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A picture's worth a thousand words.
January 13, 2010
Jackson’s Lunch:
When I first started this blog adventure, I did it for a couple of reasons. First off, I wanted to share my ideas and hear what you were doing as well. I also believed blogging about Jackson’s lunches daily would be motivating for me; if I were to write about what he took that day, I had to pack something.
Now that I’ve been doing it for several weeks, I’ve discovered an unexpected perk: The blog has become a kind of photographic food journal. When I’m stumped on what to pack, I look back to things I’ve already sent for inspiration. Once the food is packed and on its way to school with Jackson, I can look at the photo of the lunch and see it as a whole meal (many times when I’m packing a lunch I think in terms of protein, grains, veggies and fruit without really seeing the meal as a whole).
The photographs have been so much more than I ever thought they would be. I really believed they would simply be a quick view of the lunch for whomever was reading. But I’ve looked at them again and again for differents reasons.
Jackson came home a little early today, and he and I lounged on the couch. He had a book in his lap; I had my computer in mine. He was browsing through some pictures of T. Rex; I was browsing the pictures of his past lunches. When he saw what I was looking at, he asked, “Was that my lunch from yesterday?” and he was suddenly done with T. Rex.
So, together we started looking through and talking about all the lunches I have packed and posted. When we had gone through them all, I asked, “So what was your favorite lunch?”
“Hmm, let’s look at them again and then I’ll tell you,” he said. We started again from the beginning, and I was starting to see that he, too, was enjoying looking at the pictures and trying to remember each lunch and whether or not it was his favorite.
He had something to say for each day. Yesterday, he really liked the carrot and sandwich, but the banana was too smelly. The day before he loved the kiwi. Maybe the oatmeal was his favorite. “Mmmm, gumbo.” He loved the dipping the hamburger bites into the ketchup. “I forgot about the scrambled eggs; can you make that again sometime?”
Finally, I asked again what his favorite had been, and he happily replied, “They’re all my favorite!” It was music to my ears, and I have the pictures to thank for it. If the pictures hadn’t been there to visually remind him of what he’d eaten, I know he wouldn’t have remembered his lunches in such vivid detail.
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.)
Rice and Veggie Salad with Raw Stuffed Mushroom Caps
December 16, 2009
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.
Whenever possible, I choose whole foods over processed.
December 11, 2009
When I first began packing a lunch for Jackson, it was out of necessity. He was attending a wonderful pre-school and Mother’s Day Out program at Aurora United Methodist Church in New Orleans (we love you guys so much!). Two days a week, he stayed into the afternoon for extra play time, but parents were responsible for sending a lunch since lunch wasn’t served. The teachers were the first to comment about the lunches I was sending (one teacher even admitted to me that she had tasted Jackson’s lunch one day!). Then parents started saying positive things, too. I was delighted that people took notice and appreciated the lunches I sent.
Fast-forward a year: We are no longer in New Orleans, and Jackson attends a pre-K program where lunch is served everyday. Lunch is served, but I felt compelled to continue packing Jackson’s lunch. I’ve already told you I like having control over what Jackson eats, and packing a lunch for him, even though a school lunch is provided, gives me that control.
Today’s school lunch is a good example of why I brownbag it for my son. The entrée was pizza rolls served with a tossed salad and applesauce. Salads are great when they’re loaded with fresh veggies—good for you and tasty. In fact, I packed a salad for Jackson today. His salad was made of dark, leafy greens, yellow bell peppers, organic carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions. It was topped with lemon vinaigrette that I made with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper. The salad at school was made with iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots and topped with a bottled dressing. To me, the difference is obvious.
I try to avoid processed foods as much as I can, and pizza rolls are a processed food I don’t purchase. I don’t buy them because I believe there are more nutritious items I can serve. A look at the ingredient list of a leading brand of pizza rolls is very telling. The list is 20 ingredients long (many of which have their own ingredient lists) and include such things as mozzarella cheese substitute, methylcellulose and rehydrated enzyme-modified cheese (does anyone know what that is?), as well as partially hydrogenated soybean oil (listed twice). In one serving, there’s only one gram of fiber plus one gram of trans fat.
