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Today's lunch was typical fare, but on Friday Jackson ate school lunch in honor of the Chinese New Year.
February 16, 2010
Jackson’s Lunch:
Jackson’s preschool class celebrated Chinese New Year last Friday. They made dragon puppets, sang and danced. The school also prepared and served a Chinese-inspired lunch.
On a typical day, I pack Jackson’s lunch, and he’s more than happy to eat it. But when he found out that the school was celebrating Chinese New Year with a special lunch, he asked if he could eat school lunch that day. I happily and enthusiastically said, “Of course!”
While it’s true I pack a lunch for my son so he’s properly and healthfully fueled, I also can see and understand the importance of being part of a community. Chinese New Year was something Jackson learned about with his peers, celebrated with his peers, and he wanted to belong to all parts of the celebration.
So, while the lunch was perhaps not the most nutritious or maybe not as nutritious as one I would’ve packed for him, it was important for him to share in it. And, since I was invited to join them, I partook as well in the stir-fried veggies, rice and eggrolls, and it was heart-warming to share the whole experience with Jackson, who was very proud to show off his dancing dragon and Chinese food.
Yes, the food could have been healthier (the eggrolls were fried, frozen and reheated, and the rice was white), but Jackson enjoyed the experience. I believe it’s fine to eat deep-fried goodies occasionally when the trade-off is learning about a culture or building a community. The occasional bite of something we don’t normally eat isn’t the end of the world; it’s sometimes the window into a different part of it.
Sandwiches are a very popular lunch item. They are easy, versatile, portable and can be so nutritious.
February 9, 2010
No doubt about it, sandwiches are popular lunch items. In fact, most parents I’ve talked to say they send peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school with their children on a pretty regular basis. I have nothing against a good* pb & j, but they’re out of the question for Jackson’s packed lunch since his school is peanut free. No matter, the sandwich possibilities are endless.
Marketresearch.com says it best when they declare that if an American thinks up something to eat, it will eventually be tucked between two slices of bread. That’s great news for us folks who pack lunches daily and like variety. Apparently, anything goes!
Sandwiches are easy, versatile, extremely portable and can be very nutritious; however, I tend to get stuck in sandwich ruts now and then. And judging from the amount of pb & j sandwiches I’ve heard are being sent, I’m not the only one.
When I’m feeling stuck, I try to challenge myself a little. I often try to re-do something common like fresh tuna salad instead of canned, curried chicken salad instead of traditional, or biscuits or English muffins instead of sliced bread. I have peanut butter on hand, but I also keep almond and sunflower seed butters in the fridge for a subtle change (Jackson likes almond butter and raisin sandwiches which is a fun twist on pb & j).
For today’s sandwich, I stepped only slightly off the path by using spinach instead of lettuce on Jackson’s sandwich, but I’m always excited to try something new when it comes to what is tucked between the bread slices.
Yesterday on the blog’s Facebook fan page, Kristen Danek mentioned loving peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches. I love rethinking the common; it can make lunch so much more interesting and fun. And when it comes to feeding kids, interesting and fun are almost always winners!
* Many peanut butter brands have partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and sugar added to them. So make sure to read the ingredient lists and opt for brands made with only peanuts and maybe a little salt if plain peanuts are too bland.
Better yet, make your own nut butters. All you need is a food processor and roasted nuts of any variety. Dump the nuts into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and let it rip! Scrape down the bowl every now and then. It may take a few minutes, but you’ll soon have nut butter, and fresh is so good (and almost always cheaper)! Store in the fridge.
The choices were slim in the fridge this morning, but lunch came together just fine.
January 12, 2010
A grocery shopping excursion is eminent. The fridge is looking pretty bare–no eggs, no lunch meat, nothing made ahead, no leftovers. When I opened the fridge this morning, a wave of worry hit me. What did we have for lunch? Not much. One English muffin, a few slices of Swiss cheese, some veggies, and only one container of Jackson’s favorite yogurt–this would be lunch!
Some of the best meals I’ve made have come from a little of this and a little of that during those times when the fridge is close to empty. I love using up veggies and cheese bits to make omelets or homemade pizza. Extra stock is a good excuse to make some kind of soup or something saucy. Leftovers have been known to reappear as something all together different (well, maybe not “all together different,” but different nonetheless). And really, really ripe fruit often gets used in muffins or quick jams.
Today was not one of those moments of inspiration, but Jackson’s lunch came together just fine. What meals have you been inspired to throw together when it seems there’s nothing but old baking soda in your fridge?
(Two things about Jackson’s lunch today. Notice the whole carrot stick. Jackson has recently begun watching Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny must have inspired generations of children to eat carrots. I love it that Jackson comes into the kitchen and requests a carrot to eat! Plus, he only wants it whole, like Bugs’ carrot–peeled and rinsed with no chopping works for me. Hurray for Bugs Bunny!
