Keep it simple for back to school (or work) lunches

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

It’s that time of year.  New beginnings.  A fresh start.  The unofficial “New Year” for many.  Optimism abounds as routines are re-established and household organization takes top priority.

Or so you hope.  Until the realization sets in that you have to pack one, two (or maybe more!), healthy lunches in the 5 minutes you have between providing a nutritious breakfast and actually getting yourself dressed.

Keep the stress to a minimum by keeping it simple.  Easy to say, but not terribly difficult to put into practice.  In our house, we’re no experts, but we’ve found that thinking of the bigger picture really helps  – i.e. focus on the basics – some protein, some grains, some dairly, and some fruit and vegetables.

Let’s face it.  The sandwich is the cornerstone of lunches everywhere — but don’t over-think it.   Pick your protein and try putting it in a “bunless burger bun” (which are like little pitas that are pre-sliced).  They’re an excellent alternative to breads and wraps, and they come in various whole grain varieties.  And the sandwich doesn’t have to be overly fancy — we tend to keep it to a meat, some lettuce and that’s it.

Just like that, you have two groups down, two to go!  Dairy for us is usually in the form of yogurt or cheese, while veggies are cucumber and carrots for their ease of prep and organic availability.  Fruit is as simple as an apple, or even Kiju Organic 100% Juice, since one juice box contains 2 servings of fruit based on Canada’s Food Guide and also gives you over 100% of your daily Vitamin C.

And there you have it.  Nothing fancy — just a simple, nutritious foods with very little reliance on highly processed items, and with enough variety to increase the chances that it all gets eaten!

It’s working for us so far.  2 weeks down, 38 to go…..