Making an Easy Lunch Healthy
Editor’s note: Let’s welcome Chris Arpante to the Kids Cuisine team! 
Although the school year is wrapping up (here, anyway), it’s never too late to bring attention to childhood obesity and what kids eat. I have always had issues with school lunches, even growing up. However, I was fortunate to have my mom pack my lunches, which allowed me avoid a pizza and tater tots carbo load.
As a school administrator, not only have I noticed a significant increase in larger, overweight children, but lunch duty has been an eye-opening experience. Kids today have eating habits that are so different than when I grew up. Now, I really see what kids are choosing. A school with which approximately 85% of its population qualifies for free and reduced lunch, there are not many lunch bags that travel to the cafeteria in my building. Even so, taking income out of the picture, the numbers of “extras” that are purchased is maddening, from Hot Cheetos and Chips, to cookies and ice cream. What parents/caregivers don’t realize that it’s just as costly to eat at school as it is from home. A school account can run as much as $55+ dollars/month per child. Making a healthy, properly portioned sandwich, with an appropriate snack can cost the same amount. Can you imagine the cost of more than one child, and how much food can be purchased for that same amount?
Why do I think it’s that easy? This school year has been different from years past and it has been the first year I have eaten the school lunch as often as I have. I believe, while not the sole reason, my eating incorrectly at work/school has contributed to my recent weight gain. But, as I work on a budget, I still do try to make a conscious effort to bring healthy eats to work. An example? How about a turkey cheese wrap with lettuce (or cabbage mix for that added crunch)? And, to make it healthier, replace the mayonnaise with reduced fat ranch dressing.
Check out the links below for school lunch tips and assistance. Whether at school, summer camp, field trips, or on family road trips, it is possible to make it work. Because, in the grand scheme of things, what do we have without our health?
Tips for Preparing Fast, Healthy and Inexpensive School (and Preschool) Lunches
Parsley Dumplings
Yes, it’s May, and yes, it’s finally 75 lovely, sunny degrees out, but I defy you to find a child who will reject a dumpling on the sole basis of the weather outside. I know my own kids would happily consume dumplings in weather nearly as steamy as the stew those fluffy dough pillows are swimming in.
So, if you have lingering containers of stew, chili, or hearty soup in your freezer, now’s the time to use them up, before the really hot weather sets in. Whip up a batch of these super-quick dumplings and enjoy. Younger kids can help measure and stir; older kids can make the whole thing themselves, with some supervision as they drop the dough into the stewpot.
Be forewarned — you may find yourself making chicken and dumplings or beef stew all summer long just to have something to eat dumplings with!
Playing with Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is one of our household’s favorite staples. We love peanut butter as a sandwich spread, dip, cracker spread, or occasionally in a sweet treat. Shoot, we’ve all been known to just dip in a spoon and eat the peanut butter straight up. More recently, though, I started wondering how it would work to change up our plain peanut butter for something a little more exotic. We’ve been to a sandwich shop that sells peanut butter in fun flavors like white-chocolate raspberry and honey-ginger, so we decided that playing with peanut butter was more than possible. With a few scoops of this and a few pinches of that, we quickly came up with an all-purpose peanut butter that will last for several weeks, although we have yet to have it last more than a few minutes.
While we made this with traditional peanut butter, a natural peanut butter should work just as well, if not better. I also suspect that a peanut alternative like almond or cashew butter would taste phenomenal as well. For a real treat, top this peanut butter with apple slices for a peanut butter sandwich like you’ve never experienced before.
Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter
- 4 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 4 tablespoons plump raisins
- pinch of salt
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to combine. Use as a sandwich spread or as a dip for apples or pretzels. Peanut butter will keep for about 2 weeks if stored covered in the refrigerator.
Makes enough for about 3 sandwiches
Going Back to My Roots
I can hardly contain my excitement! I am inspired to get my family and students fired up to use food and cooking for the greater good.
My sister has been volunteering for Share Our Strength, a national organization that weaves together a net of community groups, activists, and food programs to make sure no kids in America grow up hungry. Her enthusiasm piqued my interest, and when I visited their website, I couldn’t help but get inspired myself!
Here is what usually happens in my head — When I see an organization, such as Share Our Strength, that is doing such good work, I wonder what steps I might be able to do with my family or students to contribute to the cause. Usually, I have to don my teacher hat and design some curriculum that would allow us to cook some delicious recipes AND help someone at the same time. But this time, I was spared the effort of lesson planning!
The Great American Bake Sale is an annual event, sponsored by Share Our Strength, that mobilizes Americans to end childhood hunger by holding bake sales in their communities. Wait - I think I should clarify something here. Yes, I do realize that my cooking classes focus on healthy and seasonal foods. And yes, I also realize that most of the time baking isn’t the most healthy endeavor. BUT, pair a community building activity (like baking) with a cause (like ending childhood hunger) and you have a recipe for success (even if it there is a little extra butter and sugar thrown in!)
The funds raised from Great American Bake Sales have allowed more than 5.3 million meals to be served to low-income children nationwide. Proceeds also fund grants that promote access to after-school and summer feeding programs, as well as nutrition education programs for at-risk youth.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I can pass this one up. Are you with me? To register or to learn more about Share our Strength or the Great American Bake Sale, please visit their website.
Mother’s Day Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
OK, so some mothers like to get a break from cooking for Mother’s Day. But I actually wanted to make something fun. To me, it is a treat to be in the kitchen, at least to create something just for fun and not because three kids are screaming how hungry they are.
This afternoon, my daughter and I created Banana Chocolate Chip Bread. That’s primarily because I don’t really care for nuts and, honestly, I think chocolate chips could replace them as an ingredient anytime.
We slightly modified this easy (and fast) One Egg Easy Banana Bread Recipe by using just a quarter stick of butter (replacing the rest of butter with a half cup of apple sauce). We also added dark chocolate chips, and we put some sparkly multi-colored sugar on top.
She wasn’t thrilled with the hour-long cook time, but it smelled amazing while it was baking. She also griped just briefly when she realized we were celebrating Mother’s Day with something called bread, not cake (clearly inappropriate).
But it was pretty hard for anyone in the house to complain when they tasted it. I’ve always loved the banana/chocolate combination, and this bread was delicious. It was also a fun baking project with my 5-year-old. In fact, she did all of the mixing herself.
It was a perfect tasty treat and a fun baking project for Mother’s Day.
Recent Comments