Brown Bagging It

Here is a list of lunch menu ideas to make lunch more interesting for kids or adults alike:

~Whole-grain bread for sandwiches, cut into triangles of course

~100% juice or chocolate milk frozen in nonglass containers that will thaw just in time for lunch and help keep the rest of the lunch cool.

~Cheese cut into strips or cubes

~Low-fat yogurt is always packed with a healthy granola bar

~Popcorn or pretzels alone or mixed with nuts, raisins, and dark chocolate chips

~Peanut butter, tuna fish, lean chicken or turkey (instead of bologna), egg salad, can all be served on bread or in a pita or rolled up in a tortilla. 

~On weekends, make “icebox” cookies, which are our version of Pillsbury Cookie dough.  These slice-and-bake cookies are great for the lunch box, and I actually know what's in them since their made from scratch.

~Pasta salad keeps really well.  
~Little blocks of meat and cheese hits the spot.

~Leftovers for lunch such as Pizza is popular among children.  

~Lunch nachos:  refried beans, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, olives, and salsa, accompanied by a bag of tortilla chips.

~Bake ahead mini cupcakes and muffins and freeze them.  Pop into the lunch bag and by lunch they are thawed.

~Wrap tortillas with ham and cheese or cucumbers and cream cheese (use seedless cucumbers and dry off slices with a paper towel).

~Never use plastic baggies again by repurposing plastic containers with tight-fitting lids to hold chips, canned fruits, leftovers, etc.

~Use a deli takeout menu for sandwich combination ideas.  Try using bagels, pitas, leftover biscuits, hotdog and hamburger buns, and English muffins.  Try banana nut bread with cream cheese and jam.  (Note:  A thin layer of butter on any bread helps prevent soggy sandwiches.)

~Try kabobs of ham, cheese, pineapple, and cherry tomatoes on a skewer.

~Instead of individually packaged items, buy a family-size such as chips and put them into ziplock baggies yourself, then put these in a storage container so they are always ready and stay fresh.

~Beef jerky is also a fun snack to pack.