By now, your child is probably adjusting to school and the routines required on a daily basis. You probably are too, and one of these routines involves what to pack for lunch. This thought is almost as dreaded as the question, "What's for dinner." The answer to

the lunchbox is in the foods your child eats on an everyday or normal basis. These will help you create a core of preferred foods and they will give you clues about what new items your child may accept.

 

For example, most children like apples and bananas. Some like oranges. When trying to decide what new fruit to add, you may look at peaches. These have a pleasant taste, much like the other ones I mentioned. Moreover, they are juicy and not too hard. Just be sure to remove the pit first. Mangoes are another good option, as our Star Fruits. These work well without the skin, which can be a bit tough.

 

Pineapples can have a very strong taste at times and some kids object to "the beady little black dots,” as my daughter calls them, on strawberries. However, if I slice them and add a pinch of sugar, she will eat them. Pears are an option for those who prefer a milder taste; yet, they can be hard like an apple.

 

Mixing fruits is an option many parents seem to overlook. I know this because I visit my daughters' schools and I look to see what children are eating, and not just throwing in the trash. I also seek a reassurance that I am doing the right thing myself.

 

There are many fruits to choose from and your child will have some ideas on what he or she likes. Try to blend in new items one at a time and in small quantities. Your child is more likely to accept what you packed instead of trading for something you really wish he or she would not eat.

 

As for vegetables, these can be a bit trickier as most children do not have a way to heat foods before lunch. My children like cucumbers, peas, carrots, broccoli, and a few more choices. If you usually cook the foods, such as broccoli and peas, try inserting a plastic or foil wrap in the container and enclose the food before sealing the lid. Be sure to heat the food first. This will not keep the food hot; yet, it usually preserves the flavor.

 

If you are concerned with spoilage, talk with the school and ask them for suggestions. There is no need to make your child sick just to push vegetables in his or her lunchbox.

 

Salad works well for many children, especially if you toss in some dried cranberries, nuts, and bits of cheese. Be sure to watch the nuts and find out whether they are even allowed at your child's school. Some ban these because of nut allergies. My children love to use a mix of Romaine lettuce, cranberries, mandarin oranges, nuts, sunflower seeds, cheese, sliced carrots, broccoli, peas, chunks of ham, and a half-serving of dressing. Packs of dressing you find at restaurants work well because they cut down on messiness and they can withstand being out of the fridge for a short while, up to about four hours.

 

For a cool idea with cucumber, try slicing it lengthwise and placing on a sandwich. You can also grill vegetables, add seasoning, dice and mix in a wrap with some chicken, ham or turkey, or even throw in a cup of soup. One of my children's favorite sandwiches is a Naked Chicken and Salad Wrap.

 

Make this by using a large piece of lettuce, layer in meat and the food choices for a salad. Then gently roll it together and use a toothpick to secure. They love these and think the name is hysterical!

 

Here is another idea I found at a family reunion. Try taking whole grain, whole wheat bread and spreading a layer of lite cream cheese on it. Then, add a layer of chopped vegetables. Make another and add a layer of chopped fruit.  Do not make a sandwich out of this; keep them separate. I tried making it a sandwich and that was a bit strange!

 

Buying fruits and vegetables year round may add up too fast for your wallet and the freshness is not always easy to find. Some can be frozen and others cannot. Try preserving some in a jar. I make applesauce with apples that are almost too ripe and I add bananas to pudding when they start to look too brown for my children.

 

Now that you have some information about fruits and vegetables, let's look at the other foods. These include meat, snacks, and desserts. Chicken is a popular item for children and it can be fixed numerous ways. You can grill, bake, fry, and smother it. This is a technique involving two different preparation methods, not just covering it in a sauce. You can also cook it in a rotisserie oven, broil, and boil it. After it is cooked, dice, chop, slice, and tear it apart.

 

With one full sized chicken, you can make at least eight different meals. The base of these includes sliced chicken, chicken noodle soup, chicken salad, Scaredy Cat Mac-n-Cheese, Chicken Alfredo, Bar-B-Q chicken, Hawaiian Chicken Pizza, and Chicken Nuggets. For Scaredy Cat Mac-n-Cheese, use 1 cup of chicken (take it from the whole chicken you cooked) and add it to a pot of mac-n-cheese, cooked on the side. Then, add 1 tablespoon of mayo and dash of Parsley for color. Mix and enjoy!

 

For the pizza, add pineapple and chicken to a lightly sauced pizza crust. You can change the sauce of you like. We enjoy salsa instead of pizza sauce and we use plenty of pineapple, about 2 whole cups! Use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken. Add a layer of cheese and bake as you normally would.

 

Ham, turkey, and other lunchmeats work fairly well in lunchboxes. Try stacking these and slice in long strips as an alternative to sandwiches. You can also cook an egg sandwich and add a stack of these on top, if your child will consume it within a relatively short time frame. My children like this with a thin layer of mayo. No, no one else will make it except me!

 

Tuna fish is one choice I work hard to make appealing to my children. This is best when they get to open the mayo packet by themselves (a real thrill), and when I send in pickles and a slice of cheese. I will also heat it and wrap it if I have the time in the morning.

 

After the meat, you must decide on snacks. Whole-wheat crackers are better than the enriched choices. Most parents use Goldfish crackers and cookies for snacks. I prefer to offer Sweet Potato chips versus potato chips; yet, some days they slip in the lunchbox. Try introducing children to the idea of placing fruit on crackers and enjoying a snack. I will mash vegetables together with a small amount of olive oil and then I will layer these with the crackers, making stacks.

 

Puddings and Jell-O are favorites for many children. Be sure to watch out for Aspartame. Add fruit for a special zing and layer flavors too.

 

Now, for the desserts...and I know you probably feel tired. Your child's stomach may feel this way too as his or her stomach is only as big as his or her fists. It makes you wonder why super sized meals receive so much attention. If a dessert is necessary for your child, realize they do need a small amount of sugar in a day. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on apples for a sweet treat that offers a nutritional punch! Look at buying chocolate covered sunflower seeds or dipping strawberries in chocolate. A mix of nuts, raisins, fat free yogurt covered pretzels, fruit, and a few mini chocolate chips are good.

 

Finally, the beverage, the all important liquid used to wash down food and sometimes test in really outrageous and gross ways, like the boys at my children's schools do. Most schools will allow your child to purchase milk. Water is a good choice, and if you skip the flavor additives, you can skip the issue with Aspartame. Research is now showing that this causes problem with children who have ADHD, Dyslexia, and many other issues. Hyperness, interdistractability, mood instabilization, and other problems worsen with this common item in sugar free foods and beverages.

 

Juice is not always advised and it can often be high in sugars. Sugar is bad for people with braces as it sits on teeth and can form a liner around the brackets. This line becomes permanent, if the teeth are not brushed immediately after consuming a beverage with sugar. Many children turn their nose up at the thought of drinking a vegetable juice like V8; yet, this is actually a better choice than apple or grape. In addition, juice may upset stomachs if a child drinks more than 4 or 5 ounces at a time. If you would like to use juice and your child has this problem, use pear juice, and be sure to get real juice and not syrup.

 

The lunchbox is and always will be a place for heavy thinking as parents struggle to create enough lunch ideas to survive a whole school year. The keys are keep your child happy so he or she does not trade or trash your work, be nutritional smart, and do not kill your wallet. Be creative with foods and remember that a slice, stack, or alternative prep/cook method can turn one food choice into two or more ideas. Last; yet, not least important, listen to your child about ideas and watch what his or her friends eat.