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denise
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Brown-bagging It
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Aug 31 17:58 UTC 2007 |
With school starting up again in a few days, here are some packed lunch
ideas for school or the office [or just out doing errands and such all
day. The ideas posted in the next few responses are from iVillage.
10 Great Lunches for Work or School
by Fran Clinton
Looking for ways to fight the school-lunch blahs? Here are 10 menus that
kids and grown-ups will love. Date-Nut Bread with Cream Cheese Celery
Sticks Whole Apple Yogurt-Covered Raisins Milk
Pasta with Pesto Sauce
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Pear
Milk
Whole-Wheat Bread with Peanut Butter and Apple Butter
Banana Chips
Vanilla Yogurt
Fresh Orange
Milk
Baked Chicken Pieces
Baked Tortilla Chips
Red Pepper Strips
Fresh Seedless Grapes
Milk
Bagel with Cream Cheese and Tomato
Baby Carrots
Fresh Strawberries
Milk
Whole-Wheat Ham Sandwich with Mustard and Lettuce
Pretzels
Melon Cubes
Milk
Tomato & Mozzarella on a Hard Roll
Whole-Wheat Crackers
Nectarine
Milk
Turkey Breast, Sprouts and Honey Mustard on a Sub Roll
Baked Potato Chips
Banana
Milk
Hummus
Pita Chips
Assorted Fresh Veggies (Celery Sticks, Pepper Strips, Carrot Sticks)
Peach
Milk
Tabbouleh with Tomatoes and Diced Chicken
Pita Bread
Yogurt
Dried Pineapple Slices and Apricots
Milk
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| 34 responses total. |
denise
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response 1 of 34:
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Aug 31 18:00 UTC 2007 |
Five Ways to Make Lunch Time Fun Again
by Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE
Tired of the same old lunches? Here are some fresh, yet easy-to-make
lunch ideas that will make you look forward to noontime again. Kids
will like them too!
Yogurt, fruit and granola or whole grain crackers. You can mix
everything together in one bowl for the easiest clean-up or design an
elegant platter with a low-fat yogurt dip as the centerpiece and a
variety of fresh fruit and crackers around the sides.
Take advantage of the current trend in wraps. One of my favorite delis
serves a delicious combination of veggie burgers, tons of fresh
vegetables, roasted peppers, garlic and cheese. Add a flavored olive
oil or balsamic vinegar for a splash of taste. You can make wraps
yourself at home or buy them on the run.
A large bowl of pre-mixed salad greens (Mesclun is good), tossed with a
dressing made of extra virgin olive oil, minced fresh garlic, balsamic
vinegar and reduced fat feta cheese. Add fresh whole grain bread --
perhaps rye or oat bran -- and a piece of fresh fruit and lunch is
served!
Make a big pot of your favorite homemade soup and freeze in
microwaveable containers. While the soup reheats, pull out some whole
grain crackers and fresh fruit salad. Lunch is ready in minutes. If you
don't have time to make your own soup, try one of the heart-healthy
canned varieties that go easy on fat and sodium yet are very flavorful.
Keep lunch simple with hummus, fresh veggies, baked pita or bagel chips
and your favorite homemade cookie. Life is too short to avoid sweets
forever!
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denise
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response 2 of 34:
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Aug 31 18:04 UTC 2007 |
Bag-Lunch Ideas
by Sue Gilbert, Ask the Nutritionist (see more from this expert)
Hi Sue:
Your lunchbox ideas are great, and I was wondering if you could give me
some ideas on bag lunches that do not need to be refrigerated. I can't
seem to move beyond PB&J with an apple and some carrots. Any
suggestions? Thanks. Lisa
Dear Lisa:
One of the many wonderful things about kids is that they love the same
foods over and over. For most of them, peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches fall into that category. I certainly wouldn't worry that you
have gotten stuck in a rut. Most likely the kids don't mind.
Nonetheless, it is always good to try and expand the variety of foods
they eat. To get them to enjoy many different types of foods makes
cooking more fun and their diets more nutritious. I have some
nutritious alternatives to peanut butter and jelly, and you can choose
from among them based on your time. Some suggestions require spending
time the night before baking quick breads or muffins -- or perhaps you
have a store that sells wholesome baked goods.
Bag-lunch ideas that require no refrigeration:
Mozzarella string-cheese sticks
Orange wedges
Whole-wheat carrot muffins
Bagel spread with cream cheese (you may want to try minibagels for small
children) Sugar snap peas Box of raisins Tortilla rolled up with a slice
of mild cheese Fresh green beans Small tangerines (Clementines are so
easy to peel that the kids can do it themselves) Banana bread spread
with peanut butter and a little honey Cucumber coins Melon cubes Cream
cheese and apple butter on whole-grain bread Veggie mix (baby carrots,
snap peas) Dried apricots Half of a pita stuffed with shredded carrot
and mild cheese (or peanut butter) Individual cup of applesauce
How about using the following chart to mix and match from? Select one
from each group. Bread: Pita (either small individual size or half of a
regular-size) Muffin Quick bread (banana, pumpkin, apple, etc.)
