The Healthier School Day Lunch

My daughter returns to school in two weeks, so I am starting to think about packing her lunch box.  Even if you homeschool, a busy day might leave you short on prep time for the midday meal.  Below, I list a week’s worth of lunch ideas, for the lunch box, or the busy family at home.

As you know from reading other posts, I make most of our meals from fresh whole foods.  My daughter attends public school, and even though our school district makes an effort to include whole grains and fresh foods on the menu, much of the offerings are processed and/or overcooked, often with lots of added sugar and salt.  So, I try to limit her school lunch purchases to once a week.  Even though her school lunch is inexpensive, buying often can add up, so bringing lunch from home saves money.

One way to stock the lunch box with something besides sandwiches is to make use of leftovers from dinner or weekend lunch (another great way to save money on lunch instead of making something special).  My kids won’t always eat something a second time, but there are some things they really like.  In the plan below, I share some of our go to leftovers (and suggest some from recipes I have posted on this blog).  In particular, I list the things my daughter likes to eat cold, because she doesn’t have time to wait in line for the microwave (she is a slow eater).  Plus, our ceramic food containers (no plastic in the microwave) are too heavy for her to carry back and forth.

The key to packing a varied lunch is to have a good set of plastic containers.  Just a note: I am not a big user of plastic containers.  I use glass as much as I can, but glass is not practical for carrying to school (or anywhere). 

I was planning to recommend the plastic jars we use, but apparently they have been discontinued.  I suggest a set of round or jar shaped plastic containers with screw-on lids that your child can easily operate.  Unfortunately, screw-on lids are not spill proof, but jars that seal well are difficult for children to open.  If you plan to send liquids, try a soup thermos.  Whatever you use, make sure you get something that is made without BPA.

Also, don’t neglect the safety of the lunch box or bag that you buy.  Look for ones that are lead free, BPA free, and PVC free to avoid exposure to dangerous substances.

If your children are not in the habit of drinking water at lunch, try sending it one or two times a week, or dilute juice with water to cut back on sugar.  Get a BPA free water bottle and send a non-sweetened drink along with the usual to start a healthier habit.  Sometimes, I send chamomile tea, and this year, I may try sending naturally flavored water.

In addition to the protein choices I list below, I send fruit every day.  Most days, I send the fresh fruit that is in season (we cut up big fruits like pineapple and keep them in the refrigerator so they are ready to go).  Occasionally, I pack dried fruit.

5 Healthy Lunch Ideas

Monday = Sandwich day.

Peanut or other nut butter and jelly or fruit sandwich, with cut up veggies on side (carrots, cucumber, jicama).  See my post about the healthier version of this sandwich.

Tuesday = Pasta day. 

Leftovers, such as pasta with sauce, pesto, or fresh tomatoes and sunflower seeds, plus salad on the side.  Boil vermicelli or angel hair quickly in the morning if you don’t have leftovers.  Pour sauce or pesto from a jar or pull it from the freezer.  Or, pack leftover Sesame Noodles.  Add a cheese stick or grate cheese on the pasta for more protein.

Wednesday = Bean day.

Refried beans and veggies wrapped in a tortilla or a pita pocket filled with hummus and veggies.  Or, leftover Curry Lentils or Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad.

Thursday = Yogurt day.

Plain yogurt with fruit and granola and a trail mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit on the side.

Trail mix of pecans, peanuts, raisins, & sunflower seeds.

Friday = Egg day.

Leftovers, or boiled eggs with a salad (boil extra eggs at breakfast earlier in the week), or buy from the cafeteria.

Of course, there are many other healthy things to pack for lunch.  I hope you’ll leave your favorite lunch ideas in the comments.

Need ideas for healthy breakfasts?  Find them here.

In 2013 I am linking with: Motivational Monday, Better Mom Monday, Welcome Home, Try a New Recipe Tuesday, Back to School, Weekly Kids Co-op

 
In 2012 I linked with: Catholic Bloggers Network, Menu Plan Monday, My Favorite Things, Tiny Tip Tuesday, Your Green Resource, Frugal Friday, Tea with Saint Anne, For the Kids Friday, and Food on Fridays.

Not Your Ordinary Bean Dinners

I have several recipes for those of you who are ready to dress up a bean dinner with unusual flavors.  Below, you will find ways to prepare pinto beans, lentils, and chickpeas with flare.  These meals are perfect for a Friday Lenten dinner, or any night.  And, they are all quick and easy to prepare.

For an easy twist on enchiladas, make Enfrijoladas with cooked whole pinto beans.  These cheese enchiladas use a bean sauce instead of the traditional chili pepper sauce.  The recipe, by Marcela Valladolid, was featured on her Food Network Show “Mexican Made Easy” last year.  It does call for chicken broth, but vegetable broth would work for a vegetarian version.  As several of the reviews on the site report, the sauce that results from the recipe is more than needed for eight cheese filled enchiladas, so you can double the number of enchildas to feed more than four people.  Or, freeze half the sauce for another meal.  Read the recipe here.

My friend Karen created the following recipe for lentils.  I wrote about how Karen’s natural living lifestyle has influenced me at this post.  She has graciously agreed to let me post her recipe.  And, because she is such a generous person, she has offered to my blog her prepared information about feeding babies and toddlers a whole food, diary free diet while entirely avoiding processed food.  This comes from the advice she offers her brother’s patients (a Christian natural living chiropractic practice).  Look for that post in the near future.  This lentil recipe makes a lot, so you can feed a large family, or freeze half for later.

KAREN’S CURRY LENTILS

          by Karen Townsend

one pound dried lentils

water for soaking + 6 cups for cooking

Optional: 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

1 – 2 tablespoons sea salt (less for regular table salt)

1 cup brown rice or quinoa

1 – 2 onions

3 – 4 cloves garlic

olive oil for sautéing

4 large leaves of kale or spinach, leaves frozen whole or fresh

2 teaspoons curry powder

Optional: 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, avocado to garnish

Soak lentils overnight with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and plenty of water (they soak up the water).  This step is optional, but will enhance the nutritional value of the lentils.  In the morning, combine the following in a slow cooker on low (all day): lentils (drained and rinsed), 6 cups water, sea salt.

About one and a half hours before serving, put 1 cup of brown rice to boil.  Chop and sauté the onion and garlic in a little oil.  When the rice and vegetables are ready, add them to the slow cooker along with: the frozen, crumpled kale or spinach leaves (fresh works too), 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder or extra onion above, 1 teaspoon garlic powder or extra garlic above.

*For some reason it is also REALLY good served with sliced avocado on top!

**If cutting  lentils back to 1 ½ cups, use only ½ - 1 tablespoon salt and 4 cups water, keeping everything else the same.

One more recipe to try: a delicious, tangy yummy Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad.  I am quite impressed with the intense flavor of the dressing, and I plan to try it with other beans.  Serve this dish with leftover brown rice for a quick lunch or dinner.  Also, make sure you check out the links on the recipe page to the original recipe (by Heather at Heather’s Dish), which is slightly different and makes a larger quantity.  By the way, I just took another peek at Heather’s Dish and I’ve found more good stuff to try!

In 2013 I am linking with: What are you doing this Lent?, Try a New Recipe Tuesday, Your Green Resource, Food on Fridays, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Welcome Home, Four Moms, Better Mom Monday, Motivational Monday, Shoe Lace

In 2012 I linked with: What are you doing for Lent?, Catholic Bloggers Network, Lenten Link up, Lenten Meal Plan Monday.