>> FAVORITE KID-FRIENDLY FOODS

FOR THE SCHOOL LUNCHBOX

Start the year off with something different for your child’s school lunchbox. Try some of these kid-friendly, tasty and nutritious ideas: Kids love finger foods (chicken strips, baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli, large pretzels, etc.) served with a dip (ranch dressing, honey mustard, pizza sauce, ketchup, etc.). Smooth peanut butter is a great dip for sliced apples and celery sticks. Other popular finger foods are small cubes or slices of low-fat meats or cheeses, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, mini-bagels with cream cheese and banana, Cheerios, fresh or dried fruit, crackers, nuts and cold pizza.

Make sure your child’s lunchbox has a wide-mouthed thermos so you can serve leftovers (casseroles, soup, chili, stews, pasta, etc.) or fruit smoothies. Roll-ups and wraps are popular with kids, from rolling-up deli meats and cheese together to making a “jellyroll” by rolling up a flour tortilla with peanut butter and jelly inside. Pita bread also makes a great wrap when filled with meat and veggies.

Other lunch suggestions are a cold pasta salad with veggies and dressing, a ham-and-veggie chef salad, fruit salad and tuna salad without the bread. Also, try substituting fresh spinach for lettuce on sandwiches.

Include a napkin, moist towelette, utensils as needed and a short, loving note. A small frozen juice carton in the lunchbox will keep food fresh and provide a cold drink at lunchtime.

BETTER THAN PREPACKAGED KID LUNCHES Instead of buying the grocery-store prepackaged lunches for kids that are expensive and contain high-fat foods, make your own. It’s easy. Use one plastic container that is divided into three or four sections, or multiple small containers. Place a healthy finger food, such as crackers (low-fat Wheat Thins, for example) and small slices of meat and cheese, in each separate container. The possibilities are endless. Your children will enjoy “building” their own cracker sandwiches. Be creative. Include a small juice box or nonfat chocolate milk and a small treat (miniature candy bar, mini blueberry muffin, Jell-O, pudding, etc.). -- N. Lee, Chicago