Kids in the Kitchen: All together now: No more ho hum lunches

Some children insist on nothing but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. My son is not one of them; he needs something different all the time in his little insulated lunch box to hold his attention long enough to eat. I’m sure I’m not the only parent who sometimes has to come up with an unboring, packed lunch for my child and I both in about 5 minutes. If I’ve planned ahead, we’ll eat really well; if not, we’ll be eating crackers and cheese and an apple, which isn’t very exciting but does the job.

I try to stock small quantities of an array of sandwich fillings (almond butter and bananas, deli meats and cheeses, hard-boiled eggs or cooked chicken or ham, sprouts, red onion, cucumber, avocado, etc.) in the fridge, and keep a couple kinds of bread on hand to suit our appetites: multigrain, sourdough or French.

I make one sandwich and divide it between my son and I, then fill up the rest of the lunchbox with as much variety as I can pack, choosing from tortilla chips, carrot and red pepper spears with ranch dip, a little container of applesauce or peaches, yogurt or cottage cheese, dried fruit and nuts, banana bread, olives, cheese sticks, pickles and other tidbits.

There’s no need, by the way, to buy tiny packages of things like milk, applesauce, chips or pudding for lunchboxes. Invest in some small plastic reusable containers. Besides being less wasteful, you’ll save quite a bit on the grocery bill by buying larger sizes and dividing them into little servings yourself.

Leftovers make great lunches at times. I have success packing warmed up leftovers into insulated containers when dinner the night before was something popular with my son, such as pasta alfredo or meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Cold fried chicken is good as is, or you can turn it into chicken salad with a little mayonnaise and some finely diced onion and apple.

For a change of pace, when shopping on the weekends, let your child pick out one or two of her favorites from the deli case, such as egg rolls or an enchilada, which makes a delectable change from the usual. Don’t underestimate your child’s palate; let her try all kinds of things (like sushi! Or hummus! Or baba ganoush!) and she might surprise you.

Bulk bins can be the source of lunchbox fun, too. At my local store we can find trail mixes, snack cracker mixes, and treats such as peanut butter pretzels or yogurt-covered raisins, fig bars and animal cookies. Buy a very small quantity of one or two new things each week for variety.

Finally, keep your children involved with the process of shopping for and fixing lunches; children might eat good food more often when they’ve had a say about their choices and a hand in the preparation. And, if they complain about the lunches you’ve been fixing, invite them with a big good-natured smile to join you in the kitchen when it’s time to assemble them.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

4 leaves romaine lettuce

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas (any flavor)

2 1/2 cups cooked diced chicken breasts

1/2 cup diced tomato (about 1 medium)

8 thin slices red onion

1 avocado, sliced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

Lay a lettuce leaf on each tortilla. In the center of each leaf, place equal portions of chicken, tomato and onion.

Brush avocado slices with lemon juice. Layer on top of the onion.

In a small bowl, stir together garlic and mayonnaise. Drizzle over chicken and vegetables.

Tucking in both sides of tortillas, roll each one up as tightly as possible, wrap with plastic wrap, and keep chilled until lunchtime.

Yield: 4 wraps

Approximate nutrition per serving: 380 calories, 18 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 42 percent fat calories), 27 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 60 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 345 milligrams sodium.

BLT Wraps

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas (any flavor)

6 tablespoons cream cheese

8 ounces lean cooked ham, sliced

8 leaves leaf lettuce

2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons ranch dressing

1/4 cup cooked bacon bits

Spread each tortilla with 1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese. Cover with 1/4 of the ham. Place 2 lettuce leaves on top of the ham and arrange 1/4 of the diced tomato down the center of each tortilla. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon ranch dressing and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon bacon bits. Roll up the tortillas, tucking in both ends so the filling stays intact. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and keep chilled until lunchtime.

Yield: 4 wraps

Approximate nutrition per serving: 308 calories, 13 grams fat (5 grams saturated, 38 percent fat calories), 20 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 45 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 1,340 milligrams sodium.

Salmon Salad

Makes a wonderful cold sandwich with leftover fish from the night before; substitute canned salmon, tuna, or any other cooked, boneless fish.

1/4 cup cooked salmon, flaked and de-boned

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon pickle relish (sweet or dill)

Mix together salmon, mayonnaise, and pickle relish; serve on bread, in a pita, on a croissant or with crackers.

Yield: 1 serving

Approximate nutrition per serving: 304 calories, 20 grams fat (3.6 grams saturated, 62 percent fat calories), 23 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrate, 84 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber.