By Mary Ellen Psaltis
Did you cave in the grocery store and buy a Lunchable? Throw out the contents, but keep the container. The original ‘food’ is everything you want your child not to eat: processed junk that is heavily salted, sugared and chemicalized. However, the idea to have good, simple fun food is worth keeping.
Invest in a lidded bento-type box, a container with multiple sections, that can be transported to wherever it needs to go – school, baseball field, violin lessons, etc. It even works at home – prepared ahead of time for random hunger moments. A Japanese bento box might feature rice, fish and pickled vegetables – but yours can include what you like.
What’s the big deal with a specialized snack/lunch boxes? Children like to control what they eat. They are fond of finger food. They like making their own combinations. Don’t fight this. Instead, supply the ingredients that are worthy of building strong minds and bodies. You can even involve them in the planning and preparation.
Leanne Willard, Director of the Bayview School of Cooking, believes that, “Everybody needs to learn how to cook.” It can be basic survival skills, but is one of “the most important things you can teach kids.” Most meals or snacks made from scratch at home are generally healthier with less sodium and real ingredients. Children are empowered by gaining culinary skills. You just have to practice. Putting together snacks or modest meals is a great place to start.
Grapes and cherry tomatoes already are miniature servings. Apples aren’t, but you can slice them. Many apples are resistant to turning brown, but you can spray them lightly with orange juice for the same effect. Take the extra minute to peel and section the mandarin orange. A few raisins can be tossed in with the other fruits. Kids can wash fruit and pack it up. Food tastes better when the children help make it.
Even baby carrots might need to be sliced the long way to make a thinner pieces. Celery, zucchini and jicama slice well and can be used to dip into a blob of peanut butter, hummus, refried beans or guacamole.
A slice of bread or a cracker becomes a platform for olives, cheese cubes, jam or a hard boiled egg. Let your lunch and snack eaters decide what to mix with what. Just because you might not like it doesn’t mean your young ones won’t love it.
Bliss Bites
Unhappy with the ingredients of many granola/protein/energy bars, I finally tweaked a recipe that satisfies me well. These little balls are nutritionally sound, and I have found, are met with near universal pleasure. Any age can get into this act. Chop and mix your ingredients and roll into balls. Freeze and take them out as needed. Adjust the recipe to fit the precise desires of your family and friends. They are truly Blissful Bites.
1 cup oatmeal or 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans (or any nut you prefer)
½ cup peanut butter or other nut butter
1/3 cup honey (the darker the better)
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
½ cup ground flaxseed
½ cup dried fruit and/or chocolate chips (or not)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla or almond flavoring
Optional: whey powder, plant based protein powder
Options: agave, maple syrup
- Mix peanut butter and honey. Add other ingredients one by one.
- Roll in balls or scoop out with cookie scoop.
- Store in airtight container.
- Keep in the freezer for longer life.
Popcorn: I’ve rediscovered the joys of cooking popcorn on the stove. We have an old, heavy pot. Turn the heat up to high, pour enough oil into the bottom of the pan to cover about half of it, and then drop in two kernels. Soon enough the oil heats up and those two bits of corn pop fly out of the pot like rockets. That means it’s time to pour in about 1/3 cup of popcorn – or enough to nearly cover the bottom. Cover. As the corn begins to pop, I shift the lid so some of the vapors escape. It’s now time to shake, shake, shake – the pot. A large wooden bowl stands by to receive the overflowing pot. A little salt is all it needs. But you can add chili spices, cinnamon, garlic, brewer’s yeast – use it if it’s in your spice drawer and you like it. Before the popcorn is all gone, fill a sandwich bag or two for tomorrow’s lunch box.
Chocolate Dipped Fruit
Lightly microwave a few tablespoons of chocolate chips. Stir till smooth and dip bite sized pieces of fruit. Set on a plate until the chocolate hardens again.
When you are at home and food shows up on a plate instead of a box, you can still add some fun. An open-faced toasted cheese sandwich can get green eyes with olives and a smile with a piece of tomato or a slice of pepper. In Japan this is called “oebakiben” or “picture bento.” Banana discs make wheels and pretzel sticks are multi-purposeful. Fruits and vegetables are naturally colorful – so even an abstract collage looks fun.
The Candle
This is not good for a lunch box, but fun for a snack at home.
All you need are pineapple rings, bananas and a few maraschino cherries.
Strike it rich with a trip though your Bayview’s bulk food section. It’s like a treasure hunt for me. Mixed nuts and miscellaneous gorp (good old raisins and peanuts) combinations make good snack additions. Of course, there’s ample sugar – but there’s nothing quite like finding a single blue shark or a green and yellow worm in your lunch. Maybe even a shiny, chocolate-foiled coin.
Supplying your family (including yourself) with small, steady amounts of seasonal fruits and vegetables along with interesting, whole grains builds a foundation for a healthful life. Yes, you can include a cookie or a piece of chocolate – that’s part of the fun – just not the focus.
Eat Well – Be Well