Whole-wheat bun Bagel Tortilla Raisin bread
Fillings:
Peanut butter, plain or with (pick one) honey, banana, jelly, shredded
carrot, raisin Cream cheese, plain or with (pick one) jelly, apple
butter, shredded veggies Mild cheese Hummus
Veggies:
Baby carrots or carrot sticks
Fresh green beans
Sugar snap peas
Cucumber coins
Crisp, tender broccoli florets sprinkled with non-salt seasoning
Zucchini sticks
Fruits:
Half a banana
Small apple
Orange wedge
Raisins or other dried fruits
Drained pineapple chunks (or fresh)
Individual applesauce container
Melon cubes
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slynne
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response 3 of 34:
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Aug 31 23:55 UTC 2007 |
I am seriously going to have to get my act together and brown bag it. I
think it would be best if I could bring both breakfast and lunch with me
too.
So thanks for the suggestions. All of those lunches sound yummy
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keesan
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response 4 of 34:
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Sep 1 00:53 UTC 2007 |
For picnics we have been taking bread, olive oil, and an assortment of
tomatoes (cherry of two colors, roma, large red) and today also watermelon.
These don't need refrigerating (until you cut the melon). Add nuts for more
calories.
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denise
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response 5 of 34:
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Sep 1 22:34 UTC 2007 |
Sounds good, Sindi. I love tomatoes! I bet cheese and the bread would
be good, too [do you and Jim do dairy products?].
Lynne, I think there were a few more articles about brown-bagging. I'll
go check out the link when I go check my mail at my yahoo account.
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keesan
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response 6 of 34:
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Sep 2 00:16 UTC 2007 |
We eat cheese but nobody has given us any recently. Nor does it grow in the
garden. Hard boiled eggs would probably keep pretty well for a picnic without
refrigeration and go well with tomatoes.
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denise
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response 7 of 34:
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Sep 2 00:37 UTC 2007 |
I love cheese and do buy it often enough, especially when its on sale.
I think perhaps I'm deficiant on calcium or something, as I've been
craving dairy products quite a bit lately. Hence, drinking more milk,
cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and such more than usual. [Which still
doesn't amount to a whole lot--usually no more than a couple servings a
day. Then I go for stretches where I may go a week or more without any
at all.]
Speaking of which, I'm very much in the mood for one of the ice cream
bars I brought on sale at the grocery store today. However, I just
finished eating dinner a short time ago--a healthy one at that, and
will wait awhile. I need to let this stuff settle for awhile and then
decide if I'm still hungry.
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keesan
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response 8 of 34:
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Sep 2 02:21 UTC 2007 |
Jim binges on ice cream once in a while when he saves up enough empty bottles
and cans. He even picks up the flat ones and tapes their bar codes onto
others that will make it through the machines. 12 cans/bottles buys one ice
milk at Kroger. He can finish 1/2 gal in less than 1/2 day. This gives him
an incentive to clean up the paths and roadsides. He also picks up water
bottles and other nonrefundable trash. I suggested putting the next 20 bottles
towards 8 oz of cheese - no fun.
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denise
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response 9 of 34:
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Sep 2 14:36 UTC 2007 |
It's cool finding ways to reduce the cost of food-like with deposit
money from bottles and cans, using coupons, etc. But even with these
discounts and sales, you wouldn't spend money on food you'd want once
in awhile??
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keesan
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response 10 of 34:
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Sep 2 16:41 UTC 2007 |
We spend lots of money on bulk grains and beans and other staples. Junk food
gets bought by cleaning up the trails and roadside. It limits the amount of
junk food, and accomplishes something useful.
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denise
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response 11 of 34:
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Sep 2 18:51 UTC 2007 |
Cheese is considered junk food? Not in my book [yeah, I know it has some
fat in it, which is why I don't eat it every day]; to me, its a
necessity to have available on a fairly regular basis. And I don't mind
having to pay for it. Of course, getting it on sale is even nicer.
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cmcgee
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response 12 of 34:
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Sep 3 00:36 UTC 2007 |
Cheese isn't a junk food; it is an animal product, which would normally
be a no-no if you were a vegan.
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keesan
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response 13 of 34:
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Sep 3 01:57 UTC 2007 |
Cheese is a highly processed food, and it also consumes a lot more resources
than to grow the same amount of calories in the form of the corn and soybeans
which are fed to the cows. It is also high in fat, cholesterol, and salt,
which is typical of a junk food.
