Beat the Lunch Box Blues

Although the kids may not like it, it’s time to start thinking about school again. And that means the same old boring packed lunches, right? Wrong! With these fun back to school ideas lunch won’t be boring anymore.

Parents - get the kids involved and let them fix their own lunches. Kids -fixing your own lunch is easy. Think ahead, have a parent help you plan and shop and don’t wait until the last minute the morning you need it.

 Here are some great tips and recipes keep you from from getting the lunch box blues.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies

Cut up fresh fruits or veggies and add a delicious dip for dunking. Here are two from Benita Wong , a cooking instructor.

Honey-Lemon Dressing (Makes about ½ cup)

• ¼ cup Honey
• ¼ cup Lemon juice (or orange juice if too strong)

 Mix honey and juice completely.
Yogurt Dressing (Makes about 2 cups)

• 1 Tablespoon Currant jelly or your favorite
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 1 ½ cups Yogurt, vanilla

Place jelly and lemon juice in a stainless steel pot. Place on low heat and stir until melted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in sour cream and yogurt a little at a time. Chill until used.

Ants on a Log

• Celery sticks
• Peanut butter or cream cheese
• Raisins

Cut celery into easily handled lengths. Spread cream cheese or peanut butter in the middle. Add raisins.

Spice Up Your Sandwiches

Forget the baloney and cheese on white bread, get brave, get bold, and be different! Use a roll instead of bread – Kaiser, onion, pumpernickel are all good choices. If you are using sliced bread try whole wheat or rye. Make you sandwiches fun by using cookie cutters to cut it into neat shapes. Wrap your sandwich to go. Tortillas are a great way to turn an everyday sandwich into something delicious.

Roast Beef and Veggie Wrap

• 16 very thin slices deli roast beef
• 2 cups shredded or chopped veggies
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing plus 2 tablespoons extra
• 8 oz whipped cream cheese
• 4 flour tortillas (10 inches)

Place the veggies and 1/4 cup ranch dressing in a medium bowl. Toss with 2 forks to coat evenly. Put the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons ranch dressing in a small bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to mix well.

Lay 1 tortilla on a cutting board or other flat surface. Spread about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture on the tortilla. Put 4 roast beef slices in an even layer on top of the cream cheese. Next add 1/3 cup of the veggie mixture on top of the roast beef. Spread the mixture out in an even layer.  Starting at the bottom edge, roll tortilla up tightly to keep everything in. Have an adult help you cut it in half. 

Makes 4 servings.
Helpful Hint:  If making wraps ahead of time, tightly wrap them individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. From the National Beef Council

Invent your Own Roll-ups

• 1 slice of your favorite lunchmeat
• 1 slice of your favorite cheese
• veggie or pickle of your choice

Wrap the meat and cheese around the vegetable or pickle. Put a toothpick through to hold together.

Fun Sandwich Ideas

Peanut Butter and: bananas, honey, chocolate chips, applesauce or sliced cheese

Egg Salad with pickles

Leftovers – meatloaf, roast, chicken – add ranch dressing or something spicy to perk it up.

Salad on a Sandwich – lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo (hint put tomato in a baggie and back with separate to keep bread from getting soggy)

Bagels and cream cheese with jelly, finely chopped broccoli, bacon bits or sardines

Pizza bagels – mini bagels topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and a pepporini slice.

Simply Salads

Salads are another great way to keep lunch from getting dull. Put your favorite salads in a container with a lid that leaves some room for tossing, add your favorite dressing, mix and shake. Tupperware makes some containers just for this. (As well as other great lunch box items www.tupperware.com)

Cook some cool shaped noodles – bow ties, spirals or colored ones – drain, add chopped vegetables, leftover meat and toss with bottled Italian dressing. Yummy!

Berries, cherries and other fruits make great salads. Sprinkle some sugar on them if they are a bit tart, dip the in cream cheese or sprinkle them on top of pudding.

Delicious Salad Toss Ins – bacon bits, bean sprouts, croutons, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, chopped hard boiled eggs, pickles slices, sesame seeds, peanuts, chick peas, frozen green peas

Put on your thinking cap and try to come up with your own way to make lunch something you enjoy instead of something you try to trade with a friend.