Also, Jackson didn’t finish his lunch today. When I asked him why, he said it smelled funny. I smelled it, and it only smelled like bananas. “It just smells like bananas,” I said. “Yeah, don’t pack me bananas anymore,” was his response. So, I guess bananas are out now! Yesterday he loved them; today is a whole new ballgame.)
No tricking necessary to get Jackson to eat this cabbage slaw.
January 5, 2010
I had to trick Jackson into eating sauerkraut (I told him he’d have good luck if he ate it, and he ate all of it), but getting him to eat this cabbage dish is easy. It’s tangy and slightly sweet thanks to the reduced apple cider vinegar. Plus, the texture is fantastic. We had it for a dinner side dish last night, and I sent it in his lunch today. It’s great warm or at room temperature and is a very affordable dish since cabbage is so cheap.
Braised Cabbage Slaw (adapted from Everyday Food magazine, March, 2004)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage (I like savoy, but green cabbage works, too), shredded
4 carrots, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3 or 4 smallish potatoes, thinnly sliced
Heat oil over medum heat in a large, heavy bottom pan with a tight fitting lid. Add in onion, cabbage, carrots, and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes until the veggies are slightly softened.
Raise heat to medium-high. Add vinegar and water. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and all veggies are wilted. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Jackson and the lunch he helped prepare.
December 22, 2009
Most mornings, Jackson wakes up about an hour before we have to head out the door for school. That gives him just enough time to wake up with a cup of milk, have breakfast, get dressed and washed up, and play for a few minutes before we’re off.
This morning, for what ever reason, he woke up about 20 minutes earlier than usual just as I was about to start packing his lunch. This gave him the opportunity to have a say in what went into his lunch, and he loved helping out. Plus, it made the job easier on me. This is how I did it.
First, I asked if he wanted to help get his lunch together, and he enthusiastically answered, “Yes!” I told him he needed a protein, a grain, and some veggies and/or fruit. For the protein, I gave him some available options: egg, turkey, or cheese. He chose an egg, and I decided to scramble it with some veg.
For a grain, I asked if he would rather have bread, crackers, or pretzels. He chose bread, so I asked him if he wanted anything on it. He said peanut butter and fruit spread, but since peanuts aren’t allowed at his school, I suggested cream cheese or almond butter. He chose cream cheese. (After the sandwich triangles were made, he wanted to try one. He ended up eating two of them while we were packing.)
Next were veggies. He opened the fridge and got out the celery and broccoflower completely on his own (he ate broccoflower while we packed, too–hooray!). I asked if he wanted hummus for dipping the veg, and he said yes.
When I asked what fruit he wanted to bring, he said, “None.” Since he had so many veggies packed already and a little fruit spread on his sandwich (made with all fruit and no added sugar), I didn’t have a problem with a fruitless lunch.
We set the lunch up for the photo, and Jackson said, “Oh, I can’t wait to eat lunch today!” That’s what I want to hear–excitement about eating a healthy lunch. When I picked him up from school and asked how lunch was, he said, “Very yummy and I ate everything!” And he had.
I definitely believe when kids are involved in food prep they’re more likely to eat. Maybe next time we have beets for dinner, I’ll get Jackson to help in fixing them. Maybe then he’ll eat them instead of clamping his lips together, wrinkling his nose and shaking his head “no” when I ask him to give them a try. Somehow, I don’t think it’ll work out quite the same way with beets.
Here’s my hummus recipe:
1 small garlic clove
1 can low-sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
water
With the motor running, drop garlic clove into the bowl of a food processor to finely chop. Stop the motor, remove the lid and add beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and Tabasco. Replace the lid and turn the motor back on. While the ingredients whir around, slowly add some water a tablespoon at a time until the hummus reaches a creamy consistency (I use about 3 Tbsp. of water, but it’s really personal preference depending on how thick or thin you like your hummus). Taste for seasoning.
I use hummus as a dip for veg, crackers, or pita chips. It’s also great on sandwiches or added to a vinaigrette to give it body and creaminess. Yum! Jackson (and most everyone else I know) loves it.
I cut a grilled cheese sandwich into strips to make "dippers" for Jackson to dip into his soup.
December 21, 2009
It’s said that variety is the spice of life, and I’ve come to realize how important variety is to Jackson. What he adores and gobbles down today, he likely won’t want tomorrow. But give him a week or two, and he’ll gobble it down once more. Learning how important variety is to Jackson took some time for me.
I guess I’m sort of a creature of habit. I eat exactly the same thing every single day for breakfast—plain shredded wheat cereal with milk, one banana, and a pear. I don’t get bored with it. In fact, I love it and look forward to it every morning. If we’re out of milk or don’t have pears, my whole day feels off balance, and I feel like I’ve missed something. Adam is similar—he’s a steel-cut oats and banana kind of guy.
