The Hitchhiker's Guide
to Lunch
While hurtling through the center of the galaxy
at seventeen times the speed of light, Arthur Dent suddenly kicked himself.
"Oh, drat," he muttered, "I forgot to pack a lunch. And the
Vogon cafeteria has no food for humans!" His body started to gyrate
wildly from the kick he had given himself.
Does the thought of school lunches send you spinning, bringing back memories
of an endless stream of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and cartons
of milk? School lunches need not be monotonous if we do a bit of planning
and utilize creativity. Good nutrition provides a better foundation for
learning both academically and socially. Prepare the midday meal to sustain
you or your child's energy, not as a quick burst that soon burns out.
A successful lunch should taste good and be easy to prepare. It also
helps if it is fun and doesn't appear too out of the ordinary to other kids.
It should be low in fat and simple sugars, and high in fiber and whole grains.
For the main course, pasta and sauce, a mini burrito
or vegetable roll-up, a sandwich with bean or tofu spread, lettuce and grated
carrot, or soup in a thermos are good choices. Spreads,
vegetables or trail mixes can be prepared in advance, reducing morning prep
time and providing for after-school snacks as well. Simple additions can
include nuts, trail mix, popcorn
(with nutritional yeast and tamari for
a bit of flavor), mini rice cakes, pretzels, dried fruit, apple sauce or
chips. Drinks can include homemade nutmilks, soymilk, rice milk or juice
in a thermos.
When purchasing lunch foods, buy larger portions or in bulk and pack smaller
amounts in the lunches in thermoses and ziplock bags. Buy your own organic
nuts and dried fruit and put together a homemade trail mix. This reduces
the amount of packaging you use, and the cost of your meals, and insures
that the ingredients are the ones you want.
And remember, when hitchhiking on Vogon construction ships, to pack enough
snacks in your lunch bag for the crew, or at the very least, the captain,
or you may find yourself listening to a lot more Vogon poetry than you bargained
for. And if anyone asks you a question other than "What's for lunch,"
the answer is 42!
Fillo Sandwiches
- Buy frozen packaged (whole wheat) fillo dough or make your
own.
- Cut 2 sheets of fillo leaves into 4 inch wide strips.
- Brush with olive oil. Place filling
in one corner and fold in triangle fashion (like folding a flag) the length
of the strip.
- Brush outside with oil, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds
and bake at 350° until golden.
- Filling ideas: Leftover mashed potatoes, chopped artichoke hearts,
olives, corn, peas, leftover refried beans, onion,
chopped bell peppers and a small amount of grated cheese.
Sandwich Ideas:
- ¶ Apple butter & mild cheddar cheese on oatmeal bread ¶
Avocado, sprouts & pan fried tofu ¶ Nut
loaf & mayonnaise on whole grain bread ¶ Pesto, grated carrots
& sprouts on sunflower bread ¶ Refried beans, tomato slice &
grated jack cheese on whole grain bread ¶ Sunflower seeds, mayonnaise
and mashed artichoke hearts in pita bread ¶
Thermos Sloppy Joes
- Heat the sloppy joe mix and pour into a thermos. At lunch time, spoon
out onto an English muffin.
- Sloppy Joes: Saute 1 cup chopped cabbage, 1/2 green pepper
and a bit of onion in olive oil. Add 1 cup tomato puree,
1 Tbs. chili powder and 1 cup minced tempeh pieces. Simmer
for 10 minutes.
Shepherd's Pie
- Bottom layer is Tofu in Gravy, next is peas, spinach & chopped
olives and top with mashed potatoes. Layer in an oiled casserole
dish and bake 20 minutes at 350°. Make it for dinner & be sure
to have enough leftover for lunch the next day.
- Tofu in Gravy: In a saucepan, add 4 Tbs. of olive or canola
oil & whisk in 3 Tbs. organic whole wheat flour. Slowly add
2 cups of milk or soymilk while stirring over medium heat. When thick,
add 1/4 cup tamari & 1 1/2 pounds of mashed or cubed tofu
and simmer gently 5 minutes more.
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ResSeguie Last update: May 23, 1996