I am desperate for HEALTHY lunch ideas!

[Blessedfamily]

DH has just gone on another dreaded journey to the grocery in search of healthy food for lunch. News flash to myself- homeschooling= no school lunches. I'm glad in a way, but I'm fresh out of ideas.

 

Really, it's part of our larger struggle to find healthy food locally.

Breakfast we have covered (except maple syrup, but let's not start that again:001_smile:).

 

In the dinner category we have problems finding side dish ideas that are not processed and full of preservatives and worse.

 

But lunch??? What else can you fix for lunch besides lunch meat and peanut butter? We buy lunch meat w/out nitrates, but I still don't like to eat too much. I even asked one of the supermoms on my street. She said lunch is her least favorite meal and she is stumped so she serves the same thing almost daily.

 

Is there anything else that's healthy but not too time-consuming?

[keptwoman]

We tend to be bread and peanut butter most of the time but other options:

Simple vegetable soups

Omelettes

Mac n Cheese

Corn on the cob

Toasted sandwiches with cheese and tomato

Eggs on toast

Baked Beans

[Laura Corin]

I make a lot of vegetable soups with pulses/grains. I make the soup the night before, while I'm making supper. Also whole grain pitta with salad and tuna stuffed inside. Lentils are good, as are leftovers.

 

Laura

Edited November 6, 2008 by Laura in China

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I keep refried beans, tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa and leftover meat in the fridge for quick lunches. My kids don't seem to tire of them.

 

hth

K

[jacqui in mo]

Yogurt, honey, & fresh fruit.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

In other words I make up lunch ahead of time. Some of my son's favorites are

Homemade Vegetable Soup

Lasgne

Manwich

Bean Cassarole

Tacos (I only make the meat in advance)

A Roast in the slow cooker

Chili

Refried Bean Dip

Fried Rice with chicken

Anything that can be heated quickly and reheats well is great for lunch

If we run out at the end of the week my other quick luch ideas are

Mini pizza on English Muffins

steak-um sandwiches (probably not super healthy though)

Apple and Cheese slices served with Apple Cider YUM!

Pita Pockets (Kids love these) with feta cheese and ham cubes

[mom31257]

My kids eat fresh fruits and vegetables much better than cooked, so every lunch has some for the sides. Here's some of what I do besides sandwiches:

 

Grilled Cheese & tomato soup(we only eat whole grain bread)

Quessadillas (whole grain tortillas, sometimes just cheese, sometimes chicken & cheese) We like this with salsa and quacamole. They are very quick to make.

Supper Leftovers

I do usually let them pick one processed thing a week that they like (frozen pizza, Spaghetti O's, etc.).

Breakfast for lunch (different than they had for breakfast that day)

[MyThreeSons]

tostadas

baked potatoes with goodies

tuna melts

salads

fried rice

smoothies

[whitestavern]

We do a lot of what's been posted, but here are two more: cottage cheese and fruit or veggies, hummus and pita.

[TraceyS/FL]

I hate lunch time.

 

Mine feed themselves most of the time - PB&J or Honey, chicken nuggets or something. If i feel like cooking "twice" in a day - i'll make Mac & CHeese (took them a few months off of Easy Mac to like and ask for homemade though) or something else.

 

I bought some containers to freeze beans in - maybe i'll try freezing refried beans and see how that goes. They love burritos! (i make torts - that is easy and I don't mind doing that at lunch really).

 

But really, i hate lunch time.

 

Oh, and I have great intents on making my own chicken nuggets - i need to find a breading mix they like.

[TammyinTN]

Our favorite lunch is chef salads. I prep everything that morning and open the containers up at lunch time and you make your own salad. I also keep lots of boiled eggs, nuts, dried cranberries, croutons, sunflower seeds to make it more filling.

 

Soups w/ grilled cheese

When I make a large dinner then the next days lunch is left overs.

Grilled chicken the night before makes great grilled chicken sandwiches or chicken salad the next day.

 

Baked potatoes with chili and cheese.

[mrsdash]

A typical lunch for my girls might be a small fresh fruit salad (apple slices,a strawberry, a prune, a fig, a date,sliced banana,cranberries, almonds) with some natural peanut butter on the side, a small "plop" of yogurt, some baby carrots and brocolli with a toasted pita and hummus.

 

or

 

A toasted english muffin half with tuna, a tomato and melted cheese

or

 

A baked sweet potatoe, a small salad and some yogurt w.agave and walnuts

[joannqn]

I bought some containers to freeze beans in - maybe i'll try freezing refried beans and see how that goes. They love burritos! (i make torts - that is easy and I don't mind doing that at lunch really).

 

 

 

Refried beans freeze just fine. Just bring back to room temp and reheat.

 

I cook up 3 pounds of pinto beans at a time. If I expect to use them up the same week, I refrigerate them unmashed. Then I refry just the amount I need throughout the week. If I don't expect to use them up that week, I mash and fry them for freezing.

[TraceyS/FL]

Refried beans freeze just fine. Just bring back to room temp and reheat.

