Lunch Box Survival Tips

By Sara Gabova

I marvel over some of the delicious bits and bobs, morsels and great easy, fit, fast whole food ideas that are packed in the lunches of the children in my care. I think to myself “I wish my parents had thought of that’ which leads to “I’m going to pack that for myself.” I also chuckle to myself when I see some foods eaten because of the way they’re cut, for example carrot sticks are rarely eaten, but carrots cut into rounds children will eat!

Here is a summery of some essential lunch box practices (inspired by Family Fresh Cooking) that work for parents.

1. Be prepared: The better prepared you are in a pinch the smoother & quicker your lunchbox creations can be made. Many parents have said once they bought the Tiffin canisters their lunch prep seemed simple. Glass mason jars with the plastic lids are also a wonderful popular alternative.

2. Have fresh veggies and fruits at the ready.

3. Leftovers! Dinners from the night before or warm breakfast foods (French toast) are always a great lunch box meal.

4. Healthy choices in foods lead to healthy bodies and minds. Healthy, low glycemic whole foods feed our bodies and minds with the nutrients they need.

5. Remember to create balanced meals that help to sustain energy levels; Lean proteins, healthy whole grains, healthy fats, fresh fruits and veggies.

6. Healthy snack foods are a great backup and filler in a lunch.

7. Presentation, when all else fails!

Some parents were asked to contribute their tried and true lunch ideas, and specify foods used to create their scrumptious combos.  Here is what they said in their own words.

Start with good wholesome, warm breakfast- Apple pancakes, French toast (multigrain bread) – porridge, use good cream or yogurt

 Pasta is limited and I try to use other types – millet, buckwheat, and quinoa etc.

Breads are varied – rye, multigrain (Stone mill), some wheat, Finn Crisp,

Cheeses – home made fresh cheese, hard cheeses, goat Gouda (Golden Rooster), cream goat/cow cheese (Norwegian Snofrisk),

Cold meats – Mennonite Abner salami (Pan Chancho), some cold meats from the Baltic Deli, home made roasts can be eaten cold, meats – all, local as much as possible – “breaded” cutlets are easy in sandwich and can be reheated – use oats or buckwheat flour as bread crumbs for pork, chicken, turkey, ?Ground meat balls/ burgers (cold or hot)?Bone/meat broths as soup base,

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs, Fish – salt/ fresh – mainly dinner – http://www.wildbcfish.ca/index.html, Loblaw’s, also friends

Milk products – raw and home made, Tara has some good products http://www.saugeencountrydairy.com/yogurt.html (non homogenized)

Fruits – ripe & local, berries, grapefruit, pineapple

Veggies (raw and cooked) – local, leafy, broccoli, beans, carrots, peas, roots, sweet potato, ?legumes – chick peas, lentils, lima, mung.

Food suppliers: Tara, No Frills, Quatrocchi’s, Jesse (meats and eggs), Pig and Olive Butcher, Old Farm Market, Glenburnie Grocery (local apples), Golden Rooster (but most of their meats have MSG), City Market, local gates.

 

#1 Leftovers in thermos (I thought this might be harder, but it only takes a few minutes to heat up a small portion)

#2 Deconstructed sandwich – meat, cheese, 1/2 piece of bread on side (so we aren’t eating too much bread)

#3 If we are out of lunch ideas (i.e. it’s Friday), I try to keep the following in for emergency lunches: frozen veggie burger (read ingredients – not all are healthy), healthy can of soup, beans and rice (sometimes with egg), samosas

#4 I try to send fresh fruit every day. If we are out of fruit, I try to keep nuts, dried fruit, and unsweetened applesauce to use instead.

#5 Snacks – carrots and humus, muffin and fruit, 1/2 avocado, cheese and crackers

As teachers we see what actually is eaten with gusto and what is ‘snubbed’. Here are a few choices I’ve seen eaten over and over again.

Fruit: Sliced apples and pears in a jar. Any kind of berry (fresh)!

Veggies: Sliced rounds of cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, halves of avocados, strips of red or yellow peppers. Little containers for dips like hummus make veggies appealing.  Mini salads that the children ‘build’ are popular-allowing them to top the salad with dressing, croutons, nuts, or berries. Little jars of olives and pickles as condiments. Some will eat lightly steamed green beans!

Drinks: Water! Some will drink milk, but all will drink water.

Snacks: Tamari almonds, raw or unsalted roasted nuts, wholesome crackers, cubes of cheese, granola cereal that can be topped with yogurt, wee yogurts (it’s cheaper to buy a large container and dollop it out yourself then to buy those little packages and lessens the packaging).

The main course: whole grain bread with butter, and slices of meat, or cheese.  Left over dinner food in a thermos like mashed potatoes, soup, or spaghetti.