School lunches may sometimes be a headache but they need never be boring. And your school-age kids will say thanks for the memories of terrific, exciting, surprising lunches -- both delicious and nutritious. With the Food Pyramid as a guide, creativity as a muse and wholesome convenience products as labor-saving devices, you'll be a hero (and we don't mean sandwich).
Not your ordinary sandwich
Because sandwiches take center stage in the school lunchbox, all the more reason to make them more than S.O.S. (Same Old Sandwich). The sandwich offers the perfect opportunity to supply at least two servings from the bottom and biggest level of the Food Pyramid: the grains group.
Think sandwich bread not just in white, but rye, whole wheat, multigrain, pumpernickel, sourdough, cinnamon-raisin and more. Beyond sliced bread there are Kaiser rolls, onion rolls, baguettes, whole-wheat hamburger and hot dog buns, rye buns and English muffins. Halved bagels and bialys make fine sandwiches. So does split focaccia. Pitas are perfect for stuffing, and flat breads such as lavash and flour tortillas make great wraps. The sandwich is also a wonderful way to add a serving from other levels of the pyramid: the fruit, vegetable and dairy groups, and the protein group that includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans and nuts.
A few sandwich ideas:
Stuff tuna or egg salad in a pita pocket with sliced seedless cucumber or lettuce.
Layer reduced-fat ham and Swiss cheese on rye with lettuce, sliced dill pickles and mustard.
Wrap up a flour tortilla spread with refried beans, shredded lettuce, cheddar and mild salsa.
Roll up a lavash spread with light cream cheese, tomato, and smoked salmon or sliced turkey.
Spread a split cinnamon-raisin bagel with reduced-fat peanut butter and sliced banana.
Split a focaccia, brush with Italian dressing, layer with roast beef, mozzarella, tomato and lettuce.
Do a double-decker: white and whole-wheat bread, one protein on the bottom level (chicken salad, turkey pastrami, etc.) and a vegetable or fruit plus cheese on the top (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickles, sliced apple, Swiss, American, mozzarella, cheddar).
Understudies
In hot weather, low-fat, light-flavored and fruit yogurts can substitute for or supplement sandwiches. And in chilly weather, soups and chili can stand in for both. Pair soups with something crunchy: baked tortilla chips, oyster crackers, Wheat Thins, pretzel sticks, bread sticks or croutons.
High five
Lunch can be the perfect time to help students pack in at least two of their five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Lettuce, tomato and other sandwich garnishes are just for starters. Supermarkets sell serving-size bags or boxes of ready-to-eat baby carrots, carrot and celery sticks, raisins, applesauce. But you can also pack your own in baggies or plastic containers: seedless grapes detached from the bunch, a cup of trimmed strawberries, blueberries, a dill pickle or two, cherry tomatoes, cucumber coins. Or pack a whole banana, apple, pear or navel orange scored and ready to peel.
Tip of the pyramid
At the very tip of the Pyramid are fats, oils and sweets and the U.S.D.A. directive: "Use Sparingly." But increasingly nutrition experts counsel, "All things in moderation." So lunch boxes should include an either-or treat: chips or a cookie, pretzels or a pudding, a brownie or popcorn. Try substituting a sweet or a snack with flavored or fruit yogurt. To make sure treats are fresh, try baking a batch of brownies and individually wrapping and freezing them. Or mix up your favorite cookie and roll the dough, wrap and freeze it. Then slice and bake your own cookies fresh, as needed.
Drink to me, only not with pop
If a beverage gets packed as part of the lunch, the last choice (yours, maybe not theirs) should be soda pop -- empty calories with no nutritional value. Best choices include low-fat plain or chocolate milk, 100 percent fruit juices (calories with nutritional value), and those pricey little bottles of water (no calories but healthy).
General guidelines
The best of all possible lunches will include a main course (sandwich or soup) that offers one or more servings from as many of the Food Guide Pyramid's groups as possible, presented creatively and varied from day to day. Add a separate serving of fruits or vegetables, and one snack or treat. Choose low- or reduced-fat options of breads, dairy products, lunch meats, cheeses, spreads and snacks. Read labels on low- or no-fat products to screen those that are high in calories from added sugar. Whenever possible choose whole-grain products. Remember to pack the bare essentials: a spoon, a napkin and a straw. And once in awhile, slip in a note: "You're such a great kid!"
