What’s For Lunch?
My youngest daughter is in 6th grade and although she is the first one in the kitchen to offer to cook or clean, she is also my most particular eater. It can be a struggle at times but I try to keep things positive because I don’t want there to be any negative relationships with food in the future. Therefore, it’s all about encouraging, not forcing, getting her involved in the kitchen and making it fun, and educating.
Picture of my daughters’ school lunch…which is what inspired this blog post.
She recently sent me this picture from a school lunch they were served. She was complaining about how everything was white, bland, and unappealing. The fact that she knows this tells me that my subtle educating on eating a variety of colors for nutrients, limiting processed foods, and balancing meals is sinking in. In her exact words she said “look what they’re feeding us”. I decided to do an Instagram post about it @amydirkssn, which then led me to this blog post because I think it’s important to think about what we are fueling our kids with in the mornings before they are off to learn for the day, what they are “re-fueling” with while at school and possibly before PE or practices/games/track meets, and what they are having after the fact.
Many times, it’s cereal, pop tarts, muffins, toast, pancakes, waffles, croissants, chocolate milk, or sugary yogurts. All of these foods break down into sugar, which doesn’t sustain them until the next opportunity to eat. Unfortunately, that next opportunity is a lunch like the picture above, or other processed foods such as chips and crackers. Where’s the protein, healthy fats, and fiber? The point is they are not getting the brain fuel they need for optimal learning, nor the energy for physical activity.
This was the 2nd pic I received from her recent “sandwich”. It doesn’t look like an egg to me, it looks like a piece of plastic!
After volunteering on the school district wellness committee for many years, I’m sad to say that I feel like it’s futile to try and change what is happening. Although there have been some organizations like Brigaid and chef Jamie Oliver that have made some headway with school food reform, it’s a slow going process. At this point, it has to start at home, which is challenging when so many students eat 1-2 meals while at school. In California, school lunches are free to everyone. My sister-in-law told me about a conversation she had with my nephews principal…the principal was heading to the cafeteria to eat lunch because the food was good and free. On the menu for that day was an organic Mary’s chicken wings with bbq sauce they made in the kitchen, homemade cornbread, and a tangy vinegar based slaw on the side. The day before was a tofu curry and rice! They partner with local Black-owned farms plus have multiple citrus trees on campus or close by. Now, living in Kansas City, access to fruit trees like that is scarce, but how fortunate for those kids and staff to get to eat like that on the daily! I don’t have the answer for this because as I mentioned on IG, I questioned my career choice while doing a school foodservice rotation when the dietitian catered the lunch menu according to fast food because “that’s what sells”. What I can give you are some ideas of lunches you can pack at home to avoid the “frankenfoods” like my daughter is exposed to eating at her school.
“Proper school nutrition must be complemented by activities outside of the cafeteria. The decisions parents make to keep their kids healthy are critical in fighting this battle on the home front.”
Now, I realize that’s a loaded quote…making healthy choices at home involves multiple factors including education and financial status. It goes beyond just making a lifestyle choice to exercise and eat healthy. The problem is that at school and at home, kids are getting too much sugar, unhealthy fats, and empty calories. The food might be calorie dense, but it’s not nutrient dense and most of the time is made up of chemicals and not real food at all. Again, I digress because there’s not a simple solution. Real food grows and dies and usually doesn’t need a label. You can eat healthy on a budget, but you have to know how and most people don’t. It’s an uphill battle. Schedules are super busy and fast food chains are on every corner, making it easy to drive through and feed everyone while on the go and it seems more economical considering how cheap fast food can be.
When it comes to making lunches, whether it’s for yourself, spouse, or kids, be creative and think outside of the sandwich. Creative doesn’t mean extravagant or difficult. Creative can be a dipping sauce, using dinner from the night before, adding some flare with toys or messages, or having your kids make their own lunches and see what they come up with. Giving them this independence can make them proud and it takes the responsibility off of your hands. Win-win! I think the most important thing is having the ingredients on hand and maybe, just maybe, trying to prep some items prior to so that they are ready to grab and go for quick and easy stress-free lunches (and snacks!).
Fortunately, we have Pinterest, Google, Facebook, and Instagram now all to help us with ideas on healthy lunches. This is great if you have time to do the research before taking the time to make the actual meals.
Other than prepping, having the appropriate containers can make a difference as well. The Bento Box is a wonderful tool for meal planning lunches and separating foods if you have any picky kiddos that don’t like their food touching. I use bento boxes, stainless steel containers and thermoses, glass containers and reusable zipper sacks for my kids lunches. I also use these multi-colored ice packs for keeping things cool. It doesn’t have to be fancy though, the good ole paper sack still works too!
Below is a list of individual ingredients that could be included in lunches. Written beside some of the individual foods, I will share ideas that might work for your athletes, family, or your kids. This is a pretty solid start for lunch ideas.
FRUITS:
Bananas (can be cut with the peel on or added to wraps/sandwiches)
Apples (add almond butter or peanut butter, sunflower butter if allergic, chocolate hazelnut butter; use packets for ease or put into silicone cups)
Oranges
Pears
Melons (use a melon baller, cut into longer rectangles, or cubes with a toothpick)
Berries
Mango (even frozen work and by the time lunch comes around, they are thawed)
Pineapple
Grapes (can be frozen too)
Applesauce; squeeze packs or cups with a fun spoon or make your own!