 

I cook up 3 pounds of pinto beans at a time. If I expect to use them up the same week, I refrigerate them unmashed. Then I refry just the amount I need throughout the week. If I don't expect to use them up that week, I mash and fry them for freezing.

 

Thanks! I just put 2 pounds on the stove to quick soak.

 

Now if i could find a recipe for refried beans that matched my favorite restaurant in CA (that just closed - no reason to go back now! LOL!!!) i'd be a happy camper :D

[Jenny in Florida]

When I make dinners that he especially likes, I make extra and put it away for lunches. So, last night I made spaghetti (probably his very favorite meal). I made an extra-big batch of sauce and extra pasta. Both are now sitting in the fridge, and he will heat up some for lunch later.

 

I do the same thing with mashed potatoes, curry-flavored couscous and anything else he likes.

 

If there are no appealing left-overs, he often just has something simple like crackers and fruit. He is also competent enough in the kitchen these days to cook his own couscous, which he likes to eat in a pita with a little bit of hummus.

 

And, in the name of full disclosre, I'll admit that I do keep frozen vegetable samosas around, because he likes to have those for lunch sometimes, too. And, even worse, there are usually frozen french fries in there for him.

[TraceyS/FL]

I eat the leftovers around here! LOL! But my kids really don't ever want it, the oldest has one thing she will eat as leftovers and that is it.

 

But you just reminded me to go throw the spag sauce on to cook. :D

[Lizzie in Ma]

Occasionally PB&J on wheat bread.

In fact, we like leftovers and soups for breakfast too. :)

[kewb]

Lunch around here consists of what is in the house. Right now we have been so busy I have not gone to the market and we are using pantry items. Lunch can be any of the following (prepared by the children)

Leftovers

Mac & cheese

Eggs

Sandwich

vegetables and dip

cheese and crackers

Soup & grilled cheese

Pancakes

[JoyfulMama]

I use whatever I have to combine for :

1) protein (egg, nuts, meat, beans)

2) vegetable

3) fruit

4) grain

 

Whether that be leftovers or something made special, such as a quiche/strata, or some soup (usually frozen from a previous meal), or sandwiches (rather than processed lunchmeat, we often used leftover meat), we tend to use what's leftover, and fill in with what's available.

[Blessedfamily]

We should start a social group for lunch ideas and call it "Well-trained tummies" or "Well-fed tummies" :001_smile:

 

Just a few questions about the responses if anyone can answer.

 

In the grilled cheese and tomato sand. do you cook the tomato first?

 

For quesadillas I can't find a good tortilla that doesn't have hydrogenated oil. Can you recommed a good one?

 

For those who do soups, do you make it from scratch(I try to avoid canned stuff)? If so, is this involved.

 

I'm looking for a crockpot now but uhhhhh...it's going to take a while to find a safe one.

 

Thanks again!

[Dawn in OH]

I think lunch is fun and easy. We usually have a platter of a variety things on the table and everyone helps themselves. They children are reminded to get something from each food group and told if they haven't eaten enough from a group. The platter varies but may contain:

 

preservative free lunch meat

cubed cheeses (American, mozzarella, cheddar, Gouda)

carrot sticks

celery sticks

sliced cucumber

hard boiled egg

black olives

cherry/grape tomatoes

grapes

apples or pears

homemade bread

wheat crackers

tuna salad

egg salad

chicken salad

other seasonal fruits

hummus

 

 

Sometimes we will do ham pinwheels, or quesadillas, bean and cheese burritos, grilled cheese, a salad and baked potato. Often times in the winter we'll have soup, bread and salad. Sometimes I make personal pizzas on homemade flatbread. We all love peanut butter here, so usually the day after I make the wheat bread we have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

[NancyNellen]

We do a lot of whole wheat past w/ butter and cheese at lunch. Also, I like to have soup around to be reheated whenever we need it. Soups can be very healthy!

[Tina]

I've been doing homemade soups lately, when we don't have leftovers. Most of them can be made pretty quickly, then just give them up to an hour to cook and blend the flavors.

[runamuk]

One of my kid's favorite lunches is what they call a Finger Lunch. It's easy to make, uses up leftovers and doesn't require any silverware.

 

I include some of the following:

 

artisan bread or bagel with goat cheese or cream cheese

leftover biscuit or cornbread with butter

sliced apples or pears

a banana

mandarin or regular orange slices

melon slices

grapes or berries

hard-boiled eggs

leftover chicken, roast pork or beef cut into strips or chuncks

carrot sticks

broccoli florets

cherry tomatoes

cauliflower

celery with peanut butter

olives

chunks of different cheese

 

They love it and are guaranteed to clean their plates.

 

We also make mini-pizzas. I buy refridgerated biscuit dough, let Elle roll it out and then offer different toppings for them to put on their pizzas. I'm always surprised at the amount of veggies they will eat on a pizza.

[melissel]

We should start a social group for lunch ideas and call it "Well-trained tummies" or "Well-fed tummies" :001_smile:

 

Just a few questions about the responses if anyone can answer.

