Best Lunch Box Ever (3 page)

Skip the artificial options:
If an ingredient was made in a laboratory, it probably doesn't belong in your kid's food. Sugar substitutes such as aspartame, saccharine, acesulfame-K, and sucralose, along with artificial colors and flavors, should stay where they belong: with the scientists who dreamed them up.

Keep portions petite:
A few ounces of low-fat pudding or a little wedge of dark chocolate is enough of a sweet ending, and will allow kids to fill up on sandwiches, fruits, and veggies instead of dessert. Limiting sweets to homemade treats is another option.

Keep Food Cool

One of the major challenges of packing lunch is keeping cold food cold and hot food hot. Perishables can be safely held at room temperature for no more than two hours. Luckily, there are a host of tools and tricks to help keep foods in the safe zone.

Chill out:
Use an insulated lunch box along with a freezer pack to maintain safe temperatures for foods such as cheese, deli meats, and yogurt. You can also freeze a reusable water bottle the night before, which can double as an ice pack. (Don't fill it to the tippy-top since liquids expand as they freeze.) Add perishables to lunch boxes just before the kids walk out the door to minimize the amount of time they are out of the fridge.

Hot stuff:
A sturdy thermos with a mouth wide enough to fit a spoon is essential to keep foods such as pasta and soup warm and tasting good. Get the food piping hot before filling the container and pop the lid on immediately.

Keep it clean:
Food leaking into lunch boxes can be a common occurrence, so clean them with hot soapy water on a regular basis. Packing lunches on supremely clean counters and reminding your kids to wash their hands before meals can also minimize bacteria.

When in doubt, throw it out:
Much as it may get under your skin to toss an untouched yogurt, cheese stick, or other perishable that returns home uneaten, it's the safest thing to do. Even with ice packs and thermoses, it's unlikely proper temperatures can be maintained all day long.

Give Lunch a Makeover

Baby steps are the best way to go when it comes to making dietary changes, especially with kids. But even a little change can make a dramatic difference nutritionwise. Here are some examples of simple lunch-box swaps that have a big impact.

• THE USUAL
  
  • Sliced turkey on white bread, iceberg lettuce, mayo
    
  • Oil-packed albacore tuna on sourdough bread, mayo
    
  • Cheese quesadilla on flour tortilla
    
  • Honey-roasted nuts
    
  • Strawberry yogurt, granola bar
    
  • Three chocolate sandwich cookies
    

• THE UPGRADE
  
  • Turkey on whole-grain pita, hummus, veggies, romaine lettuce
    
  • Chunk light water-packed tuna on whole-grain bread, mayo mixed with nonfat yogurt, spinach
    
  • Quesadilla on whole-wheat tortilla with black beans and sweet potato
    
  • Trail mix with nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and dried fruits
    
  • Greek yogurt parfait with sliced strawberries, honey, and granola
    
  • Dark chocolate and whole-grain graham cracker “sandwich”
    

• THE UPSIDE
  
  • More protein, fiber, folate, iron, and vitamin C
    
  • More fiber, iron, and folate; less fat and mercury
    
  • More fiber, carotenoids, potassium, and protein; less saturated fat
    
  • Greater variety of nutrients, no added sugar, no artificial ingredients, more phytochemicals
    
  • More protein and vitamin C, less sugar, less packaging, nothing artificial
    
  • More fiber and antioxidants, fewer calories, less sugar, no trans fats
    

About Ingredients

Few ingredients in this book are what I would consider exotic. I am not one to mail-order unusual spices or gourmet foods, so I wouldn't expect you to either. That said, what is familiar to me may be very different from what is familiar to you. Luckily, we live in a time when chain supermarkets regularly stock organic produce and devote entire sections to ethnic foods. I've included details about a couple of less-common ingredients below, and touch on a few other foods worth noting.

LESS-COMMON INGREDIENTS

Agave nectar:
A liquid sweetener derived from the agave plant that is less viscous than honey. I prefer light agave for its milder flavor.

Flax meal:
Flax meal is nothing more than ground flaxseeds, an ingredient I use to boost fiber and omega-3s in baked goods, smoothies, and hot cereal. The nutrients in flaxseeds are better absorbed when ground rather than whole.

Lavash:
A thin Middle Eastern flatbread that's tasty for sandwiches, pizzas, and wraps.

Organic brown rice syrup:
A thick liquid sweetener made from brown rice that I use in place of corn syrup.

Sriracha sauce:
A spicy chile sauce that adds kick to Asian recipes and is sold in specialty stores, Asian markets, and some supermarkets.

Whole-wheat pastry flour:
I've had great success using whole-wheat pastry flour in baked goods that are traditionally made with white flour. It's preferable to standard whole-wheat flour, which is coarser and tends to yield heavier, less delicate cakes, cookies, and muffins.

SALT

I use fine-grain sea salt for most of my cooking. It contains trace minerals, is processed without chemical agents, and is pretty affordable. When I need a generous amount of salt, say for salting pasta water, I reach for my big box of kosher salt.

OILS

I rely on olive oil for my savory cooking, mostly because of its pleasing flavor and nutritional benefits. Look for cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil to ensure you are getting the maximum quality, health benefits, and taste. For baking I reach for canola oil, which has a milder flavor than olive oil. Seek out organic expeller-pressed canola oil. It's more expensive, but is derived from plants grown without pesticides and is processed without chemicals or heat, all of which can adversely affect the end product.

