School can be pretty predictable. Day in and day out, your child can expect to get up early, get on the buss, sit through class and come back home. The only time your child has to themselves is lunch, so, why not break up the monotony of their daily grind? Give them something to look forward to every day with these creative lunch ideas.
Delicious Surprises
First thing’s first, cheesy pretzel dippers! They are super simple to make and fun to eat. We know you discourage playing with your food, however, these dippers look a lot like magic wands and swords. If you want to give your child an entertaining lunch as well as a healthy, easy to make lunch, cheesy pretzel dippers are worth a little playful lunch time. Simply cut the cheese into sixteen cubes. Let the cubes rest for fifteen minutes at room temperature. The cubes will then be soft enough to insert thin rod pretzels into the middle. Pair the cheesy pretzel dippers with honey mustard or any dip your child likes best. Complete the lunch with apples, peanut butter and milk. Your child will have a balanced meal full of dipping fun.
Keep It Fresh and Delicious
Avocados are a super fruit! Best of all, they are delicious and children love them. Another fun lunch ideas is to use up all of your avocados before they go bad with the California Rollwich. You will need four ten inch tortillas or one pita, two tablespoons of mayonnaise, two ounces of turkey (or ham depending on what your child prefers), one slice of cheese, cut into slices and two tablespoons of romance lettuce sliced up. For the avocado mix, you’ll need one avocado, a quarter cup of fresh diced tomatoes, a dash of lemon juice, two tablespoons of carrots and lastly one tablespoon of green pepper, diced.
Now here’s what you do. To make the avocado spread, scoop out the avocado and mash it. Mix in the lemon. Then mix in the diced tomatoes and veggies. Then let it sit for a while. Return to the mix with pita and mayonnaise in hand. Spread an even layer of mayonnaise on the tortilla (or pita). Make sure you leave a half inch around the outside of the tortilla free so as to avoid mayonnaise dripping all over your child’s clean shirt at school. Take your avocado spread and smear it overtop of the tortilla. Then top the spread with the shredded lettuce. You may now place the turkey (or ham) on top of the lettuce. Just make sure you have enough room to roll. Lastly, add the cheese strips down the middle. Roll it up, cut it into two and lunch is done!
The responsibilities of lunch preparation often falls on parents, so when you have so much else to do, making lunch can feel like a chore. Pull a Mary Poppins and add an element of fun! With each new lunch box creative you are challenging yourself while keeping things fresh and delicious for your little one. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
