Sunday, July 10, 2016

4 Great Healthy Lunch Ideas for the Kids

Are you appalled at the school lunch options that your kids are faced with at school? Most school lunches typically involve something fried or processed, and they are certainly not known for being prime cuisine. Every parent wants their kids to be as healthy as possible, and that means giving them fresh, nutritious food. If you want to start making your kid’s lunches, maybe you are having difficulty thinking of something to pack other than potato chips and PBJ. If this is you, read on for some great portable lunch recipe ideas.

The Kind of Food Your Kids Should Be Eating

It only takes a few minutes to prepare a delicious homemade lunch, and it is a really great way to express your love. Don’t give in to the temptation to pack pre-packaged foods and salty and artificial snacks for your kids. The best nutrition comes from a mostly plant-based diet. A little meat and sweet is alright here or there, but there are so many delicious veggies and fruits that you can prepare, so why not go the healthy route?

Here are some tips for adding healthy aspects to packed lunches while minimizing unhealthy food choices:

Pack veggie chips instead of salty potato chips. Potato chips are high in calories and saturated fat, while offering little nutritional value. A great substitute is carrot chips, which are rich in fiber and antioxidants like vitamin A.

Use whole wheat bread instead of white bread. If you haven’t heard yet, whole wheat is far more nutritious than white, and it contains a lot more fiber. You will be doing you kid a favor if you go with the whole wheat option. If you want to go above and beyond, try using a seed-packed variety of bread.

Fruit rolls may be easy to pack, but they are really just sugar rolled up in a package. For a healthier option that is freshly delicious, pack a freshly sliced fruit like pears, apples, or mangos. Apples are rich in potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C.

The major part of what kids eat is based on what their parents serve them. If you get you kids in the habit of eating fresh fruits and veggie snacks, those tendencies will stick with them.

Some Quick and Healthy Lunches

These quick and healthy lunch ideas will make your kids so happy, and their classmates jealous. All of the ideas in this list fit easily into a sandwich bag, and they give you so many ways to pack variety into your kid’s lunchbox.

Panini Power: Even if you don’t have a panini press, you can easily make a compressed, crunchy panini style sandwich with melted cheese simply by using a hot skillet. Try using different kinds of cheeses, and add some great veggies. Asparagus, tomatoes, and spinach are a few great ideas.
Greek Bean and Feta Delight: This amazing recipe is simple and quick to make, and is full of vegan goodness. The body of this salad is a type of bean of choice, such as kidney beans, sliced cucumbers, feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles, thinly sliced cucumbers, and chopped fresh parsley or dill. For the dressing, mix olive oil and lemon juice 2 to 1, and then season it with black pepper and shallots, finely chopped. This salad goes great with pita chips!

Five-Minute Fried Rice: If you have some leftover rice from an earlier meal, this is a quick, easy, and tasty idea. Mix your veggies of choice with the rice and some water and soy sauce. Carrots, peas, corn, and scallions make a great combo. Then simply heat it up, adding water and soy sauce until it is the right consistency. For an added boost of flavor, try adding in chopped peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.

Amazing BLTA: All you need for this easy sandwich is lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, and avocados, and maybe some mayonnaise. To keep it together, mash the avocado with lemon juice to make a spread. For a vegan alternative, try using seitan instead of pork bacon. Instead of mayonnaise, try using Just Mayo, a delicious vegan product made by Hampton Creek.

You might like these lunch ideas so much that you’ll want to try them yourself. Healthy eating is certainly not only for children!

The Way School Lunch Was Meant to Be

Nothing beats a great homemade lunch, especially one packed with great vegetables. Now that you have seen some great recipe ideas, your imagination might be stimulated. Try out your own unique twists on these, or make your own recipes and share them with the other parents.

2 comments:

  1. You're right, nothing beats a homemade lunch. I always pack a lunch for my kids. Thanks for all the suggestions. I have a hard time thinking of a variety of food to give them. Although, they do like veggie chips.

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  2. some really good choices and ideals,thanks

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