Lunch Box Ideas

I wish I'd had a few more good lunch ideas!

Leftovers

I always try to cook more for supper than I think we'll eat, so that there will be leftovers for lunch the next day. These foods work particularly well:

• Caribbean Black Beans with leftover rice are great for lunch! Pack a small container of salsa to go with them.
  
  
• Chili Macaroni Casserole is very filling and satisfying.

• The next time you have Chinese food, save the little containers of soy sauce. Tuck a couple in the lunch box with some leftover Fried Rice.
  
  
• Hot German Potato Salad has a delightful sweet and sour flavor. (Disclaimer: I've never actually had leftovers, because we eat all of it whenever I make it. I think that the leftovers would be good, though!
  
  
• Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a great choice for lunch! Mix in some leftover rice for a filling meal.

Salads

Looking for something a bit lighter? Salads are great lunch box ideas! These salads are substantial enough for a meal.

• This easy Potato Salad is perfect for the lunchbox because it contains no mayonnaise.

• Be sure to keep Pasta Salad with Tuna cold in a chilled Thermos container.
  
  
• Quinoa Salad is a lovely and colorful lunch.

Sandwiches

When in doubt, pack a sandwich! Here are a couple of new ideas, and an old standby.

• Avocado-Salmon Sandwiches are a great lunchbox choice since they contain no mayonnaise.

• A Black Bean Hummus Sandwich is a nice change from the ordinary.

• Here it is: my old standby! You just can't beat a good Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich!

Soups

Especially in the fall and winter, a Thermos of hot soup is the perfect lunch.

• Barley Vegetable Pesto Soup is colorful, hearty and tasty.
  
  
• Butternut Squash Soup is one of my favorite soups ever!
  
  
• Creamy Chickpea Soup is an economical creamy dairy-free soup.

Other Lunch Ideas

Looking for still more lunch box ideas? Try these!

• Baked Tofu is delicious hot or cold.

• Looking for something a bit unusual for lunch? Try Marinated Artichoke Squares!
  
  
• Vegetable Pâté on crackers is a filling and quick lunch.

Reducing Garbage

I read recently that an average child can generate 67 pounds of trash per year simply by bringing lunch in disposable containers! That's a lot of garbage!

Here are some ideas for reducing the amount of garbage you create:

• Use a good quality reusable lunchbox instead of brown bags.
• Fill reusable vacuum containers with your own delicious leftovers instead of buying packaged lunch food.
• Use a stainless steel or BPA-free plastic water bottle instead of drink boxes or canned drinks.
• Buy some inexpensive metal or plastic forks and spoons. (The thrift store is a good place to look!) Use these instead of disposable cutlery.

Food Safety

• Keep hot foods hot by packing them in preheated vacuum food storage containers. (Thermos is a familiar brand.)
  • Fill the container with very hot water.
  • Let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Pour out the water.
  • Put your hot food in the container.

• Keep cold foods cold by packing them in a prechilled Thermos container:
  • Fill the container with very cold water.
  • Let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Pour out the water.
  • Put your cold food in the Thermos.

Boomerang Lunch Policy

A Boomerang Lunch policy means simply that nothing from a child's lunch can be put in the school's garbage. If a child doesn't want to eat an item, it goes back in the lunchbox and "boomerangs" back home.

The program has a number of benefits:

• It allows you to see exactly what is getting eaten (or not!)
• It helps you make good choices about what to send.
• It may help reduce garbage - since parents have to deal with the garbage they create.

If your school doesn't already have such a policy, suggest that they implement one.



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