Jackson is completely different. He has to eat something different every morning. One morning he’ll ask for pancakes; the next morning I’ll offer pancakes only to hear, “Naw, I want an egg.”
His need for variety is both challenging and refreshing. Some mornings I would like nothing better than to mindlessly prepare his breakfast, but I can’t do that since it’s got to be something different everyday. On the other hand, though, I appreciate having a child who likes to mix things up a bit. It can be fun!
The same is true for lunch. Most of us mix things up day to day for lunch. We rarely eat the same thing day after day for our midday meal. The need for variety is yet another reason why I pack Jackson’s lunch. He has school three days this week and three days next week because of the holidays. On four of those six days, school lunch is a meat and cheese sandwich—turkey and cheese twice, and ham and cheese twice. Both Jackson and I believe ham or turkey and cheese sandwiches are perfectly fine, but Jackson wouldn’t be happy eating them for four out of six days. He prefers more variety than that, and I’m happy to provide it.
It took longer than usual to make, but the final product looks pretty good.
December 14, 2009
Today was a struggle. I don’t know if it was because it was Monday or maybe because I need to grocery shop, but for some reason putting Jackson’s lunch together this morning was difficult.
I actually started thinking about lunch last night while I was trying to fall asleep (odd since I usually don’t think about it until I open the fridge in the morning to see what’s available, and odd since I usually fall into an exhausted slumber while I’m brushing my teeth at night).
I knew we had the makings for an English muffin sandwich which is a staple in our house. In fact, it’s lovingly called a Pick-A-Doodle when Jackson eats one, a Dad-E-Doodle when Adam eats one, and a Mom-E-Doodle when I eat one. It’s easy and versatile, and Jackson loves them, so I knew it was perfect for today.
The fruit cup side was also easy since I knew what fruit we had available and what needed to go first. Berries don’t last long and are pricey, so I knew I wanted Jackson to have those today before they were past their prime. And the kiwi seemed like a good choice since its green color complemented the red of the raspberries so nicely. They looked like delicious, glistening little jewels in the bowl. How could anyone resist that?
It took me a while to settle on the bell peppers. I went back and forth between peppers, carrots, and celery. I finally decided on peppers because of their color, too (brightly colored veg and fruit are good for you!), and because they are Jackson’s favorite vegetable. Celery with peanut butter was my first choice, but Jackson’s school, like so many others nowadays, is a peanut-free zone. So, no celery and peanut butter, no problem.
I had the sandwich made, the fruit cup assembled, and the peppers in their dish. I stood in the kitchen staring at Jackson’s lunch for an eternity. It didn’t seem complete to me. It seemed boring and too much like too many of the other lunches I’ve sent lately. It also seemed sparse, but I was stumped!
What I had picked out so far consisted of the things I try to include daily—whole grains, protein, fruit, and veg—but I wasn’t happy with it. Adam suggested a corn and amaranth muffin that I made yesterday. It was another grain, but the muffins are slightly sweet and filled with raisins, so I thought maybe it would seem like dessert. Done! Half a muffin it was.
I took a look at the final assembled lunch, and I was pretty happy with it. It took me longer than normal to make—lunch normally takes me less than 10 minutes to get together, but this morning it took me a good half hour (most of which was me standing and staring at the seemingly incomplete lunch trying to figure out what else I could include)—but it was done.
When I picked Jackson up from school, his teacher said, “Jackson didn’t eat his lunch today. He only ate his peppers and about three bites of his sandwich!” Are you kidding me?! All that struggle this morning and then he didn’t eat? Oh well. It happens. Tomorrow will be better.
I like to make sandwiches with things other than traditional slices of bread for something a little different.
December 9, 2009
I try to plan ahead as much as possible, but when it comes to lunch I’m more of a “shoot-from-the-hip” kinda girl. I plan our dinner menus every week and shop accordingly, but I can never seem to do the same for lunch.
Part of the challenge is the way we prepare and eat these two meals. With dinner, we all eat the same thing as a family at dinner time. But with lunch, I take care of Jackson’s in the morning, mine in the afternoon, and Adam puts his own together. We’re all over the map when it comes to lunch.
One strategy that has helped me get a little more organized, though, is making extra dinner so that we have leftovers. Then, when it’s time to throw together Jackson’s lunch, I have some options at hand. I can either give him what we had the night before for dinner (or some portion of it), reinvent the leftovers, or find something else to give him.
With today’s lunch, I used leftover thyme biscuits from last night’s dinner. I had extras because I made sure to make more than we needed and set them aside. Then, this morning all I had to do was slice and top it. It’s no more difficult than making a regular sandwich, but it’s a nice alternative to regular bread. Plus, I knew Jackson would like the biscuit since he ate it last night and said, “Ooo, so yummy!”
