School Lunches: Change it up, Keep it healthy

So the fun part of what to put our lunch in has been settled, but that still leaves me with the same menu as last year in a new box. Eventually, that'll get boring too. I knew I needed to devise some way to make lunch exciting and different. I searched the internet and a few books trying to find new ways to make lunch foods interesting.

I found a list somewhere (sorry, I can't remember where) that had a list of all the different types of bread options, filler options and condiment options to make a different sandwich each day. I created my own list, called it the "Sandwich Construction" Chart and printed it up. I have it on the fridge for easy reference. I plan to use it to make sandwiches when I'm in a rush. Or for those times I feel like I've made PB&J four days that week. My chart is below. For example; I might choose to put peanut butter and apples on a pita pocket. OR maybe pizza sauce, olives and pepperoni on an English muffin. Feel free to copy the chart, paste it to a new document, customize it to be your own and then print it for YOUR fridge!

BREADS

Bagel

Homemade flat bread

Baguette

Bread sticks

Crackers

English muffins

Soft tortillas

Focaccia

Lavash bread

Pita bread

Rice cakes

Rolls

Traditional sandwich bread

SPREADS & CONDIMENTS

Almond butter

Apple butter

Apple Slices

Avocado (mashed)

Banana (mashed)

Brie Cheese

Cashew butter

Cream cheese (1/3 less fat)

Honey

Hummus

Jam (spreadable fruits)

Ketchup

Mayo

Mustard

Peanut butter

Pizza sauce

Pumpkin butter

FILLINGS

Bacon

Carrots (shredded)

Cheese

Chicken (shredded, sliced, leftover)

Chicken salad

Egg salad

Hard boiled egg

Hot dog (all beef, nitrate free)

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Olives

Sprouts

Turkey

Pepperoni

Bacon

Another thing I struggled with last year was not repeating the same 4-5 fruits and vegetables. So I added that to my list as well. I'm, again, hopeful that we can avoid eating the same foods over and over.

Fruits

Apples

Pears

Bananas

Blueberries

Cranberries

Grapes

Mango

Raisinis

Melon

Oranges

Plums

Raspberries

Strawberries

Clementine

Vegetables

Pepper strips

Broccoli

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumbers

Green beans

Salad/lettuce

Snap peas

Sweet potatoes

Zucchini

And who are we kidding if we think we're going to do a healthy lunch every day? I always put a special treat into my kids' lunch. Sometimes it's a Hershey Miniature. Sometimes it's something less "junk" like but it still seems like a great treat. So I added to my list "smarter treats" and "other stuff" that didn't seem to fit into any category.

Smarter Treats

Applesauce

Nuts

Raisins

Chips with salsa

Rice pudding

Fruit bars

Granola or Granola Bars
Homemade Muffins

Homemade cookies - add flax seed or ground wheat germ give them an added boost

Homemade oatmeal bars

Popcorn

Pretzels

Trail mix

Yogurt - can top with mini marshmallows, sprinkles or chocolate chips for extra special treat

Babybel Cheese (fun to eat!)
Crunchy Bagel Chips

Other

Rice

Pasta

Oatmeal in a thermos

Roast chickpeas

Goldfish type crackers

Homemade pizza

Meat roll up with laughing cow spread & avocado

Mini bagel with neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)

Mini muffin tin quiches

Hard boiled egg

Pita & hummus

Stuff pita with hummus and shredded carrots

I'm certain that I won't be able to make every lunch as healthy and wonderful as I'd like to. I'm bound to have a crazy night or morning where I can't get it done and he'll get a leftover slice of pizza. But with my lists on the fridge, I can have options already draw up. Ideas already in the flowing mode...I just have to bring them together.

You can get my entire document in it's complete and slightly disorganized form HERE.

Need more inspiration? Check out all these great links! You're bound to find SOMETHING that inspires you when you're stumped.

Yummy Lunch Ideas
Nutritious Lunch Ideas (Laptop Style Lunchboxes)
Two Weeks of Menu Ideas (MSNBC.com)
The Family Dish (mostly dinner ideas, but some could carry over to lunches)
Back-to-School Cooking (epicurious.com)
Laptop Lunches (Laptop Style Lunchboxes, but still great ideas)
What's for lunch at our house (a mom's blog of bento style lunches)
How to Pack a Kids' Lunch Without a Sandwich (eHow.com)
iLunchbox.com (more grown-up lunches)
Super Healthy Kids (another great blog! GREAT ideas & information!)
Weelicious (We are SO trying her Eggplant Parmesan Sticks! They looks like French Toast Sticks!)
Cooking with My Kid (These ideas are realistic and fun)


On Friday, I'll be posting about the little things that us "lunch makers" can do to make lunchtime a bright spot in our little sunshines' day, as well as a few other random tips to make your student's lunch safe.