These are lunches to be prepared at home and put in a container to be taken to school. Some will need a second container for the salad dressing or salsa topping.
As with the younger child lunches, the more flavorful, fresh, and nutritious the bread and other ingredients are, the more likely your child will eat it!
- Green Salad with Tuna. Wash and spin a green salad—mixed greens if possible for variety, flavor, and nutrition (dark, leafy greens=Vitamin K). Finely chop a little red onion and add to the salad. Using tuna packed in water, drain and add the tuna to the salad. Put two tablespoons of Simple Salad Dressing and toss when it’s time to eat for a tasty, very filling, low carb meal. Add a handful of croutons for carbohydrates.
- Green Salad with Walnuts and Grapes. Start with the salad in #1 above and add roughly chopped walnut pieces and grapes for protein, healthy fat, sweetness, and plenty of vitamins. Alternate with mandarin orange pieces for variety. Take the salad dressing in a small container and toss just before eating.
- Cheese Quesadillas. Spray 2 tortillas lightly with water and put in the microwave on a plate. Heat for 30 seconds. Put grated cheddar or jack or any flavorful cheese that you prefer between the tortillas and microwave to 1 minute. Cool and slice into triangles. Package in foil or a container for eating at school. Fancy version: Put some salsa in a small container and add on top of the triangles before eating. Wow!
- Super sandwich. Spread mayo or mustard or both on lengthwise slices of Ciabatta bread. Add thin slices of pepper jack cheese and 2 slices of whatever meat you prefer. (To make it veggy, skip the meat). Add 1-2 leaves of leafy lettuce (washed, dried and chilled in frig), and some very thin slices of cucumber. Wrap it all up and enjoy at school!
- Nut Butter Sandwich. Start with a nutritious whole grain bread with lots of seeds and grains. Spread with almond butter or macadamia butter, or any other flavorful nut butter. Very lightly, add a touch of honey or jam, mashed banana, or other fruit like strawberries, then cover and slice into halves.
- Hummus and vegetables. Teenagers will love finger foods that taste great. Provide a small container of hummus and cut vegetables for easy dipping at school. Use uncooked yellow, red, or green pepper, baby carrots, sliced cucumber, sliced celery, apple pieces, jicama slices, or any other vegetable that your teen enjoys. The hummus will provide plenty of protein and healthy (olive oil) fat for this nutritious meal.
