Lunch Box Lift Off

It is that time of year again when many of us have to think about packing our kid's lunch boxes. Bleary eyed from just waking up or dead tired from a day of work, packing lunch doesn't have to be one more dreaded chore. Here are some tips to help make the mundane more manageable:

1. Find a lunch box the kid loves Make a special trip to pick one out. The more ostentatious the better! Avoid lunch boxes with plastic containers made from BPA plastics.
2. Select a cool thermos for soups, mac and cheese, chili, and warm pasta.
3. Plan a special day to bake some of his or her favorite treats. Instead of the usual mixes and boxes, start from scratch. Use whole wheat pastry flour, Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter, applesauce, dried fruits, chocolate chips, and oatmeal for healthier desserts. Freeze the leftovers and toss them in the lunch box.
4. 100 calorie packs, while limited in calories, are made with the usual junky ingredients like too much sodium, bleached flour, and bad fats. They should not be tossed in on a regular basis. The health quality of foods is just as important as the calorie content.
5. Make sandwiches on whole grain or white whole grain (don't ask me how but the companies say it is whole grain). Hummus, avocado, and pepper jack cheese all make great additions to any sandwich. A few spinach leaves or tomato paste add some strong antioxidants.
6. Avoid processed meats with nitrites.
7. Left over pizza makes a great lunch. Order whole wheat when ordering out or buy the new Kashi thin crusted whole grain pizzas. Wrap in foil. Kids love cold left over pizza.
8. If there is no left over chili from dinner, Amy's canned chili is good. Add some grated cheese. Leftover soups go great in the thermos. Serve with Wheat Thins (low sodium) or baked chips and guacamole.
9. Peanut butter and jelly is always a fav. Use the natural stuff. Add bananas and chocolate chips for fun.
10. Today kids eat salads. Toss in some chicken, grated Cabot reduced fat cheddar, and dried cherries and mandarin oranges.
11. Subway can also be a good fall back. Try a sub on one of their many whole grain breads. Stick to the chicken or turkey rather than the ham or salami. Add tons of veggies, a squirt of olive oil and vinegar and you are good to go. A bag of baked chips and an apple and it is one stop shopping.

Most importantly, mix it up. Add some puddings, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, carrots and ranch dressing. Think out of the box.