TORONTO 鈥� When it comes to healthy school lunches, Carol Harrison is passionate about making them a teaching opportunity.
鈥淲e know food skills aren鈥檛 really being taught in school and they鈥檙e so important,鈥� says Harrison. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an everyday thing that kids can be involved in 鈥� help to plan and pack your own lunch. It doesn鈥檛 have to be just Mom and Dad who do that.鈥�
About a year ago, she launched Yummy Lunch Club, a blog chock-full of tips to address questions she鈥檚 fielded from frustrated parents over her career as a registered dietitian.
She understands the time crunch can lead parents down the slippery slope of buying more highly processed items, such as sweetened granola bars that are 鈥渞eally cookies in disguise.鈥� She points out it鈥檚 just as simple to tuck an extra piece of fruit or some carrot sticks into lunches.
Most Canadians don鈥檛 eat the number of servings of vegetables and fruits recommended by sa国际传媒鈥檚 Food Guide, which led to the Half Your Plate initiative. The message from the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Public Health Association and Canadian Cancer Society is to make breakfast, lunch and dinner plates half vegetables and fruit.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e not getting them at聽breakfast and not getting them at lunch, that鈥檚 a lot they would have to eat at dinnertime. It just won鈥檛 happen,鈥� says Toronto-based Harrison. 鈥淵ou have to work the fruits and vegetables into their lunch.鈥�
Harrison suggests using a julienne peeler, mandoline or聽spiralizer to turn carrots, beets, cucumbers, zucchini and even broccoli stems into 鈥渘oodles.鈥� The noodles can be eaten raw or cooked.
鈥淭hey add a lovely swirl of vegetables into soups and salads and can even replace pasta in your favourite pasta dish,鈥� says the mother of three.
鈥淏ento box lunches are a great way to work vegetables and fruits into lunches because there鈥檚 so many opportunities to mix and match different colours and textures and it鈥檚 interesting.鈥�
Kids love hand-held food, and muffin-tin veggie frittatas, hot or cold, fit the bill. Try broccoli and cheddar, bell peppers and feta, or cauliflower and Parmesan. Add a little leftover meat or grains, too. Make a batch on the weekend and use a few for lunches at the beginning of the week. The rest can be frozen for up to a month as quick grab-and-go options.
Harrison advises parents to think about long-term strategies to make lunch prep easy. In just 30 minutes on the weekend, you can whip up a batch of mini muffins, meatballs or a big pot of聽soup, chili or stew.
鈥淚t just takes the edge off packing lunches during the week to know you鈥檝e got something tucked away that鈥檚 going to help to make this quicker and easier,鈥� says Harrison.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 making dinner I鈥檓 thinking about lunch at the same time.鈥�
Here are some other ideas to increase your child鈥檚 vegetable intake. Many of them use up leftovers so they鈥檙e not lingering in the fridge, which saves money, says Harrison.
鈥� Veggies added to meatballs bump up moisture and flavour.
鈥� Blitz 3/4 cup cooked sweet potato, beets, roasted red peppers or carrots into gorgeous-coloured hummus, either store-bought or homemade. Pack the super-healthy dip in a little container and include pita bread wedges, breadsticks or vegetable sticks. Or make 鈥渂oats鈥� out of small bell peppers, which have been halved lengthwise and seeded, and fill with hummus.
鈥� Top crispy kale chips with Parmesan cheese, chili powder, taco seasoning, or even just a bit of lemon and lime zest.
鈥� Make fresh spring rolls with rice paper wrappers and tasty fillings like mango, chicken, mint and bagged coleslaw.
鈥� Whole-wheat pita pizza can be loaded with veggie toppings and eaten cold.
鈥� If you use canned soups, add an extra handful of frozen or leftover vegetables.
鈥� Cold roasted vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or sweet potato make little side dishes.
Safety should be top of mind when packing lunches 鈥� keep hot food hot and cold food cold to prevent bacteria growth. With an insulated container, warm it with hot water before adding food that contains some liquid or sauce.
