I am planning on sending my daughter's lunch with her more often and am thinking of different HEALTHY lunches I can make. I don't want to bore her with the same lunch everyday...so, please everyone, tell me what YOU send or plan to send with your child in their lunch boxes *drink included if you send one*!
Answer
Lunchables are NOT all that healthy -- they have lots of sodium etc.
Main dishes:
* Tuna sandwich wrap with light mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes
* Egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread
* Peanut butter, cashew, or almond butter with a 100 percent fruit spread on whole grain bread (a healthier PB&J)
* Sliced turkey, lean roast beef, or chicken from the deli--or left over from last night's dinner--with light mayonnaise, mustard, and a slice of cheese
My kids have insulated lunchboxes and I have 8 oz metal insulated containers in which I send between late fall and early spring:
soups and stews
leftover casseroles
a treat of hot cocoa or cider
Treats:
a couple of Hershey`s kisses
a fun size candy bar
a sweet granola bar
a small handful of chocolate or butterscotch chips
a bar or brownie or cookie
Drinks:
Usually water. They can buy milk or chocolate milk at school.
Sides:
* Send a salad in a small plastic container. Keep the dressing on the side in a separate smaller container. (I do this for a main dish for my 12 year old daughter adding meat and cheese cubes to make it a chef salad -- the boys do not like it as well).
* Cheese sticks go well with sandwiches and are a good source of calcium.
* Whole grain snack crackers add a nice crunch and lots of healthy fiber.
* Make a fruit salad with grapes, melons chunks, and blueberries.
* Dried fruit, like raisins, dried cranberries or banana chips
* Nuts like almonds, cashews, or walnuts
* Pack a cold pasta salad or potato salad.
* Baby carrots or celery sticks or cucumber strips with a small container of vegetable dip
* Crunchy raw green beans with a small container of ranch or french onion dip
* Flavored yogurt -- I get a large container of vanilla organic yogurt and mix in finely chopped fruit and put about 1/4-1/2 cup in a small plastic container -- much less expensive and more fruity than the individual containers.
Lunchables are NOT all that healthy -- they have lots of sodium etc.
Main dishes:
* Tuna sandwich wrap with light mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes
* Egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread
* Peanut butter, cashew, or almond butter with a 100 percent fruit spread on whole grain bread (a healthier PB&J)
* Sliced turkey, lean roast beef, or chicken from the deli--or left over from last night's dinner--with light mayonnaise, mustard, and a slice of cheese
My kids have insulated lunchboxes and I have 8 oz metal insulated containers in which I send between late fall and early spring:
soups and stews
leftover casseroles
a treat of hot cocoa or cider
Treats:
a couple of Hershey`s kisses
a fun size candy bar
a sweet granola bar
a small handful of chocolate or butterscotch chips
a bar or brownie or cookie
Drinks:
Usually water. They can buy milk or chocolate milk at school.
Sides:
* Send a salad in a small plastic container. Keep the dressing on the side in a separate smaller container. (I do this for a main dish for my 12 year old daughter adding meat and cheese cubes to make it a chef salad -- the boys do not like it as well).
* Cheese sticks go well with sandwiches and are a good source of calcium.
* Whole grain snack crackers add a nice crunch and lots of healthy fiber.
* Make a fruit salad with grapes, melons chunks, and blueberries.
* Dried fruit, like raisins, dried cranberries or banana chips
* Nuts like almonds, cashews, or walnuts
* Pack a cold pasta salad or potato salad.
* Baby carrots or celery sticks or cucumber strips with a small container of vegetable dip
* Crunchy raw green beans with a small container of ranch or french onion dip
* Flavored yogurt -- I get a large container of vanilla organic yogurt and mix in finely chopped fruit and put about 1/4-1/2 cup in a small plastic container -- much less expensive and more fruity than the individual containers.
How to keep a salad fresh for lunch without a refrigerator?
Jenny
I want to start taking salads to work for lunch but there aren't any refrigerators to put my food in. How would I be able to keep a salad fresh?
Answer
Make sure your lettuce/greens are rinsed and dry. Pack wet ingredients like tomatoes, artichokes hearts, roasted peppers etc. separately. Pack cheese and/or cold cuts separately. Pack your salad dressing separately. Put the dried greens in a tupperware container or Ziploc with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Refrigerate all ingredients overnight then pack in an insulated bag until lunch time. If you use a decent sized container for the lettuce, you can mix your salad ingredients in that container.
If you wish to bring any salads like egg or tuna salad. The containers should also be refrigerated overnight then packed into an insulated bag with some frozen gel packs or use the other answerer's idea of the frozen bottle of water.
Make sure your lettuce/greens are rinsed and dry. Pack wet ingredients like tomatoes, artichokes hearts, roasted peppers etc. separately. Pack cheese and/or cold cuts separately. Pack your salad dressing separately. Put the dried greens in a tupperware container or Ziploc with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Refrigerate all ingredients overnight then pack in an insulated bag until lunch time. If you use a decent sized container for the lettuce, you can mix your salad ingredients in that container.
If you wish to bring any salads like egg or tuna salad. The containers should also be refrigerated overnight then packed into an insulated bag with some frozen gel packs or use the other answerer's idea of the frozen bottle of water.
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