NUTS AND NUT BUTTERS

Peanut and tree nut allergies are more common than ever. Some schools have a “no peanut” policy, others host a “nut-free” lunch table. I feel for parents who have to work around the challenges and dangers of severe allergies. At the same time, for the great majority of kids, nuts
and peanuts can be an enormous source of inexpensive, convenient nutrition. I've included nuts in a number of recipes, both sweet and savory. However, with the exception of one
(My Thai Peanut Dip, page 102)
, nuts, seeds, and nut butters can be used interchangeably to allow for allergies.

DAIRY FOODS

The dairy case is bursting with products that range from the lightest nonfat yogurt to the richest heavy cream. I rely on nonfat and low-fat options when buying milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream. For milk, I use 1 percent; for cottage cheese, 2 percent; yogurt, usually nonfat; and sour cream, light. Making these lower-fat choices cuts down on saturated fat and calories, and in some cases, means an increase in the amount of protein and calcium—all with minimal sacrifice in flavor. For families with a milk allergy, lactose intolerance, or who choose not to drink cow's milk, there are loads of nondairy options including soy, almond, rice, and hemp milk. For these alternatives, I always suggest calcium-fortified versions.

When it comes to cheese, however, I nearly always go for the real deal, since the taste of reduced-fat cheese is inferior. I buy high-quality cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, which are so flavorful that a little goes a long way. I'd rather have one slice of a delicious, nutty, aged Gruyère than two slices of a low-fat look- alike. In the case of cream cheese, I often choose whipped over regular since it's easy for kids to spread and has less saturated fat per tablespoon.

The fat content of the dairy products in my recipes are based on what I use at home. But if you stock something different—say low-fat yogurt instead of nonfat—don't make a special trip to the store. Just use what you have on hand.

About Recipes and Portions

If pulling out measuring cups for a school lunch strikes you as a little unrealistic, I hear you. Luckily, precision is not essential for most recipes, so feel free to riff on what's written and adjust to suit your family. You may want to follow a recipe one time through first, then I'm all in favor of winging it.

You'll notice a range in the number of servings for many of these recipes. This is to take into account different ages and appetites. Even kids who are the same age may eat very differently from one another. My daughter Virginia, for example, has been known to eat breakfast like a lumberjack but has a lighter appetite come lunchtime.

The portions are based on my personal experience as a mom and my expertise as a dietitian. Take them with a grain of salt. As a parent, you know better than anyone what your kid needs.
Your children have their very own, all-natural, built-in guide for what is the right amount of food. It's called an appetite. Invite them to use it, eating when they are hungry, stopping when they've had enough.

SO NOW YOU KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO GO INTO A SCHOOL LUNCH
to make it nourishing, but how do you pull it together without it feeling like your least favorite chore? A little planning and organization can go a long way toward bringing ease to the job. This chapter will serve as a guide on everything from how to stock your pantry to how to keep all those reusable containers clean and ready to go for the next day. You'll also find troubleshooting tips on how to handle it when your kid comes home with his food virtually untouched, as well as the six essential steps to a superb packed lunch.

2
GETTING THE JOB DONE

Fill Your Arsenal

Churning out lunches is aided enormously by a well-stocked and organized pantry, fridge, and freezer. Here's a rundown of what you might find on a good day in my lunch-box larder (fruits and veggies vary by season).

THE CUPBOARD

• Assorted fresh fruit, bulk dried and dehydrated fruit, no-sugar fruit leather and applesauce
  
• Assorted nuts and seeds
  
• Nut and seed butters
  
• Crunchy snacks such as popcorn, whole-grain pretzels, and graham crackers
  
• Whole-grain energy bars or granola bars
  
• A bar of good-quality dark chocolate
  
• Canned beans and chickpeas
  
• Boxed, jarred, or canned soups
  
• Canned tuna and salmon
  
• Assorted pastas
  
• Grains such as brown rice and quinoa
  
• Whole-grain bread, bagels, lavash, and/or baguette
  
• Flour and/or corn tortillas
  
• Whole-grain crackers
  
• Brown rice cakes
  

THE FRIDGE

• Low-fat milk, such as cow, soy, and almond milk
  
• Basic condiments, such as mustard, mayo, ketchup, salsa/taco sauce, jam, and light sour cream
  
• Favorite cheeses, such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, feta, and cottage cheese
  
• A tub of nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt and a tub of nonfat vanilla yogurt
  
• Sliced turkey and other cold cuts
  
• Eggs
  
• Veggies for snacking and salads, such as celery, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, fennel, jicama, cherry tomatoes, and snap peas
  
• Salad greens, such as lettuces, spinach, and arugula
  
• Berries, cherries, and other refrigerated fruits
  
• Little extras, such as pickles, cornichons, olives, and roasted peppers
  

THE FREEZER

• Edamame
  
• Peas, corn, and spinach
  
• Organic yogurt tubes
  
• Frozen fruit
  
• Backup loaf of bread
  
• Homemade cookie dough
  
• Flax meal
  
• Frozen homemade soups, beans, and other leftovers
  

Plan Ahead

To make mornings run more smoothly, take advantage of evenings and weekends to bang out some of the prep.

OVER THE WEEKEND

• Restock the pantry.
  
• Wash lunch boxes and containers.
  
• Hard-boil eggs for quick, portable protein.
  
• Make hummus, guacamole, or other veggie dip.
  
• Cook a pot of applesauce.
  
• Wash and dry salad greens.
  
• Roast a couple of chickens—one for that night's dinner, one for lunches. Strip the meat from the bones once cool enough to handle, and store in the fridge for speedy sandwiches, salads, and other mains.
  
• Prepare a few cups of pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or other grains.
  
• Cook a pot of beans.
  
• Bake a batch of granola bars.