Pack An Inviting School Lunch

Kitty Finklea, R.D.

Do you ever wonder if your kids eat the lunches you pack so lovingly?

We've all heard how kids trade carrots for candy, or juice for soda pop. We're here to help you pack lunches that will sell!

Get Expert Advice

Include your kids in the planning stage. Each month ask them for their five favorite sandwiches, four favorite fruits, three favorite cookies and the cold veggies they'll eat.

What To Pack?

Pack one item from each of the following categories:

• Starch/whole grain foods: Starches are the highest quality fuel, or energy source. Chosen properly, they are rich in B vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Choose whole grain foods your kids will eat, for example:
• Oat bran bread
• Honey whole wheat bread
• Whole wheat pitas
• Whole grain crackers
• Dry cold cereal (mixed with dried fruits for a "trail mix" or granola.)
• Protein: Protein lends staying power and brain power. Examples are:
• Peanut or soy butter
• Cheese
• Left-over chicken or turkey
• Water-packed tuna
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Lean cold cuts
• Hummus or other bean spreads
Try these options for pairing up protein with starch:
• Build a traditional sandwich with bread
• Stuff it into a pita
• Team it up with crackers
• Roll it into a tortilla or wrap
• Fruit: Each week, ask your child to choose five fruit servings for lunch -- either fresh or individual-serve, pop-top cans. Owning the choice can be a help in ensuring your child will eat it.
• Veggies: Let your child's taste buds guide you with this "course." Choose from:
• Sliced veggies, plain or with a small container of favorite dressing for dipping
• Cooked veggies in a thermos
• Vegetable soup or stew in a thermos
• Lettuce, tomatoes, and/or cucumber slices on a sandwich
• Beverage: Hopefully, your child can purchase skim or low-fat milk (white or chocolate) at school. If not, send along yogurt, but only if you can pack it with an icepack or other cold source (see "Keep it Safe" below). For kids with lactose intolerance or milk allergy, try individual serve cartons of soy milk. Alternatively, send individual serve boxes of calcium-fortified, 100 percent fruit juice.
• Dessert: Invite your child to choose an appropriate-size dessert, selecting from cookies, fun-size candy bars, homemade treats, or cereal/granola bars. (See some great dessert recipes below.)

Keep It Safe

Keep hot foods hot (greater than 140 degrees) and cold foods cold (less than 40 degrees). purchase an insulated lunch box, a reliable thermos and re-freezable ice packs. when sending hot foods, heat to a boil before transferring to a thermos.

Check out these other food safety tips from the United States Department of Agriculture:

• If the product says it needs to be kept refrigerated, do so. Keep these foods cold, even in a lunch box.
• Lunch meat, poultry and eggs need to stay cold.
• Make meat sandwiches the night before and then refrigerate or freeze; if frozen, they will defrost by lunchtime.
• Mayonnaise can be used in lunch box foods, as long as it is commercially prepared (but not homemade). Mayonnaise is very acidic and can actually slow the growth of bacteria. Still, provide cold sources in lunch boxes or bags, which have mayonnaise-containing foods.
• Insulated lunch boxes do help keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot, but they still require a frozen gel pack or insulated bottle for hot items. Fill the insulated bottle with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty, and then fill with hot food. Keep the bottle closed until lunchtime.
• Plastic boxes and brown paper bags will work for carrying lunches, but the paper bags tend to get soggy as the gel packs thaw; plastic boxes will retain moisture. Use extra paper or plastic bags to create a double layer to help solve the problem.
• Before preparing lunches:
• Wash your hands with hot water and soap.
• Don't use the same cutting board for meats and poultry as for breads and vegetables.
• Don't prepare raw and cooked foods with the same utensils.
• A simple, inexpensive solution for sanitizing food preparation surfaces is one tablespoon household bleach in a gallon of water.
• Wash the lunch box every afternoon/evening with hot soapy water and then air dry.
• Clean insulated bags as indicated by the manufacturer and wipe them each day with sanitizing solution.

Add Some Fun, Some Love

For younger kids, cut breads, meats or cheese with a cookie cutter, or make a smiley face with raisins on a peanut butter sandwich. For all kids, try fruit or vegetable kabobs. Include a special note of love or support on test days -- or any day just to let your kids know you're thinking of them.

Dessert Ideas:

KRIS' SUGAR COOKIES

Makes 42 frosted and decorated cookies (recipe is easily doubled)

Cookie Dough Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose white flour

Icing Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons half and half cream
• Cookie spinkles for decorating

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar in mixing bowl; cream with electric mixer or by hand until absolutely smooth.
3. Add egg whites, salt, almond extract, orange juice, and orange rind; beat until well combined and fluffy.
4. Add flour and beat about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Spray cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray. Drop cookies by a scant teaspoon full onto cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart; forming into a fairly neat mound.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, or just until edges start to turn golden (not brown). Cookies will be soft to the touch when you remove them.
7. Remove cookies immediately from baking pan so they do not continue to bake.
8. To make the icing, blend together the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla in a small bowl; blend together with a large spoon. Add half and half one tablespoon at a time. Depending on the humidity in the room, one tablespoon might be enough; in other cases you may have to add a third to make it spreadable consistency. If you desire, color icing with food coloring.
9. Decorate cookies with a dollop of icing and fun sprinkles.

