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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Eating Well Wednesday - Goodies for Lunchboxes

Let's take a hump day break from the traditional recipe post and share some ideas about healthy snacks/lunches for the kiddos. EatingWell's nutrition staff (and all of us Moms) know how important healthy snacks and lunches are for a kid's overall energy and health. Here are some quick—and fun—ideas that make the grade!
So tell me: What are some of your tried and true healthy 'lunchbox' staples?

Fruity Kebabs: Spear chunks of pineapple, cucumber, orange and/or grapes on toothpicks; include a small cup of sugar-free yogurt for dipping.

Happy Trails Mix: Combine equal parts popcorn and whole-grain unsweetened cereal; add a small handful of orange-flavored dried cranberries.

Chips & Dip: Pack up a small bag of baked tortilla chips; include a separate container of salsa you’ve spiked with shredded Cheddar cheese for dipping.

Do-It-Yourself Mini Stackers: Provide whole-grain crackers, 1-inch squares of sliced roast turkey breast and cucumber rounds in separate containers. Let your child stack her own “sandwiches.”

Mini Rice-Cake Sandwiches: Spread peanut butter between mini rice cakes.

Taco Bites: Provide separate containers of mini-taco shells (preferably trans-fat-free), low-fat bean dip, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and salsa.

Ham “Sushi”: Spread turkey ham lunchmeat with a thin layer of reduced-fat cream cheese. Sprinkle with shredded carrot and roll into a cylinder; slice crosswise into “sushi.”

Petite Pitas: Fill mini whole-wheat pitas with hummus, shredded lettuce and chopped tomato. Drizzle with Italian dressing; wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

12 comments:

chow and chatter said...

great ideas, I will need them sooner than I can imagine!!

TheFitnessFreak said...

Any of these would have been much better than the hard-boiled eggs, carrots and organic chocolate milk that I sent my boys off with this morning:) PB&J is a staple around here and I ran out and didn't realize. Thanks for passing this along!

The Diva on a Diet said...

I don't have children, but these yummy snacks are sure to satisfy kids of all ages ... Divas included!

Great ideas, Jenn!

Anonymous said...

I never know what to pack for my daughter's lunchbox - you have some great ideas here!

Heather S-G said...

These are all super suggestions! My kiddos love wraps, because there are so many options...either with tortillas or lettuce. Hotdogs are fun for them, too (healthier, use a veggiedog)...heat up the thermos w/ hot tap water while boiling water. Pour out hot water, put in hotdog and pour boiling water over and seal thermos. Pack a bun and fun condiments...they put it all together themselves! It's a fave :)

Dana Fallentine said...

Love the ideas!

Hornsfan said...

delish! i'll take some fruit kebabs to go please :)

Lori said...

Love your ideas. I don't have kids, but always took my own lunch to work throughout college and when I worked in an office. My faves were string cheese, feta cheese eaten with a pear, and carrots with peanut butter. I've gotten away from cereal lately, but I used to love a mix of bran flakes, walnuts and dried cranberries.

Sarah said...

The last issue of Delicious. magazine had a entire section of kid's healthy lunch selections. Very similiar to this. I will be back to visit!

Tangled Noodle said...

These are perfect for all ages! My favorites are the fruity kebabs with yogurt dip and the happy trails mix. Thanks for these great suggestions!

Jennifer said...

Hi Sarah-thanks for letting me know about Delicious magazine-I have not seen it before but will look at specialty newstands when I go to Boston.

Unknown said...

Hurray! These are great. Thank you!

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