I’m working on a series of back-to-school posts for One Hungry Mama about packed lunches and decided to give you Brooklyn folks a peek at the first. Because that’s how we roll here in the B-K. Always watching out for one another.
I point to a bunch of recipes below, but the real focus in on pointers to increase variety and health without taking more time. That’s a good deal, right? So let’s hit it…
1. Plan for leftovers. I know it sounds labor intensive, but planning ahead saves time in the end. Seems counterintuitive, I know, but it’s true. I also know that. Every Sunday, I make a meal plan for the whole week. If you can’t do that (or don’t want to), at least plan ahead enough to make an extra portion of 1 or 2 dinners per week. That means 1 or 2 lunches done. Just like that.
2. Go international. We love sandwiches here in the States. And why not. A good sandwich—sometimes even a mediocre one—is just what you need to hit the spot. But, day after day, they can get a little old and uninspired. I mean, how many PB&J’s or turkey sammy’s can one kid eat? Instead, think crepes (make ahead and freeze), quesadillas (ones like these filled with red chard and mushrooms or butternut squash and avocado are more delicious than you’d think at room temp), dosas (made easy if you get a mix, make like crepes and freeze), and hand-held pies (these Syrian spinach pies are made with store-bought pizza dough and a no-cook spinach filling). All of these things are easy to fill with standard sandwich stuffers or more creative and nutritious vegetable fillings.
3. Use your freezer. I already mentioned freezing several times, but it bears repeating. Use. Your. Freezer. Which, by the way, brings us back to planning. When you make something that’s also good for the lunchbox, make sure to cook extra. Or plan a time when you can take an hour or two just to stock your freezer with goodies that’ll make packing lunch easier for the month: crepes, dosas, veggie fillings (e.g., chickpea, spinach and potato mash), zucchini or sweet potato muffins, baked chicken fingers, or polenta squares which can be layered or topped with good stuff.
4. Pack fruits and veggies. I hear you chuckling. Especially you parents of older kids. But hear me out. (Many of you laughed when I wrote, more than once, about why hiding vegetables misses the point and that turned out to be sound–even recommended!—advice.)
Offering, day after day, a well rounded lunch with a main entree (if you will), a snacky thing like muffins, granola or yogurt, and a bunch of fruit and veggies sends a clear message about what makes a good meal. Sure, many kids will leave the fruit and veggies. So let them. If they’re really hungry, they’ll eat it. Or they’ll trade and negotiate to end up with someone else’s more appealing lunch box item. Fine. (Kind of savvy, even.) Kids will do this, and we can accept it without being in collusion with them. All you need to know is that you did your job by providinh a healthy, well-balanced lunch. Period.
5. Don’t care what others think. Your child will not be scarred by having a lunch that differs from the other kids. I know. When everyone else had Twinkies and PB&J, I had Greek food and snacks from the health food store. My lunch sucked. (Unlike me, my mom did not know how to do healthy without doing lame.) Do I still talk about it to this day? Yes. But I also love food and cooking and, as far as I can tell, none of my issues stem from what my mom packed for lunch.
And, while I’m at it, I don’t want you to just ignore your kid’s classmates. I also want you to ignore their parents! Nobody knows better than me feeling like other parents are thinking, “Oh, you’re the mom what packed THAT for lunch. Yes. I am that mom. Because encouraging good eating habits is not a crime. In fact, it’s arguably one of the most important things we can do to invest in our children’s lifelong healthy habits. And no I don’t live a life of luxury where I can spend hours packing a precious lunch for my kid. I’ve found ways to do it just as fast as you madly scramble to throw together yet another ham sandwich. Don’t believe me? See 1-4 above.
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Kids change the way we cook, but they don’t have to change how well we eat. Get more family-friendly recipes, tips and techniques on Stacie’s blog, One Hungry Mama.