 

In the grilled cheese and tomato sand. do you cook the tomato first?

 

I don't. I slice the tomato thinly and just make it like a regular grilled cheese sandwich, or I make it open-faced in the toaster oven. Or I just make grilled cheese and serve tomatoes in a olive oil and a dash of salt on the side.

 

For quesadillas I can't find a good tortilla that doesn't have hydrogenated oil. Can you recommed a good one?

 

I've only been able to get healthy ones at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. It's very frustrating. I also have a recipe for making your own, if you care to give it a shot. It's fun, but a bit labor intensive unless you have a tortilla press.

 

For those who do soups, do you make it from scratch(I try to avoid canned stuff)? If so, is this involved.

 

I make a big pot at a time and we eat from it for 3 days, so not too involved.

 

I'm looking for a crockpot now but uhhhhh...it's going to take a while to find a safe one.

 

I THINK Hamilton Beach ones are safe (that's why I bought mine, but it was awhile ago. Someone said there's also one with a glass insert that should be fine. But frankly, I never use mine. No one ever likes anything I cook in it!

 

Thanks again!

 

My responses are in blue :D

[Laura Corin]

 

For those who do soups, do you make it from scratch(I try to avoid canned stuff)? If so, is this involved.

 

 

Saute an onion and some smashed garlic (to taste) in olive oil. Add whatever vegetables you have around, sliced (celery, turnip, carrot, leek......). Add a grain or pulse plus water to cover. If you are using most lentils/quinoa/pearl barley then they don't need soaking. Others (most dried beans) need soaking according to the packet directions. Add water and simmer until soft, keeping an eye so that the soup doesn't get too dry. At this point, add pepper and whatever herbs you like - mixed herbs/Italian seasoning work fine. If using pulses, wait until they start to soften before adding salt/stock cube.

 

Variations: leek and potato, where the potato takes the place of the pulses; sauteing a little bacon at the beginning to add extra flavour; adding tomato paste for a richer taste....

 

As I say, I often make these at the same time as supper, so I don't have two cooking sessions in the day. Then I just reheat for lunch. Have fun!

 

Laura

[NevadaRabbit]

Vary the presentation to break the monotony - a seasonally decorated paper plate makes the standard PB&J look better. :) OH and toothpicks or chopsticks instead of utensils - we're nuts, maybe, but cut a sandwich into little squares and eat it with toothpicks - makes it fun.

 

For lunch we do:

raw veggies and ranch dip

pb and honey stirred together in a small ramekin with a spreader for applying to crackers and apple slices

cheese quesadillas

mac and cheese (Kraft, right outta the box! GACK!)

wraps (pick yer stuffin' and roll it up in a tortilla)

top crackers with slices of deli meat and a dollop of cottage cheese or cream cheese

nuke some Lean Pockets or Hot Pockets

hot dogs

scrambled eggs (super yummo wrapped in a tortilla with cheese and salsa)

[NevadaRabbit]

One more thing - packaged crescent rolls with small amt of meat/cheese inside, bake as directed - OR refrig pie crust - cut into fourths and fill with small amt of meat/cheese, fold over and use a fork to press edges together and bake as directed. Good way to perk up lastnight's leftovers.

[Jami]

along with those things mentioned, my kids really like to have breakfast for lunch. I'm not good at doing bigger breakfasts in the morning. But they love to have pancakes, french toast, oatmeal, etc. for lunch. I often throw in blueberries or serve a smoothie on the side for fruit. :-)

[melissel]

along with those things mentioned, my kids really like to have breakfast for lunch. I'm not good at doing bigger breakfasts in the morning. But they love to have pancakes, french toast, oatmeal, etc. for lunch. I often throw in blueberries or serve a smoothie on the side for fruit. :-)

 

Sometimes when I make pancakes for breakfast, I'll stick a little PB&J or CC&J inside of a couple extras to make "sandwiches" for lunch.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I gave up on lunch. We just eat leftovers now. If I can't stomach the leftovers, I make myself a salad.

[mom31257]

Quesadillas: I buy La Banderita brand (it doesn't have hydrogenated oil). They have whole wheat, multi-grain, and low-carb that's made with whole wheat and several fibers. I get them at Wal-Mart

[joannqn]

Thanks! I just put 2 pounds on the stove to quick soak.

 

Now if i could find a recipe for refried beans that matched my favorite restaurant in CA (that just closed - no reason to go back now! LOL!!!) i'd be a happy camper :D

 

 

Try these. They are my recipe and taste a lot like those you get at Mexican restaurants. Manteca is one of the most important ingredients to getting them to taste right.

[Blessedfamily]

I am overwhelmed. This is so helpful. THANK YOU ALL! :hurray:

[TraceyS/FL]

Try these. They are my recipe and taste a lot like those you get at Mexican restaurants. Manteca is one of the most important ingredients to getting them to taste right.

 

Thanks - i'll give it a go. I grew up eating Manteca in my torts that mom made, so i'm not afraid of it :D

 

My mom was going to have my grandma try to get the recipe from the restaurant for me - the owner was in Korea with my grandpa.