THE BATTLE PLAN
LEARN WHAT YOUR CHILDREN LIKE TO EAT
Take them grocery shopping, a suprisingly fun and enlightening outing, and let them pick out a lunch box treat for the week. Browse with them through some kid-oriented cookbooks and let them try the recipes that appeal to them. Experiment together at home, but pack the sure thing.
REMEMBER: LUNCHTIME IS SOCIAL TIME
You are the absent host(ess) who has to be sure that the party runs smoothly, and that means being sensitive to what gratifies and what mortifies your child. If I pack anything so garish as a slice of homemade bread, my son thinks I'm trying to humiliate him in front of his friends. The other child wants all the frills. She finds, for example, crustless sandwiches cut into heart shapes a testament of my love. We even purchased a box of Chinese toothpick parasols from a restaurant supply store to add pizzazz (it was not my idea). They both like almost anything that comes packaged from the grocery store, as long as it doesn't require equipment.
MORE IS MORE
I have had the greatest lunch box success when I have packed small amounts of a variety of foods. This way, I can be generous without making a scene. A special lunch might include a few empanadas or sesame chicken nuggets, a gem-size pumpkin or banana muffin with cream cheese, and a few slices of red pepper (the kids pretend it's candy and have persuaded other kids at the lunch table that they're eating red licorice).
I also pack a fruit kebab for one child and a discreet bag of grapes for the other. If I include cookies, I usually throw in a few extras for sharing with friends. Remember, you are arming your kids for social success!
LET THEM HELP
Though I am too much of a realist to expect my nine- and 12-year-old kids to prepare their own lunches, I have found that they can help with packing them up--peeling carrots, bagging chips, and the like. I hope that one day they are able to make their own selections--ones that all of us can live with.
A FEW STAPLES GO A LONG WAY
Oranges always get eaten (you can cut a cone-shaped hole in the stem end, replace the core, then wrap the whole thing in cellophane; kids can then suck and squeeze the orange for fresh juice). Fruit smoothies, packed in a Thermos, are also a hit. To prepare, simply blend half a banana, a half cup of any frozen or fresh berries, and one cup of milk.
The following lunch box specials--all of them healthy and delicious--have become classics in my household. I hope they go over well with your children, too. I've also included a favorite treat, Black Bottom Cupcakes, which pleases all members of the family.
