Putting Kids In Charge Of The Lunch Menu

Putting Kids In Charge Of The Lunch Menu

Fri 19 Oct 2012

Story by Jennifer Tyler Lee
 

Need healthy lunch ideas? With the school year in full swing, it’s easy to get into a rut with the same old lunchbox regulars. Mix it up with these fun and tasty treats that your kids can make and be sure to pack enough to share!

Every year our school lunches seem to follow the same pattern. We start out with big plans for all of the new foods we’re going to try, and somehow we end up falling back on the old standbys -- reliable and easy lunches, but boring. To change things up this month, I decided to put my kids in charge of the lunch menu. Each week they created a new dish to pack in their boxes and their out of the box thinking was the recipe we needed to make lunch fun and healthy!

Tomato Pops



This easy recipe for Tomato Pops makes the seasonal bounty of fresh picked cherry tomatoes even more fun to enjoy! Everything seems to taste better (and is more fun!) when it’s on a stick: Tomato mozzarella skewers.

Sandwiches on a Stick


They were on a roll with their “pop” idea, so my kids decided to reinvent a classic healthy lunch idea: the basic cheese sandwich. With a little chop here, and a tear of lettuce there, they came up with a fun and healthy lunch idea: Sandwich pops!

Homemade Granola Bars


This nut free, homemade granola bar recipe is fun and easy for kids to make. Although it’s a sweet treat, it is free of refined sugars. The recipe can easily be modified to feature your favorite fixings. My kids added dried cranberries. Raisins or dates could easily be used as well. Have fun mixing it up: Homemade granola bars.

Cinnamon Apples


Cinnamon apples are a favorite fall treat for my kids. This easy recipe brings together the best of what goes into making a cozy apple pie, but without refined sugar, and it’s easy enough to make on a busy school morning: Cinnamon apples.

What’s in Your Box?


What are your favorite healthy lunch ideas? Post your pictures on the Food Revolution Facebook page and tag @crunchacolor. You may be featured in our next 52 New Foods Recipe Roundup!

Craving more new recipes to try? Tune into the Crunch a Color™ New Food Challenge each week for more tasty, fun and easy recipes from fellow Food Revolutionaries and get the exclusive recipe roundups each month right here on Jamie’s Food Revolution.

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color -- the award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support The Food Revolution. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her tasty recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her website, www.crunchacolor.com.