Mothers of Preschoolers

Healthy Eating

Lunch

The Dietitians of Canada website has many good recipes and information. It includes a section called “Let’s Make a Meal” which allows you to choose from a number of menu items for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

You can adapt these lunch ideas to suit children of any age:

Tortillas make a great option instead of bread. You can get small and large tortillas. They are easy to roll up and can be filled with just about anything. You can also slice them into pinwheels if you want to be fancy!
Most children enjoy eating cold macaroni and cheese placed in a plastic lunch container.
Fill a lunch container with raw finger foods such as grapes or cherry tomatoes, baby carrots or celery sticks. You can make a dip with plain yogurt and low fat sour cream. Add some whole wheat crackers to the lunch box and you have a healthy meal.
If you want to try something different, you could help your children make vegetarian sushi the night before. It’s a lot easier than you think and most kids love it! See the recipe below. Do not let the ingredients scare you. Most are available in the grocery store or at an Asian market. If you wish, you can even buy ready-made sushi in the deli section of many grocery stores.
Always pack a drink or two. The best choices are water or a fruit juice. Your active child needs to be well hydrated.
Fill a 6 inch round pita pocket with hummus, lettuce, and grated cheese.
Freeze a small (individual size) tub of stirred yogourt and add it to the lunch box; it will thaw by lunch.
Give your child fruit you know they like to eat. Bananas tend to go mushy and brown in a backpack.
Add a small container of trail mix or a granola bar to the lunch box.
Banana nut muffins (or other kinds of muffins) are popular, too.

Vegetarian Sushi - This recipe makes 4 rolls. This is enough to feed the whole family. The rolls will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

4 sheets of flat Nori (dry seaweed)

2 cups Japanese rice

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons mirin (special rice wine)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

For the filling: Use any vegetable you like - these are some common ones:

1 carrot

1 cucumber

1 avocado

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon wasabi

Equipment:

Bamboo rolling mat

Large sharp knife

Bowl of water to keep fingers moist

To make the rice:

Place the rice in a strainer and rinse under running water until the water is clear.

Drain the rice well and then place in a heavy pot with about 2 ¼ cups of water. Cover pot, bring to a boil and simmer on low for 25 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, mix the vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt together in a small bowl until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

As soon as the rice is cooked, empty it into a large bowl and pour some of the vinegar mix over the rice. Toss it with a large spoon and then spread the rice out so it cools quickly.

Continue to add the vinegar mixture and stir the rice until it is at room temperature. Set aside while making the filling ingredients.

Filling:

Peel the vegetables and slice into very thin slices the full length of the vegetable.

Place the cucumber and carrot in a strainer, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let drain for 1 hour then rinse and pat dry.

To make the rolls:

Gather your equipment. Place a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, long side towards you. Place ¼ of the rice across the long end of the nori and with wet fingers, pat the rice out until it covers ¾ of the nori. Make sure the rice is at an even level and that it goes all the way to the three edges.

Make a channel in the rice. If desired, spread some wasabi paste along it; remember that wasabi is quite hot (like chili peppers). Place your vegetable strips on top of this. Use the bamboo mat to roll up the nori, enclosing the vegetables with rice. You want to finish with a tight firm roll. This may take some practice but it’s fun along the way. Before you finish rolling, moisten the end of the nori with a little water; the nori will seal itself. Cut the rolls into 8 even pieces with a wet, sharp knife. You can serve soy sauce and wasabi for dipping.

Place the pieces in containers with a tight lid and you will have lunch for the whole family for a couple of days!