Well Kiddos, let’s think school lunches
Read about our friend’s journey to find a way to pack a wholesome lunch her kids enjoy:
“My name is Patricia Beck, I’m a stay-at-home Mom of three children. In my former life — before children — I lived in Germany. For my entire life I was interested in healthy food. Not only eating, but also cooking and creating food.
So it was only natural for me, when my oldest daughter started going to school to prepare healthy snacks and lunches for her.
Eight years ago, I didn’t find any of those wonderful and fancy lunchbox systems you can find now all over the place. I just used one or two small plastic containers. Most of the time it didn’t look pretty, but thankfully my daughter didn’t mind. This was a time of trial and error for weeks and months, as we together found our way of what she likes, what is healthy, and still workable as a school lunch.
Whole wheat tortilla wraps with spinach and roasted turkey breast, veggies, organic apple sauce with pine nuts, organic apples, chocolate raisins on the side.
Some years later I found a very nice system, where she can have all her lunch in one place instead various boxes. That was the time when packing lunch became a lot of fun for me! I like to take on the challenge to create a healthy, good tasting, and good looking lunch for my three little customers.
Baguette with artichoke-lemon dip and sprouts, 1/2 cutie and blueberries, veggies, cheese cubes, banana yoghurt with banana slices and chocolate chips
For me the best time to prepare the lunches is in the evening. I start while cooking dinner and some of the chopped veggies for dinner usually find their way into the lunch for the next day. After dinner I look for left-overs that I could pack. For example some grilled chicken breast makes a wonderful addition to a salad. In the morning I just pull out the prepared boxes from the fridge and put them in the carrier along with an icepack. I’m always thanking myself that I already prepared the lunches in the evening, knowing that they wouldn’t be as healthy and diverse if I had made them in the morning.
Leftover rice, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, applesauce, 2 cuties, string cheese
My children are usually happy with their lunch. I only pack food they like. This isn’t a good time to try out new foods. I try to make the food fun, without going overboard in preparation time. The three lunches are usually prepared in under 10 minutes.”
Salad with sour cream dressing, 1/2 bagel with almond butter, cutie, blueberries, homemade chocolate muffin, string cheese
Patricia from San Jose with her daughters Tatjana (12), Franziska (4) and son Pascal (8)
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7 Responses to “Well Kiddos, let’s think school lunches”
Elvira • March 28th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
wow, I will getting hungry looking these snacks!
Manu • March 28th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
That was my thought exactly Elvira;-)
Maybe Patricia can teach a class for us?? Would you be interested in one?
Manu
Manu • March 28th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Danke Birgit:-)
Manu • March 29th, 2011 at 8:47 am
So yummy, Patzi!! Ich wuenscht’ ich haett die Zeit… leider isst mein mittlerer nichts anderes als Peanutbutter Sandwich… der wuerd diese ganzen Sachen (salad, tomaten, kaese etc.) alles liegen lassen.
Patzi, was ist denn das fuer ein Box-System? Wo hast Du das gefunden?
Lieben Gruss von Manu
Patzi • March 31st, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Hi Manu,
die heissen laptoplunches. Man kann sie kaufen unter http://www.laptoplunches.com
Sie wurden von 2 Muettern entwickelt hier in Santa Cruz 🙂
Die Kinder moegen sie sehr, einfach die Moeglichkeit von vielen verschiedenen Dingen eine Kleinigkeit zu essen ist fuer sie ansprechender als nur eine ‘grosses Teil’.
Liebe Gruesse!
manu • April 5th, 2011 at 8:07 pm
I like to use these for my younger kids, because they see in one visual field what they are having for lunch.
I do struggle sometimes with the lids of the containers I have to say. However I take that over throwing away plastic bags all the time:-)
Manuela Mischke-Reeds • July 28th, 2011 at 8:50 am
Great idea! How about one for the picky eater!