Fall is approaching which means the start of a new school year. If you’re a parent, grandparent, or caregiver, you may be packing lunchboxes once again. We know this can get repetitive and thinking of what to pack each day can be daunting, but we have tips and recipes to keep lunches easy, fun and nutritious!
Here are 6 tips to consider when packing a nutritious lunch:
Check out these kid-friendly recipe ideas:
This soup gets a great whole grain boost from the oats in the turkey meatballs, and if you can find whole grain alphabet pasta (or simply use your favorite whole grain pasta) even better! It also fits into a thermos!
Also going into a thermos, this flavorful and filling soup with beans, corn and fresh cilantro is a great option for school lunch. To make it interactive, pack some tortilla strips on the side for your child to crush up themselves as a topping!
Mac and cheese is a classic! This is a great way to incorporate more whole grains. For even more nutrition throw in some peas, green beans, or broccoli!
Penne with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes [5]
Pesto pasta is a go-to meal for many of the parents at Oldways, and it tastes great chilled or at room temperature. You can make your own pesto, or use store-bought. If your child is in a nut-free classroom, pesto can also be made with seeds, such as sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Kids love dipping, and bean-based dips such as this one are a great way to add more plant-based protein. Pair with whole grain crackers and/or cut veggies like carrot sticks, snap peas, or cucumber spears. Hummus, tzatziki, pumpkin seed dip [7], and guacamole are also great dips to try to add both nutrition and variety to meals.
Beet Chicken Salad Sandwich [8]
Sandwiches are a great option for school lunches! This one is extra fun for kids since it is pink! Make the chicken salad the night before for quick assembly in the morning. For a shortcut, you can use a can of beets instead of roasting them.
Teff and Cocoa Energy Bites [9]
These bite-sized snacks are a delicious sweet treat to include in the lunchbox. These are made from teff, an African heritage whole grain, and are naturally sweetened with dates.
Black Bean Brownies with Walnuts [10]
These brownies will be a hit for a special dessert every once in a while. A dense, moist brownie packed with cocoa, polyphenols and bean nutrition–protein, fiber, and even antioxidants. The beans replace the grains and some of the fat in this gluten-free, egg-free brownie. What a great way to get kids (and grownups) to eat their beans!
Need more inspiration? Check out our recipe library [11], and have confidence knowing that simple and affordable traditional heritage diets [12]—eating patterns from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Mediterranean—provide the perfect blueprint for a healthy and balanced meal.
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Links
[1] https://kidseatincolor.com/make-cute-lunches-fast-with-these-5-easy-hacks/
[2] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/abc-meatball-soup
[3] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/chicken-tortilla-soup
[4] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/einkorn-mac-cheese
[5] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/penne-pesto-and-cherry-tomatoes
[6] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/lemon-garlic-bean-spread
[7] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/sikil-pak-mayan-pumpkin-seed-dip
[8] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/beet-chicken-salad-sandwiches
[9] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/teff-and-cocoa-energy-bites
[10] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes/black-bean-brownies-walnuts
[11] https://oldwayspt.org/recipes
[12] https://oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets