The Lenten Lunchbox

I know, I know. Lunch isn't really the first thing you think of when contemplating the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, but meal planning around restrictions can be a tough thing to do. With that in mind, at the request of a friend, I have compiled a list of some meatless, kid friendly lunchbox meal ideas that might help you get through this beautiful season of sacrifice and preparation. I have tried to include some nut-free and gluten-free options, too, for those of you with further restrictions.


Sandwiches and sandwich-like:
-Peanut butter (or sunflower butter or almond butter, you know, the usual suspects) banana roll-ups. Spread peanut butter on a tortilla and roll a banana up inside.
-Banana dogs. Put a banana in a hot dog bun. Add pbj as "condiments."
-Bagel and cream cheese. Put the cream cheese on the side to avoid sogginess.
-Sandwich Skewers. Cheese, bread pieces and veggies on a skewer. Serve with dip. For a mini version use toothpicks for skewers.
-Tuna salad (can be fun in a pita or a lettuce wrap)
-Egg salad (ditto)
- Cheddar apple sandwiches on baguette
-Veggie wraps with a cream cheese spread (roasted garlic and cheddar, garden veggie or herb cream cheese spread and your choice of veggies)
-Falafel and pita
-Cold veggie pizza (roll out crescent dough in a sheet, bake and cool. Spread with ranch dressing and top with cold, chopped veggies and shredded cheddar or colby cheese)
-Pita with hummus or baba ganoush

Hot Meals in a thermal food storage container

-Vegetarian chili with chips and cheddar on the side. Good with a cornbread muffin too.
-Macaroni and cheese
-Potato soup
-Tortellini vegetable soup
-Italian tomato bread soup
-Tomato soup with popcorn on the side
-Minestrone
-Lentil soup
-Pasta with alfredo sauce
-Pasta tossed with sauteed tomatoes, italian herbs and black olives (this is good cold as well)
-Egg drop soup
-Veggie pho (Vietnamese noodle soup)

Cold Noodle/rice/dumpling options
-Noodles with peanut sauce and veggies
-Cheese tortellini
-Cheese ravioli
-Pierogis
-Veggie fried rice
-Potstickers
-Veggie or shrimp summer rolls (OK, I know these seem a little putsy, but they really aren't that hard to make) with peanut sauce.
-Rice molds with soy sauce
-California rolls
-Soba noodle salad with veggies
-Italian pasta salad with Italian dressing, chunks of mozarella, grape tomatoes and black olives
-Tuna pasta salad with mayonaise, chunks of cheddar cheese and peas

Snack options: (Combine several and you have yourself a meal)

-Fruit and cheese skewers (pictured above)
-Hard boiled eggs
-Celery with peanut butter and raisins or cream cheese and black olives
-Whole grain crackers
-String cheese
-Yogurt (Greek yogurt has more protein)
-Build it yourself yogurt parfaits with yougurt, fruit and granola in separate containers
-Fruit and walnut salad with yogurt for dipping (think McDonald's, but homemade)
-Cheeses of the World (we did this once for about a month, trying different cheeses from different countries. It keeps the cheese + bread combo fresh.) So many options! Brie, Gouda, Manchego, Paneer, Queso Fresco.... the list goes on)
-Breads of the world. Rye krisp, naan, pita, pumpernickel, caraway rye, tortillas, baguette...
-Veggies and dip
-Soft pretzels (traditional for Lent)
-Muffins (blueberry, peanut butter and jelly, corn muffins, ginger peach, banana walnut, etc.)
-Apple slices with peanut butter
-Dried fruits
-Trail mix

Obviously, not all of these ideas will work for all kids, but it's a starting place. I hope it helps!

Baby Planning -Food

You know that advice that baby books and magazines give to moms-to-be about making and freezing extra meals for reheating in the post-partum days? This is my second summer baby and I learned the hard way that I need a better option. In the heat of summer I just don't feel like heating the house up with the oven or eating soup. Still, I am going to be tired and finances do not allow for a lot of take-out, so I need a plan that lets me make meals I actually want to eat without hassle. Here it is.

-I plan on making good friends with my grill. I stocked up on a few favourite spice mixes from Penzey's, which seems expensive on the surface, but they have great flavour and go a really long way. Even on a tired day I can toss a few bone-in chicken pieces on the grill. I'm getting a grill pack from the butcher shop and some sausages from Kramarczuk's, a nearby specialty sausage maker. Their Morroccan Lamb Sausage and French Apple Sausage are to-die for and very reasonably priced. Some of the meat will be marinaded before freezing so all I have to do is defrost it and cook it. Thanks to Tracy for that idea!

-Lots and lots of raw veggies with dip and berries. All of us love the farmer's market veggies and instead of coming up with new and interesting ways to cook them this year, we're just going to eat them raw. Fresh from the farm cherry tomatoes, broccoli, ground cherries, salads, strawberries and raspberries. Maybe the odd half melon filled with cottage cheese. Does it get any better than that?

-Sandwiches. Good cheeses, good produce and maybe a summer sausage or two? Sounds like dinner to me.

-Pasta salads. There are so many variations on these, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Tuna, Grandma's Chicken Curry pasta salad. They are easy to throw together and you can make a big batch to last a few days.

-On bad days PBJ, crackers, cheese and fruit or grilled cheese is a perfectly acceptable dinner. It doesn't have to be gourmet.

The bonus of most of these ideas is that they are not only easy to make, but easy to clean up, which is essential to me in the sleep-deprived post-partum period. Hopefully by keeping things simple I can avoid the call of LeeAnn Chin and Pizza Factory and save both my sanity and our hard-earned money.