Lunch box ideas

I recently emailed this post to a few friends but thought I would share it on the blog too.  Sending nutritious lunches to school is always a challenge, especially given the myriad of restrictions that abound!  (no peanuts, no meats, etc. etc. etc.)  Here are some ideas and more to follow next week... 


 Potato, pesto and tuna salad...(4 servings)

1 lb new potatoes, cut in half (scrub well but leave skins on; most of the vitamins are in the skin!)

2 large handfuls of green beans

2 tablespoons pesto

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup canned tuna in water, drained (for minimum mercury exposure, always use LIGHT tuna, not WHITE (ie albacore)....light tunas (skipjack, etc) are smaller fish and thereby have less mercury in their bodies

a handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Boil potatoes until cooked  (about 15 minutes).  Trim the beans, cut in half and add to the boiling potatoes.  boil two more minutes.  Drain the potatoes and beans.  Mix together the pesto and olive oil in a large bowl.  Add the potatoes and beans, tuna and tomatoes.  Mix everything together, let cool and store in fridge.

  Bits and Bites salad

A great entree of cheese and veggies, disguised as finger food!  As possible, please try to use organic produce if serving raw fruits / vegetables!

1/4 cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into bite size chunks

2 carrots, cut into sticks and / or red bell peppers into thin slices

a handful of red grapes (sliced in half if for toddlers)

a small piece of cheddar (about 1-inch square) cut into bite sized chunks

a handful of raisins

Mix all the vegetables together. Add the grapes, cheese and raisins.  Serve with a soft bun or flatbreads

Some dairy (cheese) sandwich ideas....

1.  Ploughman's lunch - put a big handful of grated cheddar into the middle of a bun (kaiser or other), add 1 chopped tomato, top with finely chopped lettuce

2.  Cheese and Apple - grated cheddar and grated apple on a wholewheat roll.  If desired, spread a teaspoon of low-fat mayo on the bun.

3.  Cream Cheese and sun-dried tomato - low fat cream cheese on a bagel / bun with 1-2 finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

4.  Cream cheese and red bell pepper - spread low fat cream cheese on your bread of choice and top with 1/4 red pepper, finely chopped

5.  Cream cheese and pesto

6.  Cream cheese and pear (top pear with a little lemon juice to prevent browning)

7. Cream cheese and cucumber

8.  Cream cheese and avocado (again, use a few drops of lemon juice to prevent browing)

9 Cottage cheese and pineapple - mix two tablespoons cottage cheese with a few pieces of    chopped pineapple (fresh is best but if canned in juice it's ok too!).  Spoon onto bread