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Home › Articles › Back to Preschool Headquarters › Singing the Lunchbox Blues?

Singing the Lunchbox Blues?

How to Create a Healthy Meal for Your Student

Part One

By Donna Smith

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

  • Chili
  • Turkey dogs with mustard for dipping
  • Mini quiches
  • Tortellini with spaghetti sauce for dipping
  • Hard-boiled eggs and cubed ham

    • Marilyn Lux from Douglasville, Ga., likes sending hot dogs in her daughter's lunchbox. She found by adding hot water to the thermos along with the hot dogs, they stay hot. "My daughter said they were still warm at lunch," she says. "Her lunches served at school are hardly ever warm."

    Snacks and Such

    The highlight of lunch for many kids is the snack. It's so easy to toss a few cookies in a bag and be done with it, which is fine occasionally, but there are many healthy alternatives to those cookies. Instead of sugary-sweet snacks try the following:

    • Sugar-free Jell-O Jigglers
    • Cubes of fruit threaded on a straw
    • Trail mix
    • Raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries or a combination
    • Cereal bars
    • Cereal (choose one that's not loaded with sugar – it's a great source of vitamins and minerals)
    • Pretzels with mustard for dipping
    • Mild salsa with tortilla chips
    • Applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon

    Read Part Two for tips on storing, cleaning and adding some excitement to your child's lunchbox!

    Fun Sandwich Combinations
    • Peanut Butter and Banana: Top peanut butter with sliced bananas. Great on white, wheat or raisin bread.
    • Peanut Butter and Honey: Drizzle peanut butter with honey.
    • Peanut Butter and Raisins: Sprinkle desired amount of raisins on top of peanut butter. This is not recommended for children under 3 due to the choking hazard.
    • Peanut Butter and Grated Carrots: Mix creamy peanut butter with freshly-grated carrots. Spread on wheat bread or stuff into celery.
    • Cream Cheese and Jelly: Spread softened cream cheese on wheat bread. Top with your child's favorite jelly or jam.
    • Chicken Caesar: Top thinly-sliced chicken breast with creamy Italian dressing, grated Parmesan cheese and romaine lettuce. This is also great wrapped in a flour tortilla.
    • Apple and Cheese: Top sliced American cheese with thinly-sliced apples that have been dipped in orange juice or lemon juice to prevent browning. Great on raisin bread!
    • Smoked Turkey and Pecans: Mix deli-smoked turkey that's been cubed with a little mayonnaise, chopped pecans, salt and pepper. Serve on white, wheat or sourdough bread.

    Pages:  1  2  3  4  


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