I've never really given Pretty Little Bare Feet a lot of choices when it comes to eating.
For the most part,
she eats what she's served,
or she doesn't eat again until the next meal
(or snack).
Pretty Little Bare Feet's Montessori nursery school also encourages "good" lunch-packing. They ask that parents pack nutritious lunches, even if there is doubt that the child is going to eat all of it. They also advise that letting children help plan their own lunches provides a good opportunity to talk with them about nutrition. We follow their guidelines of
no chocolate;
no nuts;
no sweets;
only 100% fruit juice;
etc.
The teachers rewrap any leftover food & put it back in the lunchbox, so I always know what Pretty Little Bare Feet does or does not eat! & her teachers are always happy to microwave lunch items for a few seconds, if requested.
(So helpful!)
Here are some of Pretty Little Bare Feet's recent lunches:
banana, quesadilla, tomato salsa
(To make that quesadilla, I folded a single whole wheat flour tortilla in half; added a bit of grated cheddar cheese on the bottom to act as glue against the tortilla, canned black beans [rinsed&drained], finely chopped red peppers, finely chopped purple onion, cilantro, & a bit more grated cheddar cheese on top; cooked in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until the cheese melted; & cut into wedges. I use
this recipe for fresh tomato salsa.)
hummus wrap, macaroni salad, strawberries, tangerine
(To make a hummus wrap, I fill a wrap with avocado, hummus, shredded lettuce, & tomato. I use
Paula Deen's recipe for macaroni salad. The strawberries are kind of hidden under the tangerine in the photo, but they were there!)
apple, quesadilla, sour cream
(To make this quesadilla, I used two whole wheat flour tortillas, filled sandwich-style with a bit of grated monterey Jack cheese on the bottom, finely chopped tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, cooked chicken, & a bit of monterey Jack cheese on top; added a slick of olive oil to the skillet for a crispy exterior; cooked over medium-high heat until the cheese melted; & cut into wedges.)
carrots, pinto bean dip, potato salad, Stacy's simply naked pita chips
(To make healthy pinto bean dip, I puree 1/2 cup chopped kale & two tablespoons olive oil in a food processor; add a well rinsed can of pinto beans, two tablespoons tahini, zest of one lemon, & a small clove of garlic; pulse a few more times; & add salt, pepper, & two tablespoons lemon juice. I use
the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for potato salad.)
broccoli & cheese sauce, fried rice, honey-glazed carrots, smoked salmon
(To make these easy honey-glazed carrots, I brought 1 1/2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan; added five cups
Bolthouse Farms carrot chips; cooked for twenty minutes; drained well; placed carrots in a large bowl with three tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, two tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind, & 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; & tossed gently. I use
Taste of Home recipes for
broccoli with cheese sauce, &
instant fried rice.)
corn & butter sauce, hummus, kiwi, Stacy's simply naked pita chips
broccoli & cheese sauce, honey-glazed carrots, SunButter & strawberry jam sandwich on Food for Life sprouted bread
corn niblets, hummus with lemon juice, pineapple, Stacy's simply naked pita chips
Amy's organic minestrone soup; fruit salad with honeydew melon, pineapple, & watermelon; mayonnaise & red pepper sandwich on Food for Life sprouted bread
Baked Naturals cheese crisps, cheese cubes, inside-out caramel apple, spinach leaves, tuna
(You can find the recipe for the
inside-out caramel apple here. Because I am pretty consistent about packing healthy, nutritious lunches, the teachers don't mind if I slip some caramel in with the fruit once every couple months or so. ;) I mean, they have parents sending in icky Gogurt!)
(& by the way, that is what the inside-out caramel apple looked like before I had to cut it up to fit into the bento!)
ham; oranges, pineapple, & strawberries; vegetable&oatmeal bread
(To make the *divine* vegetable&oatmeal bread, I used
this Mark Bittman recipe. For this particular batch, I used raw, grated zucchini. Since Pretty Little Bare Feet's classroom is nut-free, I substitute oatmeal browned in a little bit of butter.)
& some other lunchbox "staples" we love:
barley with mushrooms&spinach
(Heat two teaspoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add one cup chopped onion, 1/2 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary, & three minced garlic cloves; sauté three minutes; add eight cups sliced mushrooms; cook eight minutes, stirring occasionally; stir in 3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley & a can of fat-free less-sodium beef broth; bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, & simmer fifteen minutes; add eight cups bagged baby spinach leaves, three tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, & 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; cover & cook two minutes, stirring frequently.)
ice cream cone sandwiches
mountains&forest sandwiches
rocketship sandwiches
(& yes, I do realize that I am a bit more fanatical about lunch-packing/meal-planning than is probably considered normal. ;))
