Lunch Beyond the Pail
How to pack a great school lunch.
by Jessica Fisher
TWEENS & TEENS News February
2007
A tin pail, clean cloth, fried chicken and perhaps
some johnny cake— such was the school
lunch of prairie children. While times have
changed, school lunch has also changed. Leftover
fried chicken and corn bread have been replaced
by school-cooked cafeteria meals, pre-made cheese
and crackers kits and fast food grub for students
allowed to dine off-campus. Yet toting lunch
from home remains a viable option, and may even
be your best bet in terms of cost and health.
Packing a lunch, whether kids or parents handle
the preparation, serves as a great way to save
money, ensure good nutrition and add a pick
me up to the school day. Here are a few ideas
for planning and organizing portable feasts.
Stock up on supplies. Go through your cabinets
and take inventory with your parents regarding
what you can use to transport your food from
home to school. Ask to purchase the items you
need from the following: an insulated lunch
box or bag; a thermos; small refreezable ice,
such as Blue Ice; plastic resealable sandwich
and snack bags; disposable plastic boxes and
bowls with lids; plastic wrap; napkins; plastic
utensils. Using black permanent marker or waterproof
labels, mark the items that you would like to
take back home each day and re-use.
Determine what resources are available at
school. Some schools, for instance, provide
microwaves for kids to use. If this is the
case, you can take leftovers from home to
reheat at school. Perhaps healthy snack items
are available for purchase, such as pretzels,
milk or juice. Knowing this will help you
plan your meals.
Create lists of favorite foods. Be sure to
include sandwiches, side salads, fruits, baked
goods and snacks. Make a copy of the list
to give to your Mom or another family member
who does the grocery shopping. While the standard
grocery shopper probably knows which breads,
meats and cheeses your family likes, having
this information on paper frees up space in
the brain and makes it easier to plan for
different meals— and to purchase certain
items for your lunch. When you taste something
new and appealing, whether at a friend’s
house or restaurant, update the food lists.
This is a great way to enhance culinary variety.
Plan a week of lunches. Each Sunday, make
a chart of each weekday and the menu for lunch.
You can coordinate this with your family’s
dinner plans to use up leftovers or to balance
out nutritional intakes. Slipping in a few
favorites, such as banana bread or fresh,
chopped fruit, gives you added incentive to
look forward to lunchtime and lends a refreshing
break to the school day.
Think assembly line.
Encourage your parent or family grocery shopper
to buy the huge bag of chips or cookies rather
than the more expensive, individual sized
bags. Spend a few minutes on Sunday night
to divide that huge bag into smaller plastic
bags. Store all your self-bagged goodies in
a plastic box in the pantry, ready to be grabbed
at a moment’s notice.
If you have siblings or parents who make their
own lunches for work or school, prepare your
sandwiches together. Designate a shelf in
the fridge to line up each person’s
lunch items to pack each morning. Or, if you
have the space, pack each lunch and store
it in the refrigerator, adding the ice in
the mornings. Include the non-perishables
so that nothing will be forgotten during the
morning rush.
Package well. No one likes squashed or soggy
food. Check to ensure that bags are sealed
tightly with no excess air. Pack cold items
right next to the ice. Place heavy things
on the bottom of lunch bags. Cushion soft
items with napkins if necessary. Pack moist
sandwich fillings like tuna salad separate
from the bread, ready to be assembled at lunch
time.
Include a little “warm fuzzy.”
A touch of encouragement or affection, from
a favorite quote to a candy kiss, entices
a smile, even if it’s you who put it
in your lunch pack. Don’t feel obligated
to do this all the time. But, an occasional
surprise, especially when it’s exam
day, is a wonderful boost to anyone’s
morale.
With a little extra work and planning, you
can prepare a meal that you’ll look
forward to and feel better eating.
Fun Recipes to Try
Chicken salad
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients:
•3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cooked and diced
•2 ribs celery, chopped
•½ cup cheddar cheese cubes
•½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle
Whip
•1 Tsp. lemon juice
•¼ tsp. dried dill weed
•salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, gently combine chicken,
celery and cheese. In a small bowl, whisk
together mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill and
salt and pepper. Pour dressing over chicken
mixture and stir gently to combine. Chill.
This is delicious served as is or in a sandwich.
Italian Sub Sandwiches
Serves 1 person
Ingredients:
•one long, Italian roll, sliced lengthwise,
but not completely through
•½ cup herb mayonnaise (½
cup mayonnaise mixed with ½ Tsp. dried
basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano and 1 clove minced
garlic)
•2 slices ham
•4 slices salami
•2 slices provolone cheese
•sliced tomato
•sliced red onion
•shredded lettuce
Directions:
Spread 1-2 tablespoons of herbed mayo on Italian
roll. Layer ham, salami, cheese, tomato, red
onion and shredded lettuce. Close sandwich
tightly. Wrap securely in plastic, cling wrap.
Chill until serving.
Chili Dogs on the Run
Serves 1 person
Ingredients:
•1 cup of your favorite chili (canned
or homemade)
•2 hot dogs
•2 hot dog buns
Directions:
This recipe needs to be prepared in the morning
rather than the night before school. Heat
hot dogs to steaming and place in thermos.
Meanwhile, heat chili until very hot. Pour
chili into thermos, around hot dogs, securing
lid tightly. Package buns separately. Be sure
to include a fork and paper plate.
To serve, fork the hot dogs out of the thermos
and place on buns. Pour chili over top.
Jessica Fisher is a freelance writer
living near Kansas City with her husband and
four boys. The entire Fisher family loves
to cook and eat together.