VEGGIES:
Carrots (easy to dip into hummus or ranch)
Cucumber (cut into rounds or sticks; for fun, cut out the center and leave the ring)
Broccoli (Trees! Use dressings/dips)
Celery (use dips, as a spoon for chicken salad, peanut butter with raisins)
Bell Peppers (these are fun to create a rainbow and use with dips)
Green Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Salads (try different lettuces but typically Romaine is most popular with kiddos; fyi, Iceberg lettuce is merely water and doesn’t have much nutritional value but is a start if salad is a new thing)
Radishes (soak in water first to take some heat out; use with dips, slice thin for salads)
Snap Peas/Snow Peas
Edamame (non-GMO, steam with salt)
Green Peas (can be frozen)
Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I have added these to soups and noodles for more veggies; by the time they eat lunch, they have thawed and warmed in thermos)
Corn & Popcorn; make sure it’s non-GMO corn and popcorn. Make it yourself with coconut oil as microwave popcorn is not the best. You can microwave corn kernels in a paper bag.
MAINS:
Sandwiches (standard fare but make your sandwich into a salad; add thin cucumber slices, avocado smashed or mixed with healthy mayo, hummus as a spread, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, pickles, peppers, etc. If you roll out your bread, you can make sandwich rolls.
Tortilla Roll-ups (find a good tortilla as the first step or make a batch of your own; can use any rotisserie meats, turkey, nut butters/banana, etc. Once rolled up, keep them that way or cut into “sushi style” bites. Use a mozzarella cheese stick.
Lettuce Wraps (ditch the bread and use lettuce as your wrap to add more veggies; Boston Bibb lettuce, collard greens, and large romaine works well for this. If I ever get fast food, I ask for protein style lettuce wrap versus the bun. Try a BLT wrap with bacon, avocado, tomato and avocado-oil based mayo inside a piece of lettuce.
Lunch meat, Cheese and Crackers; try Nut-thins instead of traditional crackers. Use cucumber slices instead of crackers.
Chicken/Tuna/Salmon Salad (these canned proteins are easy to work with and inexpensive. Add grapes, apples, onions, celery, cranberries, etc to make it more nutritional; serve with crackers, celery, wraps, or bread or by itself).
Egg Salad (I love adding spices like curry powder to my egg salad)
Deviled Eggs or Hard-boiled Eggs
Rotisserie Chicken with dipping sauces (try making honey mustard, bbq sauce or ranch).
Layered Mexican Bean Dip w/ Tortilla Chips (smash beans, add plain FULL-FAT Greek yogurt, taco seasoning, salsa, a little cheese, and guacamole...they make individual servings of guacamole).
Hummus (use on a sandwich, use with veggies for dipping, add feta cheese on top and serve with crackers; they make individual servings as well).
Waffles or Pancakes; make extra, use protein waffles/pancakes, try cookie cutters to make them fun. Breakfast for lunch is always a hit!
Quinoa or Rice Bowls (could be Chipotle style or using leftovers to create something).
Rice Balls (make them sweet with honey or savory with liquid aminos/soy flavor)
Cottage Cheese (savory with tomatoes or sweet with peaches/fruit)
Yogurt Parfait (this can be a meal in itself if you use FULL-FAT Greek yogurt, berries, honey or maple syrup, nuts, chia or flax seeds, and a sprinkle of granola or even almond/peanut butter).
Soups! Chilis and soups can be very filling AND healthy! There are so many varieties as well. Make your own or try Pacific/Amy’s Organics brands.
Mason Jar Salads (make sure you put the dressing on the bottom or in a separate container).
Tacos! My kids love tacos and again, they can be so versatile. Serve them deconstructed so the kids can put them together they way they want. Add some healthy fillings!
Meatballs (again, chicken, turkey, beef, veggie meatballs; make them for dinner one night and make extra. Freeze them or turn them into lunch the next day with some sauce and a side of veggies or gluten-free noodles).
Baked Potatoes (bake or microwave and put in a thermos with any fixings or serve fixings on the side. A baked potato can be a complete meal if you add some protein (beans or chicken) and a healthy fat (grass-fed butter or avocado oil).
Kabobs; could be grilled meat and veggies but could also be fruit kabobs, cheese with tomatoes, or meatballs with cheese.
Burgers; again, what a versatile food...it doesn’t have to be on a bun with ketchup and cheese...get creative. I’ve had friends bring grass-fed beef made into small burgers on a stick with cheese, bacon, lettuce, grape tomatoes, and a pickle so it was a burger on a stick! No bun necessary.
Smoothies; a smoothie can be a meal in itself. Add protein, veggies, fruit, liquid base and freeze the night before; set out to thaw the morning of and by lunch it should be good to go. Put it in a container that can be shook in order to re-blend the smoothie.
Overnight Oats (if wanting breakfast for lunch)
Egg Muffins (you can create a pizza version and dip in marinara sauce or a savory breakfast version).
Pizza (make your own or offer deconstructed pizza with naan bread or english muffin...there are gluten free english muffins too. Serve the sauce, cheese, and toppings on the side so the kids can make their own).
Gluten-free Chicken Nuggets; not a huge fan of processed foods but when you are in a pinch, these are handy. Add a dipping sauce on the side.
Pasta Salad; can be healthy if you use the right noodle, the right sauce/seasoning, and add veggies with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
TREATS:
Energy balls
Granola bars
Dark chocolate chips
Organic Yogurt tubes
Organic fruit snacks
Graham crackers (create smores with mini marshmallows and dark chocolate)
Organic marshmallows
Trail Mix (add chocolate chips or M&M’s)
Homemade muffins or cookies
Jason’s mini peanut butter cups
Banana chips
Dried mango or other dried fruits
As I always say, “it doesn’t have to be all or none”. Maybe try a home lunch once or twice a week to start, but the point is to start somewhere. Even if it’s just drinking water only while at school and not soda, lemonade, Gatorade, or juice. Baby steps are still steps!
