On Packing a Lunch

Lest my more loyal readers fear that I am wholly fixated on Babyman’s vegetable consumption, take heart: I am also pretty obsessed with lunchbox packing (and shoes, but that’s for another blog I suppose).

What is it about lunchboxes?  At the preschool level, at least, it means someone else (i.e., Babyman’s wonderful teacher) has a window into the weird world of his particular tastes.  I mean, with all the friends and activities and distractions at school, it’s not exactly an ideal place to test-drive new recipes.  But if I loaded his lunchbox with his favorites, it would look something like this: green pimento-stuffed olives (o.k., they’re martini olives) sliced into rings; fish chunks; black beans; peanut butter crackers; avocado chunks; chocolate.  This buffet would not only look bizarre but also presents the following challenges:

• Avocado (and bananas) will turn brown if left too long (this will gross out the teacher);
• Peanut butter or any nut products can pose life-threatening health risks to other children (this will anger the teacher);
• Excessive sweets and salty foods are generally frowned upon in the preschool lunchbox (the teacher will think I am a bad mother who clearly doesn’t DVR Food Revolution).

So what does a good lunch look like?  Now that I am working full-time I must run the lunchbox gauntlet every day, usually sometime between 5:45 and 6:15am, during my first of three cups of half-caff, and let’s just say I’m not firing on all cylinders exactly at that moment.

I strive to include one of the following in every lunchbox: protein (ahem, “chicken”), fruit (freeze-dried bananas and mangoes from Trader Joe’s will fit the bill), starch (noodles, ravioli, pita crisps, tortillas) and veg (I’m a bit liberal with the definition here…hummus, beans, or avocado mixed with cream cheese and used as a sandwich filling).  I have not historically been creative in this arena, preferring to save my ambitious cooking for times when I will have the pleasure of joining Babyman at the table.  But a week is a long time to live on hummus and whole wheat tortillas, so it’s time to break out the big guns.

I do have one thing working in my favor these days, which is that Babyman has attained some level of competency with a spoon (when he feels like it, that is).  I was reading (memorizing) Healthy Lunchboxes the other night and had quite the “eureka” moment: soups and certain rice and potato salads are now an option!  Right-o, Ms. Grant!  And even better, I can make them in huge batches and give them to my husband for lunch too (did I mention I pack not one but three lunchboxes most days?).  But before I break out the slow cooker and make up three weeks’ worth of sausage and bean stew and sesame noodles, I better try them at home.  Following is my list of to-try lunchbox items.  Stay tuned…

Bean & Sausage Soup/Stew
Fried (Brown) Rice
Lentil burgers with hummus & yogurt “dip it”
Peanut noodles (not for school…of course…but a good dinner sub which might liberate sweet potatoes for lunch)