SANDWICHES: Don’t get stuck on just making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or sandwiches with just one favorite meat. Switch the ingredients around. Add special toppings. Just think about all the toppings you see at sandwich shops. If your child asks for cucumbers or green peppers on their sandwich at Subway, surprise them with a similar sandwich in their lunch! Look for sandwich rolls at the grocery store, cut them part way through and then wrap with plastic wrap to hold everything in.

NOT FANS OF SANDWICHES?: My daughter likes the components of sandwiches but not sandwiches themselves. She prefers to have a roll, a few slices of turkey or ham, and a slice or two of cheese, all eaten separately. Do whatever works for you!

HEALTHY TREATS: A fun alternative to potato chips is Pirate’s Booty made by Robert’s American Gourmet. It’s a tasty snack made with puffed rice and corn that comes in flavors like Aged White Cheddar, Barbecue, Sea Salt & Vinegar, and Veggie. New products from Pirate’s Booty include Smart Puffs which are flavored with cheddar cheese, Tings which are a crunchy corn snack sort of like an unflavored Cheeto, Cannon Balls, and Pirate’s Booty with Golden Caramel. A baggie or container of these is sure to be a hit!

VEGGIES: Make it as easy and tasty as possible for kids to get a veggie serving in at lunch. If they don’t like veggies on their sandwich, send along sliced cucumber, baby carrots or whole carrots peeled and cut into small sticks, tiny grape tomatoes, small sticks of celery, whatever they like. Include a small round container with dip if that’s what they like. Dip suggestions include lowfat Ranch or other salad dressing, hummus, and a tablespoon or two of peanut butter.

FRUIT: It’s easier for younger kids to eat fruit if it’s already peeled or sliced and ready to eat. We like to do sliced Gala apples (they don’t seem to turn brown by lunchtime), grapes, or canned peaches or pears packed in extra light syrup or juice. For canned fruit, drain it and pack it in a small round storage container with a fork or spoon on the side. Those fruit cups are convenient but expensive, and they can be messy and hard for younger kids to open.

LEFTOVERS: What did you have for dinner last night? Leftovers can make a great lunch. My kids love a slice of cold pizza (I wrap it in foil) or a piece of leftover chicken in a storage container. I suggest packing napkins or wet wipes for greasy fingers!

What are your child’s favorite lunch foods? Share them in a comment!

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Gather.com, the leading social network to make new friends and form new social circles, recently conducted a survey of Gather Moms to determine the most popular back to school lunches.

Some highlights from the survey:

• There is a nearly even split between those that pack lunches (52%) or buy school lunch (48%)

• The PB&J is the most popular (37%), but a surprising 24% of parents don’t pack a sandwich for their kid’s lunches.

• Which fruit is most favored? In a close race, the banana came out on top with 33% of the vote, followed by apple with 31% and grapes with 26%.

• More parents pack fruit juice (38%) than milk (35%) for their child’s lunch

• When it comes to getting it there, the overwhelming majority (68%) of parents use insulated lunch bags, compared to 19% who “brown bag it” and 13% who use the classic plastic lunchbox.

To take the survey and see how others voted, go to  http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977805714

MomCooks readers, tell me about your child’s school lunch. Do they brown bag it or buy hot lunch? Do they eat the same thing every day or do they like variety?

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• 7 Back-to-School Lunch Tips (momcooks.net)
• Packing a Lunch? 9 Useful and Cool Lunchboxes and Bags (thekitchn.com)

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image credit: Taste of Home.com

PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY MUFFINS

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup 100% strawberry spreadable fruit (or your favorite flavor)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine the eggs, apple juice concentrate, peanut butter, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Spoon half of the batter into cups. Spoon about 1-1/4 teaspoons spreadable fruit into the center of each; top with remaining batter.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 dozen.

Nutritional Info:
Serving Size- One Muffin
225 Calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber, 6 grams of protein
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 1/2 fat

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