I adapted a traditional drop biscuit recipe to make the biscuits a little healthier. Here’s the recipe:
Herb Biscuits 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. minced herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, or dill—whichever you like) 4 Tbsp. olive oil ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt ½ cup nonfat milk
Sift all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in herbs. Stir in olive oil until the flour mixture looks sandy in texture.
In a small bowl or measuring pitcher, mix together the yogurt and milk. Add to the flour mixture and mix just until all dry ingredients are wet. Add a tiny bit more milk if the mix is too dry.
Spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet in 8 equal piles. The biscuits rise as they bake, so make sure there’s space between them. Bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
I regularly try to include whole grains, lean protein, and fresh fruits and veg in all our meals.
December 4, 2009
I’ve mentioned before the main reason I pack a lunch for Jackson is I’m unconvinced what is served at school is all that great nutritionally. I don’t think it’s horrible, but I do believe there’s room for improvement.
Daily, I try to pack a wholesome lunch high in fiber with a decent balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat while keeping the sugar content low. I use whole grains whenever I possible (think breads, pastas, crackers), always try to include fresh fruits and/or veggies, and stick with lean proteins. I also include an occasional sweet treat like a cookie or small piece of chocolate—but only sometimes.
Today, the lunch served at school was pancakes with syrup, sausage, and apples. How does this fit into my equation of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber? The sausage, while being a meat and therefore a protein, is likely high in fat (probably saturated). Plus, sausage is typically a processed meat, and I don’t know what kind of meat it contains. The pancakes and syrup are certainly a carbohydrate, but they’re a simple carb made from refined white flour (fiber having been removed) and refined sugar likely in the form of corn syrup. The apple is a good source of fiber especially if the skin is still on, but the menu doesn’t specify if the apples are peeled or unpeeled. I need to know what my son is eating!
Don’t kids get enough sugar and fat without their main midday meal being centered around it? I try to limit the sugar Jackson eats (sodas and things like cake or donuts are a rare treat), and he still gets a lot of it in his diet from the occasional fruit juice or piece of candy to his morning yogurt or cold cereal. There’s added sugar where you may not expect it like in whole grain bread, many pasta sauces, and condiments like mayo and ketchup. It’s hard to avoid; therefore, I think there are better choices than pancakes and syrup for lunch.
And as for fat, we use monounsaturated fats like olive and canola oils to cook with (I even put olive oil on our toast), and rarely use butter even though I know it’s delicious! I never serve sausage simply because I believe food for the most part should be nutrient dense. We eat to live; therefore, I like foods to be packed with good things—fiber, vitamins, minerals, the fuel we need to function. Sausage doesn’t stand up to these criteria.
I’m not anti-tasty food. I love to eat delicious food! The food I send with Jackson has to taste great or he’d feel deprived and left out. I make sure the goodies I send in his lunch are appealing in many ways for us both—tasty, good to look at and smell, and good for him.
Roast Beef Sandwich "Sushi"
December 1, 2009
Maybe you’re wondering why I go to the effort of packing a lunch for Jackson everyday when he could get a perfectly fine lunch at school. I guess the number one reason for me is that I don’t believe the school lunches are perfectly fine.
I’m typically the one in charge of feeding my family. I plan our meals, do the grocery shopping, and prepare the food we eat. Also, as I mentioned before, I’m passionate about healthy food; therefore, the food I feed my family tends to be whole food based—minimal processed foods, limited artificial flavors and colors, and so on.
I guess I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to food, but I have no control over the food that’s served at school.
I take pride in knowing that what my family eats is wholesome, and I try to make it as yummy as I can. I put a lot of time and effort into food planning because I want my family to be healthy. I can’t just let my efforts go to waste by allowing Jackson to eat food on a daily basis that I know nothing about. I put a lot of effort into making sure my family has a healthy diet, so why would I let my efforts be for nothing by allowing Jackson to eat something potentially not as healthy every single day?
Packing a wholesome lunch—one in which I’ve put thought into, one which is filled with real food not additives—makes sense to me and is important to me. To me. I know not everyone feels the same way I do, and I’m certainly not going to judge anyone for having their children eat school lunches. In fact, I’m certain school lunches are far healthier than many other things kids eat or could eat, but, like I said, I’m a food control freak.
I like everything surrounding the lunch packing. I love the planning and coming up with new ideas. I love finding new ideas and trying them out. I love the actual food prep. I love it that Jackson tells me the lunches I make are way better than the school lunches (yes, he’s eaten school lunch many times; we all have crazy mornings when there’s no way a lunch is going to be prepared!). And, of course, I love that I have control over what he’s eating.
I know I won’t always be able to dictate his diet, but I’m hoping that by doing it now, I’ll give him a solid base for making good food choices when he’s able to make those choices on his own.
So, why do I pack Jackson’s lunch? Because I care about him and the food he eats. Because I want to. And because I enjoy doing it.
