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Push the boundaries of back-to-school lunches

Getting creative with kids’ lunches can be a bit of a minefield. It can be hard enough to get them to embrace new foods at home, never mind when they are surrounded by friends at school.
Food Pushing Boundaries Breakfast Lunch
Left: Serve the skewers with a side of your child’s favourite salad dressing.

Getting creative with kids’ lunches can be a bit of a minefield.

It can be hard enough to get them to embrace new foods at home, never mind when they are surrounded by friends at school.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t break free of the same-old-sandwich routine.

It’s just a matter of using foods already in your children’s comfort zone, but working with them in new and creative ways.

Leftovers are a great place to start (assuming they were well received the first time around).

Plenty of thick stews and chilies can be repurposed as chilled fillings for wraps, especially when topped with shredded cheese.

Ditto for salads, including the pasta and potato varieties.

Or consider deconstructing something, such as pasta salad. Put it back together in a way that’s fun for kids, as we did for the tortellini veggie skewers.

Also, breakfast is great for the beginning of the day and makes a fun supper, so why not consider it for lunch too?

Cold Ham and Cheese Casserole

This “casserole” is a great way to use up leftovers. Feel free to play with the ingredients. Chicken, steak and even chopped leftover hamburgers are fine substitutes for the ham.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

5 ml (1 tsp) mustard

30 ml (2 tbsp) low-fat mayonnaise

5 ml (1 tsp) apple cider vinegar

125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked rice (white or brown)

50 ml (1/4 cup) cubed cooked ham

30 ml (2 tbsp) shredded cheddar

1 scallion, thinly sliced, to garnish

In a small bowl, stir together mustard, mayonnaise and vinegar. Add rice, ham and cheddar, then mix well.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 280 calories; 110 calories from fat (38 per cent of total calories); 12 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 2 g fibre; 660 mg sodium.

Tortellini Veggie Skewers

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1/2 yellow bell pepper

12 cooked tortellini

6 whole black olives

6 cherry tomatoes

1 slice deli turkey

1 slice provolone cheese

Cut yellow pepper into 6 strips. Using each pepper strip as a skewer, push 2 tortellini onto each strip.

Use a paring knife to poke a hole into the top of each cherry tomato and cap end of each pepper strip with a tomato and an olive. Cut slices of turkey and provolone into 6 long strips, then wrap one of each around skewers. Serve skewers with a side of your child’s favourite salad dressing.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 390 calories; 140 calories from fat (34 per cent of total calories); 15 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 55 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein; 4 g fibre; 750 mg sodium.

Breakfast Lunch

This easy pancake and bacon breakfast-lunch lets kids assemble their own meal. You just need to give them the basics — tiny pancakes, cooked bacon slices, blueberries and maple syrup for dunking.

Start to finish: 15 minutes

50 ml (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

15 ml (1 tbsp) cornmeal

1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda

15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar

Pinch salt

50 ml (1/4 cup) plain yogurt

45 ml (3 tbsp) milk

15 ml (1 tbsp) butter

2 slices cooked bacon

125 ml (1/2 cup) blueberries (or favourite fruit)

Maple syrup, for dipping

Pancakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar and salt. Add yogurt and milk, then whisk until just smooth.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Drop spoonfuls of batter into pan, leaving space between each to allow for spreading. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Let cool thoroughly before packing.

Pack pancakes with bacon, fruit and maple syrup on the side.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 660 calories; 290 calories from fat (44 per cent of total calories); 33 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 79 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 3 g fibre; 750 mg sodium.