Nearly 40% of kids in Grades PK-6 pack their lunches for school, many parents do it for economical reasons but more and more parents are doing it to ensure that their kids get a healthy meal especially with the sad state of our school cafeterias.  But, how do you ensure that the lunch you so lovingly packed for your youngster isn’t being traded for Double Stuffed Oreos and Rice Crispie Treats?  Just like we’ve learned to be a little creative at dinnertime when it comes to getting fruits and veggies in our kids (see here, here, and here), we have to do the same with packing their lunch.

This was my first year packing lunch for my daughter and already I’m running short on ideas especially with her somewhat picky palate.  One of the books I checked out was “Lunch Boxes and Snacks” by bestselling author Annabel Karmel.  Ms. Karmel has become one of the undisputed experts on kids cooking with over 15 cookbooks in print geared towards cooking for babies, children, and families.  Lunch Boxes and Snacks was a great find; the meals look and are so tasty I even made a few things for myself to take to work!  I passed the book along to a girlfriend of mine who packs lunches for her four kids (ages 2-13) 5 days a week, and the book has immediately become a god send. 

In "Lunch Boxes and Snacks", Ms. Karmel talks about things like getting your child involved with making their own lunch which I really think is one of the many keys to getting your child to eat better.  She discusses favorite sandwich fillings and the ever popular "wrap".  I didn't get a chance to poll my girlfriend to see what recipes her kids found most enjoyable but my little one loved the "Finger picking chicken balls", "Mummy's ramen noodles" with corn and peas, and these really quick and easy energy bars made with oatmeal, cornflakes, sunflower seeds, and raisins.  The chicken balls gave her the protein she needs, the noodles were pure fun with some veggies thrown in the mix and the energy bars were a great snack, like a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie but so much better.  

Another book that I consulted for lunch time ideas was one called "Toddler Menus" by Penny Preston "a mix and match guide to healthy eating".  Although the book is geared towards Toddlers and getting them to develop healthy eating habits, like so many of the books out there Ms. Preston's menus and philosophies can be applied to kids of all ages.  The book goes pretty in depth about what constitutes a healthy diet for Toddlers and a healthy family lifestyle in general.  One of the things I loved about this book was its spiral bound construction and how the meal cards flipped back and forth allowing you to do just want the book states in its title; mix and match healthy menus from Breakfast to Dinner. 

This time in addition to trying a few things out on my own daughter I went to see my little cousin Amaya (age 5) who also brown bags it to school.  Amaya is such a fan of McDonald's she should try out for one of their commercials. Needless to say I was blown away when she devoured a salad of Mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and grapes; and a quick sandwich of white bean dip on pita bread. But, when I tried out a Cream Cheese and Apple wrap I thought she was going to spew it across the room, go figure. 

In conclusion, I have to say there are so many great ideas and options for parents out there that don't include pureeing carrots and adding them into brownies.  We just have to do a little more research and have a little more...what's that word again? Patience. Why should we sell our kids short? The food world is wide open and they need to know that.

For the final Cooking for Kids article we're going to explore the whole "Making your own Baby food" phenomanon. Is the jarred stuff really as bad as they say? Stay tuned...

About Chef Heather

Chef Heather (aka Foodie Princess) is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City (formerly Peter Kumps New York Cooking School). She has worked for Gourmet Magazine, TV Personality Katie Brown, and the New York based Indian-fusion restaurant Tabla. Chef Foodie Princess resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and is in the process of launching her own Personal Chef Service "The Princess & The Pea".

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