LET'S DO LUNCH

by Kimberly Carrow

Printed in The Family Post: School Issue 2004

I've found it very interesting to observe lunchtime in my kid's classrooms when I volunteer at the school. One little Kindergartner, who was never lacking in energy, had only a Coke packed in his lunch one day. My husband, who is a teacher, had a student who brought canned frosting for his school lunch several days in a row! But these are extremes; most parents dutifully pack a nutritious meal every day, or pay for their kids to have a hot lunch.

When I first became a mom, I remember thinking how much fun I would have when the kids were of school age and I could make their lunches. As a child, I was an adventurous eater and would enjoy lunch items such as curried egg sandwiches, shrimp cocktail, marinated artichoke hearts and potato salad with extra pickles. My kids, however, are not as interested in exotic lunch selections and prefer the same, exact things over and over (the dessert may vary, however). I can sneak in a few interesting items such as a hard-boiled egg or rice crackers, but lunch-making is not the creative activity which I once imagined.

Since it's time to start packing lunchboxes again, I began browsing through the cookbook section of the book store for inspiration. I happened across a little book pushed into a corner of a shelf called “The Brown Bag Cookbook” by Sara Sloan. It contains some great recipes and ideas. Since I always have a few recipes and ideas of my own to contribute, I thought that I would compose a "Greatest Hits" list of school lunch ideas which I have gathered from friends, books and practice over the years. Although making school lunches everyday can be a tedious chore, our kids deserve the best!

From the Brown Bag Cookbook:

Cut sandwiches in various sizes and shapes—younger children like shapes made with large cookie cutters.

Toss in granola, popcorn and nuts instead (instead of chips or unhealthy junk food like Cheetos).

Look at what comes back in the lunch box, then ask gently why certain items were not eaten. I have found that often my kids just don't have time to eat everything I've packed, so I pack less next time. Just make sure your kids know that you’re not mad at them for not eating everything, or you may guilt them into throwing food away.

Communicate about lunchtime. Ask your kids what they enjoyed eating, who they eat with and if they had enough time to eat.

Learn lunch favorites and prepare them frequently while you gradually introduce new items.

Some tips and observations:

Buy several freezer packs at the beginning of the year; If you forget to unpack lunchboxes or a freezer pack gets thrown away, you won't be stressing. In a pinch, a plastic container full of ice will do, as long as it will not leak.

Freeze homemade cookies and treats to keep them fresh, then pack straight from the freezer into lunch boxes.

Save little plastic containers, especially yogurt containers. Wash them out and use for lunch items. Reuse plastic baggies when possible. It's just amazing how many baggies you can go through in a school year, and recycling is a greener and less expensive option. Sandwich-shaped containers are available, too.

Always keep a big jar of unsweetened applesauce on hand, in case you don't have any suitable fruit to pack.

Kiwis are full of nutrition and a great lunch item. Simply cut them in half, put them in a small container, and let kids scoop out the insides with a spoon.

Graham crackers make great sandwich cookies when spread with peanut butter, jelly or strawberry cream cheese.

Dried blueberries are an excellent source of mega-vitamins. So are raisins and nuts, especially almonds and pecans. Hit the bulk bins at the supermarket or health food store and let your kids pick out a few combinations to try. You can make your own trail mix this way, too.

Cold tofu hot dogs are healthy and yummy! Serve them with a small container of mustard or barbeque sauce. As a matter of fact, save restaurant packages of ketchup and sauces for lunches.

Don't forget about hard-boiled eggs. Boil some up Sunday night, and then you will have them in a pinch.

Assign the kids the chore of unpacking their lunchbox and washing it out, if necessary.

And for kids of all ages, do something special every so often—pack a hand-written note, a little card or sticker, or maybe a pretty holiday napkin or special straw. Yours will be the happiest child at the lunch table, guaranteed.

Kimberly Carrow lives in Grass Valley, and is Mother to Shelby, age 9, and Lily, age 5.