It's not even October yet, but are you already tired of making your kids the same old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day? Chances are they're sick of eating them, too. It's time to have a little fun with lunch and switch things up a bit.
There are many ways to pack a lunch these days. Take a look at sandwiches: From white bread to wheat, 15-grain or pita, sandwiches can come in any size, shape or texture. Or ditch the bread altogether and send a salad to school instead.
Try thinking outside the lunchbox, so to speak, and use a little international influence. Some moms are serving up their kids' lunches in Bento boxes, the Japanese-style containers with separate compartments for various foods. Several retailers offer alternatives to the traditional lunch box, including Bento boxes.
If the Bento boxes are sent to school, they'll need covers to keep the food in place, and they work best when placed in insulated carrying cases, such as Obentec's Laptop Lunches featured in the July/August issue of Mothering Magazine. Check them out at www.laptoplunches.com.
And for kids eating their lunches at home, muffin tins can serve the same purpose. That's what home-schooling mom Karen Bledsoe of Bluffton likes to use when serving her daughters lunch.
"Food should be fun for all ages," Bledsoe said.
She says fun doesn't have to mean chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese for every meal. Bledsoe's children, 2-year-old Julia and 4-year-old Olivia, will eat just about anything -- from carrot sticks with hummus to garbanzo beans and oysters.
Bledsoe said the key is in the presentation. She makes mealtime fun for her girls by creating animals, sailboats and other things out of different foods.
For example, she makes snails by layering a tortilla with meat, cheese and vegetables and then rolling it up into a wrap. Then she slices the wrap into little circles to make the snail's shell, cuts a pickle in half and puts it underneath the shell to look like the head of the snail. She then uses olives as the snail's eyes. For a similar recipe, try this Disney Family Fun recipe at jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50266.
Hilton Head Island resident Jennie Krogulski -- former live-in nanny, owner of Hilton Head Nannies and founder and president of The Professional Nanny Association -- shared a tip she gives to the nannies who work for her. She says adding something as simple as a cute napkin or note to a child's lunchbox can make all the difference.
"It's just those extra little touches that make it fun," Krogulski said.
PACKING THE PERFECT LUNCH
-- Place a frozen juice box in your child's lunchbox. It will keep the food cold and be thawed by lunchtime.
-- Pack antibacterial wet wipes so your child can clean his hands before and after eating.
-- Prepare ingredients in bulk. Keep enough cut fruit for several days and put in plastic containers. Slice meats and cheeses for the week, and place a week's worth of individual portions between pieces of wax paper.
-- Children like to dunk things. Pack salsa, hummus, yogurt, bean dip or salad dressing for them to dunk their sandwich, veggies or fruit into. Place dips in small, colorful containers.
-- Make bite-size and miniature versions of regular foods such as sandwiches. They work well for small appetites and are more likely to be eaten.
-- Sneak in some grated vegetables to sandwiches and wraps. A julienne peeler is ideal for slicing carrots and zucchini to hide in sandwich fillings.
-- Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes.
Source: McClatchy-Tribune News Service
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