Lunch ideas - Parent Club interviews Lisa Weinberg

Back to School and back to packing school lunches. We interviewed registered dietician Lisa Weinberg about packing healthy lunches, how to incorporate fruit - including dried fruit - into kids' meals as well as easy to make recipes (to come!)

PARENT CLUB: What are your tips for packing fruit in a lunch box (we know those apples turn brown)?

Lisa Weinberg: I, of course, love kids taking fruit to school. It is really important if you want your child to actually eat the fruit that you send to ask them what they will eat and what is convenient. An unpeeled orange can be complicated and time consuming to peel as well as messy, however if the orange is cut up it may be well received. Some kids will turn away from the apple if it starts to brown while others welcome the convenience of it being cut, so a discussion with your child about their preferences is a great place to start.

PC: Any suggestions for yummy yet healthy school lunch?

LW: A yummy lunch is in the eye of the beholder - all kids are different and it’s important that we sometimes think outside "the box" - not all kids like traditional sandwiches! I see many kids loving leftovers from dinner, stir fries, pasta, cold chicken and rice dishes. Many kids enjoy soup or salads, plain deli meat (not in a sandwich) sushi, pizza, yogurt and fruit, hummus and pita, wraps and pasta salads.

PC: What is the worst thing to pack in a school lunch box (high sugars?)

LW: The worst thing to pack is all empty calories as well as a lunch that your child will not eat, causing them to lack fuel for the day.

Empty calories are contained in foods with white sugar/white flour foods that do not fill us up. They instead make us hungry, tired and lack focus or concentration. Include protein, whole grains and fruits and vegetables in your child’s lunch to give them fuel.

PC: How do you recommend incorporating fruit into school lunches?

LW: The best way to incorporate fruit is in a way your child likes it and with the fruit they like. This may mean a green apple, every single day, which is totally fine if it’s getting eaten, or it may be cut up melon, fruit salad or a handful of fresh grapes or cherries (cut up for younger kids) or even some vitamin-rich dried fruit like dried tart cherries.

Wholesome Granola Bars

Munch these bars to your heart's delight. They contain less than half the fat of regular granola bars.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 (375 mL) cups low-fat granola
1 cup (250 mL) quick oats uncooked
3/4 cup (175 mL) dried tart cherries
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1/3 (80 mL) cup honey
1/4 cup (60 mL) firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil

Directions:
Line bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan with foil. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick spray. Set aside. Combine granola, oatmeal, cherries, flour and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Stir together egg whites, honey, brown sugar and oil. Stir into the cereal mixture, stirring until all is coated. Press mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 350⁰ Celsius oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until bars are light brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Use foil to remove bars from pan. Let cool completely. Cut into bars.

(recipe courtesy of choosecherries.com)