We biked to the lake again today and got quite a lot more cans along the
roadside that were not there on Wednesday. And found two new good tasting
apple trees dropping apples, one into a muddy ditch, and one on a soft patch
of grass. I picked up a large bag full. We will process the ones with bad
spots (dry them, maybe in the solar oven someone lent us when Jim fixed their
very expensive heat exchanger three times) and Jim needs to figure out why
the two spare refrigerators run at 25 degrees on the warmest setting (in the
winter, anyway, when the house is 40 or so).
Friday we helped clean out the apartment that was trashed in the house
next door. I filled six enormous bags with abandoned clothing, not counting
outerwear, and one with bedding, we found a home for some of the furniture
and someone is coming for clothing. They also left behind an awful lot of
canned soup and macaroni and cheese mixes. Jim made one tonight (two macaroni
packets, one cheese packet) to use as a topping on brown rice, along with
eggplant and red pepper from the market. Dilutes the salt, hydrogenated
cottonseed oil, and several shades of artificial yellow. I gave the neighbor
the 1100 mg sodium per serving canned spaghetti and meatballs with pull-off
lid. We have about 16 more packages of the macaroni, which is our junk food
for the rest of the year. And five cartons of tomato soup, etc.
Jim also found two packages of chocolate cake mix which require adding an egg
and some milk, We bought eggs on the bike ride back from someone with a big
garden and Jim got Similac from the trashed apartment which he thinks he can
add instead of milk.
By eating this junk instead of letting it be dumped, we are not wasting
any resources. We would be if we bought it. We would also be quite a bit
larger if we ate this stuff regularly.
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mary
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response 14 of 34:
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Sep 3 02:09 UTC 2007 |
Bon Appetit!
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keesan
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response 15 of 34:
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Sep 3 02:24 UTC 2007 |
The boxed tomato soup is not bad as a sauce on top of rice and vegetables,
a small amount only since it is so salty. We had a few boxes of it already
and got rather creative. Water, tomato paste, corn syrup and salt. THe
chocolate cake mix is sugar, white flour, red yellow and blue food coloring,
and not much else. Hydrogenated oil of some sort. $2/lb?
The frosting part of it uses differently numbered food colorings. We have
fun reading labels.
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cmcgee
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response 16 of 34:
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Sep 3 16:16 UTC 2007 |
*laugh* Only Sindi could claim cheese is a junk food with a straight
face.
Cheese isn't junk food.
One serving (3 oz) provides
44% of your daily protein requirement,
61% of your calcium,
17% of your selenium,
44% of your phosphorus,
18% of your zinc,
17% of your Vitamin A,
12% of your Vitamin B12, and
19% of your riboflavin for the day.
Junk food is defined as food that has no nutritional value. Food that
provides calories with out providing needed protein, vitamins, and
minerals. Cheese is not junk food.
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keesan
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response 17 of 34:
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Sep 3 17:29 UTC 2007 |
Do you consider 'vitamin water' to be junk food? It consists of water,
sweetener, and vitamins. Apples provide very little protein - are they junk
food?
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edina
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response 18 of 34:
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Sep 4 16:58 UTC 2007 |
Apples provide many other things though. But I think you know what
she's saying.
My packed lunch today consists of homemade Asian mushroom soup (vegan
friendly), some baked zuchini and tomatoes, a pink lady apple and a
Hansen's Diet grapfruit soda.
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keesan
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response 19 of 34:
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Sep 4 19:56 UTC 2007 |
Apples provide fiber. Cheese does not. It is not good for you eaten in large
quantities. Apples are.
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edina
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response 20 of 34:
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Sep 4 20:20 UTC 2007 |
But a small amount of cheese will sustain me for longer.
Ok, sad to say that the Asian Mushroom soup does not really hold up
for reheating. It's almost like I'd have to leave it semi raw to
reheat.
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keesan
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response 21 of 34:
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Sep 4 21:25 UTC 2007 |
A small amount of liquid oil will sustain you for at least as long as cheese,
which is very high in fat and has no fiber.
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edina
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response 22 of 34:
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Sep 4 21:29 UTC 2007 |
But who wants to do that? Unless you mean good olive oil with bread
to dip it in...
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keesan
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response 23 of 34:
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Sep 4 21:37 UTC 2007 |
The usual definition of junk food includes high in fat and calories. Small
amounts of junk food are fine combined with other things.
I would not eat straight cheese any more than straight oil. It goes well with
apples.
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cmcgee
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response 24 of 34:
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Sep 4 21:40 UTC 2007 |
That suggestion is to consume something that is 100% fat with no fiber
and no other nutritional value
instead of something that is 74% fat, 25% protein, and contains
substantial contributions to your daily nutritional needs for calcium,
selenium, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, and riboflavin.
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