As I always tell you, Thursday mornings are important to me since I get to chat with Matt Swaim/Sonrise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio. Today with Catholic schools week in full swing, we chatted about lunches and how to make them more interesting and nutritious to eat.

First, let the kids help not only choose ingredients but also assemble them, according to age. Here’s some fun ideas:

Peanut Butter and Apple Sandwiches – with a twist!

Sliced apples tend to slide off a peanut butter sandwich. So shred up the apples with a bit of lemon juice to keep them white. Let the little ones sprinkle the shredded apples on top of the peanut butter and seal the sandwich.

“Brainy” Trail Mix 

Nuts like almonds and pistachios have Biblical roots. Let the kids stir this mix up. Walnuts and pepitas have Omega 3s for the brain. This is full of protein and a nice addition to lunch or as an after school snack.

Mix together:

1 cup each almonds, pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. 

Stir in 1-1/2 cups dried fruit – cherries and chopped apricots (another Bible fruit) are good.

Then for fun and heart health, 1 cup dark chocolate chips.

Kids love smoothies. Any ideas for make-ahead smoothie packs? 

Basically, all you need is a generous cup or so of your favorite frozen fruit. You can buy several different kids or a blend.  We like to add some sliced bananas to the mix. A few fresh greens, like spinach can be added.

Pour into baggies, and write on the bag to add about 1 cup liquid of choice and maybe some honey when blending. 

Each baggie holds a couple servings of smoothie and you can blend them right from the frozen state. Let the kids choose the fruits. The smoothies will stay cold until lunch.

Can you blend them up ahead of time and then freeze in proportions?

Sure, and by the time lunch comes, the smoothie will be like a slushy so pack a spoon. This way the frozen smoothie acts as a refrigerant for other foods in the lunch box too.

What about  packing hot foods?

Plan on putting some leftover stew, soup or pasta in small microwavable containers. Freeze and simply heat in the microwave, then pour into a thermos. Kids love pasta this way. If you’re packing spaghetti it’s a good idea to cut the strands up for the little ones to make it easier for them eat. Don’t forget to pack a fork!

Bring Uneaten Food Home

For a couple of reasons: non perishable foods like cookies, crackers, etc. can be served as a snack.

The inside of what’s left in the lunchbox tells a lot – food kids may not like and on the other hand, an empty lunch box may be a clue to the child needing a bit more to eat.

Have fun and count your blessings.