Per 1 decorated cookie: 68 calories, 1 gram protein, 10.9 grams carbohydrate, 2.4 grams fat (1.5 saturated)

Recipe developed and copyrighted by Kristine Napier, MPH, RD, LD

KRIS' PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Makes 60 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar, placed in a bowl
• 60 milk chocolate kisses

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together butter and peanut butter with electric mixer or by hand.
3. Add skim milk, vanilla extract, egg whites; cream once again.
4. Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt; beat just until well blended.
5. Use 1 teaspoon of dough for each cookie. Roll the dough into a ball, and then roll the ball in the bowl of sugar.
6. Place sugared balls on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 6 to 8 minutes; cookies will still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven; you make think they are under baked.
8. Remove cookie from pan immediately and place on cold, flat surface.
9. If you like, place one chocolate kiss in the middle of the hot cookie.

Per Serving:

• One cookie without the chocolate kiss: 51 calories, 2.7 grams fat, 1.2 grams saturated fat, 5.1 grams carbohydrate, 1.1 grams protein, 0.2 grams fiber, 67 mg sodium
• One cookie + one kiss: 76 calories, 4.1 grams fat, 2.1 grams saturated fat, 1.4 grams protein, 0.4 grams fiber, 72 mg sodium

Recipe developed and copyrighted by Kristine Napier, MPH, RD, LD

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Makes 60 mini-muffins that freeze extremely well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 15 ounces canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup wheat germ
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl, mix together oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and yogurt until well blended.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, scraping sides of bowl once and twice during mixing process.
4. Spray 60 mini-muffin tins with vegetable oil spray and place about 1 generous tablespoon of batter in each cup; this will fill each cup to the top, which creates that wonderful "muffin top."
5. Bake muffins for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Per muffin: 76 calories, 1.7 grams fat, 0.2 grams saturated fat, 14.6 grams carbohydrate, 1.5 grams protein, 0.9 grams fiber, 53 mg sodium

Recipe developed and copyrighted by Kristine Napier, MPH, RD, LD

BANANA MUFFINS AND BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

You choose: Make this wonderfully rich and lean version of banana bread (again in portion controlled mini-muffins) without the chocolate chips, or add the chocolate chips for an entirely different dessert (my personal bias is -- go for the chocolate chips). If you use the chocolate chips, make sure you use the mini versions; this is a great trick to make a little chocolate go a long way.

Makes 60 mini-muffins that freeze well for months.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 egg whites
• 6 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 plain fat-free yogurt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 60 mini-muffin tins with vegetable oil spray.
2. Place oil, applesauce, sugar, egg whites, mashed bananas and yogurt in large mixing bowl; mix with electric mixer or by hand.
3. Add flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; mix once again just until all ingredients are blended.
4. If you are adding the chocolate chips, stir them in by hand at this stage.
5. Place about 1 generous tablespoon of batter into each sprayed muffin tin.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Per muffin (with chocolate chips): 87 calories, 2.4 grams fat, 0.7 grams saturated fat, 13.8 grams carbohydrates, 1.8 grams protein, 1.1 grams fiber, 45 mg sodium

Per muffin: (without chocolate chips): 73 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0.2 grams saturated fat, 15.6 grams carbohydrates, 1.7 grams protein, 0.9 grams fiber, 44 mg sodium

Recipe developed and copyrighted by Kristine Napier, MPH, RD, LD

FUDGE BROWNIES

Yes, you read correctly! There are black beans in this recipe, and they're there to make up for some of the butter I've taken out to make these healthier.

Makes 16 brownies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup pureed black beans (you can buy canned black beans; drain, and measure out about 2/3 cup, which purees down to 1/2 cup)
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 unsweetened baking chocolate squares, melted
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (trust me, this is what lends the rich flavor!)
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted
• 16 maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9 x 9 pan with vegetable oil spray.
2. Blend sugar, butter, pureed black beans, and egg whites until smooth and even.
3. Add flour, melted chocolate, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.
4. Pour batter into baking pan. Bake just 25 minutes; knife inserted in middle will not come out clean.
5. After brownies have cooled, cut into 16 even squares. Dust with powdered sugar and place one cherry in center of each square.

Per Serving: 134 calories, 5.0 grams fat, 3.0 grams saturated fat, 21.2 grams carbohydrates, 2.1 grams protein, 1.1 grams fiber, 69 mg sodium

Recipe developed and copyrighted by Kristine Napier, MPH, RD, LD