Whether you’re going back to school, or are simply in need of some creative lunch ideas that are healthful as well as tasty, take some cues from chefs, nutritionists, food bloggers and experts with these back-to-school lunch ideas:
TLT Wraps
Turkey bacon (T) is a substitute for bacon (B) in this recipe from dietician Stacey Antine, author of Appetite for Life: The Thumbs-Up, No-Yucks Guide to Getting Your Kid to be a Great Eater.For each wrap, cook a slice of turkey bacon and set aside to drain and cool on paper towels. Spread a teaspoon mayonnaise on one edge of a whole-wheat wrap. Place a leaf of lettuce on top of the mayo, and fill with half of a diced tomato and the slice of turkey bacon. Roll tightly and cut in half.
Pasta Pie
Celine Cossou-Bordes, author of Cooking With Trade Joe’s Cookbook: Pack a Lunch, makes a pie with leftover spaghetti, which can be eaten hot or cold. To make, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix a half-cup ricotta, three-quarters cup of a shredded three-cheese blend, three shredded slices each of ham and salami, four beaten eggs,
a pinch each of salt and pepper and a teaspoon fresh thyme. Add two cups cooked spaghetti or angel hair pasta and mix well.
Lightly oil a deep 9-inch pie pan. Pour pasta mixture into pie pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is brown and the pie is set.
Let cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
Nutty Noodles
This recipe from SparkPeople.com’s chef Meg Galvin uses kid-friendly peanut butter and a variety of healthy add-ins that can be mixed and matched to a suit young eater’s taste.
PB&J, Twisted Frugal Foodie was seriously skeptical about this recipe that Care.com submitted, which pairs a leftover turkey burger with peanut butter and cranberry jam on a whole-wheat bun. “It has healthy fats, packs tons of protein and is a perfectly
good lunch choice,” says a spokeswoman. It’s also surprisingly good — give it a try.
Tuna in Tomato
For this version of stuffed tomatoes, Cossou-Bordes recommends cutting the tops off eight Roma tomatoes. Then spoon out the seeds and pulp. In a bowl, mix a quarter-cup canned tuna in olive oil, a third-cup cooked quinoa, a pinch each of salt and pepper, a tablespoon olive oil and a teaspoon lemon juice. Fill each tomato with quinoa mixture and press well.
Fruit Kebabs with Coconut Yogurt
Mix up your traditional fruit salad and skewer fruit, then add a fancy dipping sauce.
Chocolate Ladybugs
For a slightly sweet treat, Antine cuts the tops off strawberries and then slices each berry lengthwise. Press a few semisweet chocolate chips, pointy side down, into the strawberries to create the ladybug’s spots.
Source: Frugal Foodie
