The School Lunches Dilemna
07 Sep 2011 5 Comments
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, the return of children to that magical place called school. I now have 2 of my 4 boys attending school full time and also staying at school for lunch. And so, the headache begins. What to pack in a lunch? One child, who is 6, is a vegetarian and the other, who is 10 is not. There are no nuts or anything that MAY contain nuts allowed on school property and my head pounds just thinking about it let alone sifting through labels. The other tough part is after school snacks that fill those hollow legs but still leave room for a good dinner a few hours later. Today I opted to make them a smoothie for after school, I put a banana, a handful of spinach, fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries, fresh peaches and a tablespoon of dark raw local honey, Vitamin D drops and Vitamin C crystals. That first few weeks of school is a disgusting infestation of germs and snots and disgusting so I use the smoothie as an opportunity to ‘hide’ vitamins and immune boosters like D and C. Lunches are a tad trickier, I use sunflower seed butter rather than peanut butter for the vegetarian but he is not a sandwich lover so option are limited with sandwiches. I intend to pack leftovers like the tempeh, chickpea, yam curry on brown rice I am making him tonight (as we eat Butter Chicken). I need ideas dear reader! Lots of good ideas for a 6 yr old vegetarian puhlease!!!!! Keep in mind he is 6 and probably not as adventurous as you adults.
Sep 07, 2011 @ 20:39:42
Hi Miranda!! What about the book: Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.. I have it and disguised many a health foods in the boys lunches and dinners and there are a lot of vegan alternatives… or tweek to your own, I will send more via your facebook x hope this helps!
Sep 07, 2011 @ 20:43:07
Here is another good read… I got this second hand somewhere!! HOW IT ALL VEGAN by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer, (Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet) there are great recipes and towards the back: tips for feeding kids, with recipes.. let me know if you want some recipes I can email you them
I had another great kids only vegan book lent out and never ever did return dang!
Sep 07, 2011 @ 23:02:19
How about hummus and pita or veggie sticks? Boiled red lentils in pasta sauce with whole grain pasta. Is he into wraps?
Sep 07, 2011 @ 23:44:00
My kiddo is a picky eater and soups always go over well when packed in a thermos, he will also take pierogi and eat those cold. He usually prefers the potato and onion flavour.
Sep 08, 2011 @ 00:01:38
Does he like wraps? Even lettuce wraps are great! How about mini veg pizzas or homemade calzones or burritos? Vegan mac & cheese boxes. Or leftovers from dinner mixed with pasta and/or vegan cheese or rice. I love these kelp noodles http://www.upayanaturals.com/Kelp_Noodles_Raw_16_oz_1_lb_NEW_LARGER_SIZE_p/klp-401.htm You can get them at Noah’s as well but that link is a bulk size. I tried the recipe on that site and although I modified it a bit, it was amazing and I’m sure you could make it kid friendly. They’re also great since you don’t have to cook them – good time saver for you – you just need to soak them in water & lemon to soften and rinse. Nut loafs with side veggies. Soup/stew, vegan chile….