Back-to-School Lunchbox Ideas

7 Practical Tips That Are Delicious And Nutritious

BY HOLLEY GRAINGER, MS, RD

I’ve been packing lunchboxes for a long time, and the number one question that parents ask me is how to add vegetables. It’s taken quite a bit of creativity, and by no means have I perfected it (and even if I did, does that mean they’ll eat it?). However, I’ve compiled my top seven tips, along with lunchbox examples and recipe ideas for how to add more veggies at lunch.

Whether your children are eating lunch at school or at home, hopefully, you’ll be able to snag a few new ideas to help boost the nutrition in their lunchbox. (I know chickpeas/ beans are technically a legume and tomatoes are technically a fruit, but I am throwing technicalities out the window.)

Pack Dips For Vegetables

Don’t get discouraged if the raw baby carrots you pack for lunch day-in and day-out continue coming home untouched. Studies have found that children are more likely to eat their vegetables when offered with a dip (according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). I think

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 of dip as a “vehicle food” to help my girls eat more vegetables. Consider this: Lone carrot stick—may or may not eat. Lone carrot stick dipped into ranch, guacamole, or hummus—all over it all day long!

Next time you pack a lunchbox, try pairing dippable vegetables such as carrot and celery sticks, grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, or cucumber rounds with a dip. You can make your own or use individually sized containers such as Litehouse Homestyle Ranch, Wholly Guacamole Classic Minis, or individual hummus containers.

Use Canned Fruits And Vegetables

Whipping up a quick corn-and-black bean salsa (holleygrainger.com/simple-weeknightchicken-tostadas/) to add to a lunch takes no time when the ingredients are in the pantry and ready to go. Serve with tortilla chips for a yummy side. The same goes for canned green beans—a staple in my girls’ lunchboxes. Because they eat them straight from the can, I can add them to a lunchbox for quick packing the night before.

Prep Fruits And Vegetables Ahead

Families are more likely to eat fresh produce when it is washed, prepped, and ready to eat. Designate a certain day (or days) to prep produce, and store in the fridge in airtight containers. Make sure the containers can easily be reached by the kids so that they can access them when they want a snack or when they’re helping prep lunchboxes. Exception: Refrain from washing berries more than a few hours ahead, as this will cause them to go bad faster!

Use A Bento Box

When prepping a lunch, use a Bento box and designate separate fruit and vegetable compartments. Fill those each time you pack a lunch to ensure at least one to two servings of produce. It’s an easy way to remember how to add vegetables to a lunchbox! Looking for fruit and vegetable ideas? Download my easy lunchbox guide (holleygrainger.com/freebies) to help spark some packing creativity.

Try Skewer Recipes

We love sandwiches, and it is easy to get creative stacking sandwiches with veggies beyond the traditional lettuce (such as cucumbers, peppers, alfalfa sprouts, etc.), but I’ve found that skewers are a favorite for my girls. BLT Skewers (holleygrainger.com/bltskewers) always go over well, as do Pancake Skewers (holleygrainger.com/mini-pancakeskewer-stacks), Peanut Butter and Jelly Skewers (holleygrainger.com/peanut-butter-and-jellyskewers-3), and Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers (holleygrainger.com/pineappleteriyaki-chicken-skewers).

GET CREATIVE!

• Don’t “hide” vegetables in food—find creative ways to add them Have you ever thought about:

• Serving Crispy Chickpeas instead of chips? (holleygrainger.com/basicroasted-chickpeas-3-ways)

• Using lentils in banana muffins? (theleangreenbean.com/lentil-bananamuffins)

• Adding chickpeas to dessert? (See the edible chocolate chip cookie dough recipe below!)

• Shredding carrots into meatloaf muffins? (holleygrainger.com/italian-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 mini-meatloaf-muffins)

• Adding beets to pancakes? (thenaturalnurturer.com/pink-beetpancakes)

There are so many resources out there to help you learn how to add more vegetables to your child’s lunchbox. Don’t be afraid to explore something new and bring your child into the kitchen to help you do it!

SERVE OUTSIDE-THE-BOX VEGGIES

Have you ever sent corn on the cob to school? What about a baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon? Oven-baked potato chips? Try something new! Recipes like Cauliflower Fried Rice (dinneratthezoo.com/ cauliflower-fried-rice), Beefy Burrito Bowls (holleygrainger.com/beefy-burrito-bowlseasy-lunchbox-recipe), Black Bean Empanadas (healthyfamilyproject.com/recipes/ black-bean-empanadas), or Homemade

Hot Pockets (holleygrainger.com/healthyhomemade-hot-pockets-freezer-friendly) may just become a new favorite.

The Best Edible Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

You can serve the dough as a dip with graham crackers, or roll it into balls and freeze for energy bites.

1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

1 cup fine graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup peanut butter or other nut butter

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Add a splash of milk if necessary to get a dippable consistency. Transfer cookie dough to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto dough to prevent drying out. Chill 1 hour before serving.