Lunch Ideas

I was raised on the brown bag. I've never discussed this with my mother as to why she made the decision. I will even admit that she made my lunch for me EVERYDAY during high school. Hello. Is that love or what? I think she knew that it was either that or a Grandma's Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie and a frozen fruit punch for lunch topped off with a bag of Skittles. As I look back, I thank her for that extra effort.

After the rant I posted last week, I realize that the only responsible thing to do would be to offer some good, healthy ideas to pack for lunch for the kiddos. This list is merely off the top of my head and one that I threw together to hang on the fridge to help my kids pack their lunches. It is to help you come up with your own ideas with your kids, as I know all of our kids have different tastes (that is a polite way of saying "Kids can be picky.").

Lunch Ideas

Protein Lean Turkey Lean Ham Chicken Peanut Butter Boiled Egg Yogurt String Cheese Tuna Chicken Salad Egg Salad Nuts Beef/Turkey Jerky Turkey Pepperoni	Grains Whole Wheat Bread Whole Wheat Tortillas Whole Wheat Wraps Homemade Muffins Homemade Bread Whole Wheat Pancakes Whole Wheat English Muffin Whole Wheat Bagels	Fruit Apple Orange Cantaloupe Watermelon Grapes Pear Banana Strawberries Blueberries
Veggies Carrots Spinach Celery Snap peas Cucumbers Red Peppers Green Salad with dressing on the side	Dairy Yogurt Low Fat Cottage Cheese String Cheese Cheese	Treats Homemade healthy baked goods Applesauce (no sugar added) Trail Mix Yogurt w/ granola Homemade granola bars Dried fruit Popcorn Whole Wheat Pretzels Baked Chips Stickers Love note from home

**Note: The ONLY beverage option is simple: WATER. No juice, fruit drinks, etc. Too many extra calories. Also, there is no category for Doritos, Caprisuns, or fruit snacks. We're going for healthy here, moms.

We are stinkin' busy. There are too many kids, too many errands, too much work, not enough sleep or nights that "The Office" is on. So, cut down on your to-do list and have the kids make their own lunches! Let them do the lunch making the night before. I like being in the kitchen while they are packing their lunch because it really opens up GREAT dialogue about food: What is a protein? What is healthy? Why don't we get dessert every day? What is the healthiest thing to drink? How much is too much? What is a serving? How much sugar does that have?