Lunchtime Thoughts

We encourage healthy eating for our students, actively talking to them about proteins and vitamins and how they affect our body. A balance of proteins, carbs, vegetables, and fruit is necessary for a well-balanced, alert child.

Morning snack should be a filling serving such as a low-sugar yogurt, cheese/crackers, a “side” portion such as broccoli or an apple. The main lunch should be a balance of everything.

Here are some popular lunch items that we regularly see at HMS:

Protein	Carbs	Fruit/Veggie
Hard boiled egg Cooked tofu cubes Hummus Almonds, cashews Ham & Cheese sandwich Turkey, swiss rolls Cooked lentils Black beans Yogurt (low-sugar) Peas, edamame, limas Sunflower seeds	Rice cakes Mac/cheese Oat bars Granola Rice Oatmeal Pretzels Leftover pasta Corn (hint: just steam frozen corn)	Cherry tomatoes Pear slices Watermelon Mandarin orange Broccoli Carrots Apple / applesauce Green salad

We love our food! — It is important that your child LIKE what is in his/her lunchbox, or any discussion of healthy eating won’t impact them. If they don’t like something for dinner tonight, please don’t put it into tomorrow’s lunchbox–they will likely not eat it again and the afternoon could be spent being tired and grouchy.

Tasty, healthy and easy: bite-size carrots, ham & cheese wraps, almonds, fruit bar and watermelon: well-balanced, colorful and a wonderful variety of flavors!

Looking and tasting good. — ***What about PB&J?*** Of course, kids and adults everywhere love PB&J (or alternatives like almond- or sun-butter). But this should not be your child’s only source of protein at lunchtime. Along with a sandwich, this family packs small portions of a larger home-cooked meal into the lunchbox.

See childhood nutrition research
from the American Academy of Pediatrics

Easy! Cheap! Protein/carb combo idea – bean and cheese taco on corn tortilla – sprinkle cheese on tortilla and warm in toaster oven or reg. oven, then add some mashed black or pinto beans. Done. Add mashed avocado = even better ; )

Recipe idea: SWEET POTATO DIP (from the Schaub family)

Bake two medium/small sweet potatoes. Put into blender with about a cup of blanched almonds, a handful of sunflower seeds and some olive oil (~2 T) and a dash of soy sauce. If the mixture is too thick, dilute with something such as almond milk or more soy sauce until it reaches a good consistency and flavor. This dip is goes well on a tortilla chip, cracker or just on a spoon. The nuts and seeds make it VERY filling, and one batch will last for several days.

Recipe Idea: BANANA OAT MUFFINS (from the Orr family)

– 3 ripe bananas, mashed
– 1/4 c butter, softened
– 1/3 cup applesauce
– 1 egg
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 1/2 cup oat flour or pulse 2 cups oatmeal in food processor
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350
Cream together first five ingredients
Stir together dry ingredients
Slowly add dry ingredients to wet
Bake 18 to 20 minutes