Whats for Lunch In AHSC Children's Lunchboxes?

So, what am I thinking when I put my children's lunches together and how have they evolved, been influences, changed?

The most important rules I have for myself, is nutrition, colourful, and enjoyable. I try to go with seasonal and organic, be aware of where the ingredients are from. Try very hard to keep everything unprocessed as possible. Homemade is best! Granted convience and time play an important role. I have always loved cooking, traveling and try to incorporate bits of what I learn into my children's lunches and lives.

My daughter and I spent a year in Sydney, Australia when she was little. I was a single mother who was trying to figure life out. I was lucky, through my friend Amanda to find a wonderful preschool. Being a working parent, my daughter often had long days. In the morning the school, always provided some toast with jam or Vegemite, if the children missed breakfast. For lunch there was always a hot lovely meal. Which always made me feel good about what my daughter was eating.

Once we got back to the states she started Kindergarten. I tried to stay with homemade hot lunches, tamales, chili, noodle dishes, soups. On the odd occasion if we were running very late I would give her a couple dollars for a hot cafeteria lunch. Not feeling too bad about it. Until one day when I was volunteering at the school and opened the freezer to find a couple leftover children's meals. Three chicken nuggets, with some corn on a gray cardboard container sealed in plastic. Grey and dismal, very unappealing. I went home and spoke with my daughter to find out that most often meals were thrown away, saving maybe a cookie or bag of chips. From then on it was home made lunches. The idea that she would have to eat what I saw or go hungry just didn't settle well with me.

The next thing I found out was that with all the work put into variety and hot meals my daughter had a much simpler idea in mind. Sourdough Bread, with a particular ham, full grain mustard, spinach or cabbage instead of lettuce (due to wilting issues), possible tomatoes, cheese. Accompanying that, some fruit, veggies, and a little sweet surprise. It wasn't that she didn't like the variety, this was just more simple. This was her favorite lunch up until seventh grade. I would try for variety but always fell back to that Ham sandwich.

Now in eight grade, she finally decided that she was ready to have more of a variety! Yeah!
Salads, she mentioned a Oriental Salad from Trader Joe's. So, I stated to try to duplicate it, using Buckwheat Noodles or Udon, assorted veggies, a little chicken. A homemade peanut dressing in a little container on the side. These salad have become the new hit, with daily new elements, rice substituting noodles, ham, beef, pork, different dressings. Always bright and colorful. Of course on colder days hot meal show up, mainly soups, and chili. Her days have also gotten longer adding Drama and Swimming to her days, so I add in protein bars, extra fruit, and snacks.

Now I also have a two year old, so I am starting the process all over again. For him I take a number of tiny boxes and have individual elements, blueberries, edamame, lightly steamed vegetables, a cut up little sandwich, a wrap with sandwich elements cut into slices. Variety. Since basically I know he's still a grazer. I hope that he gets pulled to the things his body needs.

I mentioned earlier that I like to add international elements to my children's meals. We live in a city where the options are endless, I don't think that there is a culture not represented in some format, specialty stores, restaurants even entire sections of the city. Our grocery stories have specialty sections, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Moroccan, Middle Eastern, Russian,British and German Specialties, an endless selection. Being in California the selection of beautiful fruits and vegetable are year round. We are really lucky to have the world at our fingertips. As I come across interesting tid bits I like to add them to my children's lunches. Recently, I found a beautiful grocery store in Japantown. I brought home little fun snacks to add into the lunchboxes. Elements, such as pressed rice, the shapes of hearts and stars. Bento boxes made it on to Christmas lists.

I recently found a note on as site Web-Japan.org, which said that the point to Bento boxes was that, the surprise of what way inside made the person smile. I loved that point. It is something I have tried to do by making what was inside colorful, hopefully appealing and fun.

There are other influences and stories, but I think I'll save them for future posts.