Lunch ideas for the creatively challenged

So, I'm a week into the school year. I've made a bunch of peanut butter sandwiches, packed a lot of bananas, and vetoed such lunch ideas as pop tarts with cheese doodles.  I did find some really yummy choices, scouring through magazines and online sites, and wanted to share them with you. 

By the way, did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency reposts that middle school cafeterias are responsible for 40,000 pounds of waste a year to landfills, 70% of it discarded food? 

One way to avoid that, and by default the throwing away of your hard earned cash, ask your kids for ideas on what lunch should be for them.  We have a rule - a main dish, fruit or veg and a treat or chip.  So a sandwich, banana and a sugar free jello cup, or a salad with meat and cheese and a small bag of baked cheetos.  You get the drift.

Some other options?  What about bean dip (combine fat free refried beans, salsa and minced onion) and baked tortilla chips, along with a string cheese and an oatmeal cookie?  The Kashi line called TLC - Tasty Little Cookies - are really yummy.

Or a barbecue sandwich (mix shredded leftover chicken with a teeny bit of bbq sauce) on a whole wheat bun with baby carrots and a pudding cup?

Shrimp Cobb Salad?  Mix 2 cups romaine lettuce, 5-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, one sliced hard boiled egg and 5 cooked peeled shrimp in a bowl.  Serve with low fat blue cheese dressing. 

Crackers and Cheese?  Whole grain crackers, Laughing Cow spreadable cheese, cut up ham, served with carrot and celery sticks.

Hard boiled egg with fruit salad?  Protein bar and drinkable yogurt?  Low fat graham crackers with a small cup of peanut butter? Baked chicken leg with cold pasta salad?

Don't forget something to drink.  My kids can choose from milk - we buy the Horizon Organic boxes and freeze them, or they can buy milk at school - or water. 

Good luck going back to school!

Comments

[Heather]

Good ideas! Now I'm hungry :)

[jen]

I'm stuck making lunch for my son. He's 6, and we just found out he has allergies to milk, wheat, eggs, and soy. Gah. Makes lunch prep alllll sorts o'fun. But I'm going to try some of these ideas on him and see what happens; just adapt them for him.