For a lot of people all over the country, the time is nigh. What time? Lunch time. As in lunchboxes -- getting ready for school. For some of us, this means at least once in a while we're going to be packing a lunch for our favorite somebodies.
I have a book called Lunch Boxes & Snacks by Annabel Karmel that I pulled out of the cookbook shelf to get myself thinking about creative and healthy lunch possibilities. PB & J is good, but there are other options out there! Today, our first day of packed lunch, didn't really come from the book. It included PB & Js (although one boy just likes the PB), carrot sticks, a box of raisins and a bag of puffed chips (baked, not fried). Not rocket science but not too bad, either.
The books says a healthy lunch box should:
- Help to improve your child's attention span, behavior, and learning in the afternoon
- Provide one-third of your child's daily requirements of nutrients
- Contain a source of protein to keep children alert, complex carbohydrates for slow-release energy, protein and calcium for growth, fat for staying power, and fruit and vegetables for vitamins and minerals
Think healthy for your kids' lunches (and your own, of course!). And don't forget a good breakfast! I figure if you're reading this then you are probably trying to eat healthy already. We'll all try to keep up the good work together.
Breakfast ideas from our house:
Monday -- light English muffin with Nutella and bananas
Tuesday -- banana/peach/plain yogurt smoothie and a zucchini muffin
Wednesday -- oatmeal with raisins, peaches and brown sugar
Peaches p.s. Peaches are available these days at the farmer's market -- buy a bunch and cut up the ones you can't eat fast enough and freeze the chunks -- they go great in smoothies or plopped into hot oatmeal to cool it down. They also make a mean pancake addition, once thawed.
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