Bettering the Lunchbox

Moving beyond PB&J

Adding variety to your child’s lunch box will make the meal more exciting and enjoyable. No one has tons of extra time in the morning to put together an extravagant lunch for their second grader, but offering a twist to the norm can take next to nothing. Here are a few ideas to pack away.

Compartmentalize. Instead of providing one main course, fill a few containers with separate treasures like baby carrots, sliced salami, cheese cubes, applesauce and crackers that can be opened one at a time. Kids love to take control of their meal by mixing and matching the components that mom sent. Don’t forget to include dips like hummus, cream cheese or ranch dressing for extra enjoyment.

Try breakfast for lunch. Pancakes and waffles work just like bread. Spread with peanut butter and jelly or fill with sliced lunchmeat. Serve with a thermos of O.J. and a hard boiled egg for added protein.

Follow through on a theme. Prepare a pirate’s feast or a princess tea party simply by serving the right food. For pirates, a chicken drumstick makes a great main course. Princesses prefer dainty “tea sandwiches”. Cowboys and cowgirls crave roast beef sandwiches with BBQ sauce with a side of beans.

Send something hot. Hot lunch doesn’t have to be purchased on campus. Heat up leftovers, pasta or soup just before school and pour into Thermos containers. For best results, reheat with chicken broth or another liquid which will help keep temperatures appropriately high. Kid favorites including pot stickers, dumplings and sausages will stay warm and inviting until lunch hour.

Swap your sandwich. There are a variety of ways to make a sandwich stand out. If your child is stuck on peanut butter, swap out the bread. Try it on pita rounds and cut into wedges. For more experimental kids, combine sandwich meats and cheese to come up with “daily specials”. Use spreads that they typically enjoy on snack foods like guacamole, salsa or ranch dressing to make each one unique.

Cut it out. Often very young children are hesitant to try new flavors. Give them new shapes instead. Rather than squares and triangles, cut sandwiches into sticks or stars. Cookie cutters help in the design while removing those undesirable crusts at the same time.

Make your own snack packs. If the same old main course seems to be working for the kids, you may want to mix up the side instead. Rather than tossing in a boring bag of pretzels, mix together nuts, dried fruit, popcorn, pretzels and other favorites for a little variety. Make one large batch at the beginning of the week and portion it into snack bags or small airtight containers for easy eating.