The entrée I sent with Jackson today was whole wheat rotini with green tomato sauce. The one ingredient in the pasta is whole wheat durum flour. The sauce is one I made from green tomatoes, basil, arugula, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese—minimal ingredients and ones which I control and know. One serving of the pasta has five grams of fiber, plus whatever may be in the veggie based sauce, and healthy monounsaturated fat from the olive oil—no trans fat in sight. Plus, it’s a pretty green color. (I know what you’re thinking—yuck! I don’t like green tomatoes—right? But it really is good.)
I know schools have budget and time limitations when it comes to the food they serve. I know the cooks employed by many schools don’t have access to ingredients like the ones I use, but that’s my point. I do have access to wholesome foods, and I want to make sure my son does, too, whether he’s at home or at school.
I’m wondering: What did you pack in your kids’ lunches this week? What about your own? Do you have any great ideas to share? I’d love to hear them!
Having items like boiled eggs and cut up veg on hand make lunch prep quick and easy.
December 10, 2009
By now you know I like prepping things ahead of time so that when it’s time to make Jackson’s lunch, I have items on hand. Some basics I always have lurking around the fridge are cut up veggies, washed fruit, boiled eggs, and pre-washed lettuce. Having these items ready to go in the morning is a real time saver.
Take vegetables for example. We all want our families (ourselves included) to get as many veggies as possible everyday. Cutting up veggies can be time consuming, though, and it’s definitely not something I want or have time to do in the morning. So, I take care of cutting up what I call “snack veg” when I have a little time (like while dinner is baking in the oven or simmering away on the stovetop). But don’t leave the cut up veg in the fridge for more than a couple days since cut up veg lose nutrients more quickly than uncut. My thought is this, though: veg with a little of their nutrients diminished is better than no veg at all . And no veg at all is what it would be if I had to chop it all every morning.
With cut up veggies on hand, we have many lunch options. There’s always the veg themselves. Add a little dip and it’s a party! Kabobs are very popular with Jackson. Just alternate veg with chunks of cheese or chicken or roll up and slice lunchmeat into pinwheels for alternating with the veg. Diced veg is great in leftover rice or pasta with a splash of salad dressing, and if the veg is already cut up for snacking, then half the work is already done! Add some meat, cheese or beans and you have a complete entree. Possibilities are perhaps endless when it comes to prepped ahead veg.
This morning, I shredded some carrots that were already cleaned and trimmed, and used some celery that I had already cut up as an addition in the deviled eggs. Since the boiled eggs were done ahead and the celery was already cut, all I had to do was mash the yolk, throw in the celery, and add a little salt, mustard, and mayo, and the deviled eggs were done. The grapes were already washed. The apricots and graham crackers were prepackaged. And lastly, the soybeans were steamed a few days ago and waiting to be eaten. Lunch was ready in less than 10 minutes.
Jackson adores pesto and many other things that surprise some people.
December 3, 2009
Jackson was sick yesterday and stayed home; therefore, no packed lunch and no post. Today, though, he was feeling great and ready to head out the door.
I’ve had several people over the past few years comment on Jackson’s eating habits. He’s a fantastic eater most of the time. By this I mean he eats mostly what we eat as a family with the exception of very spicy dishes (though my husband looks forward to the day when he and Jackson can share a big dish of habanero laced anything!). Also, he’s usually willing to try new things if they look appealing and are talked up enough. We have, in the past, had periods of hunger strikes on his part, but he always eats when he’s hungry and he’s a good eater.
From the time Jackson started on solid foods, we’ve tried to feed him a wide variety of things. We have been blessed with a good eater. He has loved things like hummus and guacamole from the time he first tried them. He begged for sushi for his third birthday (we held off on raw fish until he was four). He loves eggs any way you can fix them, adores raw veggies, and thinks whole grain bread is the best thing since sliced bread.
If he’s given the choice, however, between raw veggies or potato chips, the potato chips win. He is, after all, human. He doesn’t yet understand the nutritional differences between the two and only knows which he thinks tastes better.
We talk a lot about sugar grams and trans fat, though, and he knows Mommy pretty much avoids them. Since he was two, if he asked for something at the grocery store, and I said, “No, it has trans fat in it,” he’d say, “Oh,” and drop it. But if I’m not there to encourage healthier choices, he doesn’t always know which to choose. That’s something I know he’ll eventually learn.
In the meantime, I’ll keep feeding him what I feed him (with the occasional treat—I’m not a fanatic; I’m all about moderation), and I’m lucky enough to have a son who will, for the most part, happily eat it.
