By: Jacqueline Gomes, RDN, MBA 

Now that you have a number of school lunches under your belt, let’s explore some ways to ensure a successful lunchroom experience!

The key to kid-friendly food is to make it fun and include variety to reduce boredom.

Here are a few tips to get started.

• Get your child involved in selecting foods in our grocery stores and in food preparation.

• Make it fun with Bento boxes, a variety of foods like ham, cheese, berries, pretzels and hummus helps create visual appeal with different flavors and textures.
• Start with whole grains like Arnold’s Country Classic Whole Wheat bread for instance, add in lean proteins like hard-boiled egg, fruit and a veggie. Leave room for dessert like graham crackers or Newtons fig cookies.
• Don’t forget about an insulated thermos for soups or pasta. My son loves Progresso chicken soup with a half sandwich, I’ll add in fresh fruit or cut up veggies like cucumber to round out the meal.

Let’s build a few options…

Lunch Box #1:

• Cheese, Turkey & Lettuce sandwich
• Cucumber & tomato
• Blueberries & Apple

Lunch Box #2:

Sandwich Kebabs

Prep: 5 minutes

Makes: 3 to 4 skewers 

Ingredients:

• ¼ pound low sodium ham, sliced thick
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese
• 2 slices Arnold’s Country Classic Bread (any variety)
• ½ red bell pepper
• ¼ seedless cucumber

Directions:

1. Slice ham, cheese, bell pepper and bread into one-inch square pieces.
2. Slice cucumber ¼ inch thick
3. Thread alternating ingredients onto skewers.

Tip: Serve with yogurt dip, raw veggies and fresh fruit to round out the meal.

Lunch Box #3:

• Sliced baguette
• Sliced Havarti cheese
• Grape tomatoes & cucumber
• Blueberries

Have fun and don’t forget the love note!

Recipes by: Jacqueline Gomes, RDN, MBA