What’s one of the main things busy parents can unanimously agree on? The wash, rinse and repeat of packing lunches. It’s relentless repetition from trying to cater to an evolving palate, thinking outside the bento box, and just getting kids to eat some veggies and fruits.
Megan McNamee, a registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor, and Judy Delaware, an occupational therapist, understand this struggle, which is why they started the website Feeding Littles in 2014. It featured professional expertise to inspire and educate busy parents on how to craft nutritious meals their kids would actually like.
And here they are, over a decade later, with their second cookbook, Feeding Littles Lunches.
This book really solves the lunchtime rut with over 75 lunches that are not only quick to assemble but also school-safe and easy for kids to eat. Because we all know every kid has different tastes and needs, the recipes come with super simple modifications for common allergen swaps, fussy eater tips and vegetarian substitutions.
You might be thinking, “A recipe book for lunches? I don’t have time for that.” True, spending hours parsing a cookbook for lunches is not high on most of our to-do lists. So, think of this book as an inspiration with full-page photos to help guide you through simple ingredients as you choose your own adventure.
Each lunch idea is easily modified; interestingly, you won’t find a single recipe in this book. Instead, the authors focus on creative, healthy, fun ways to build lunches with store-purchased items. I love this angle as it saves time, utilizes simple ingredients and shakes off the shame of needing to be a Pinterest-level lunch packer.
The formula is simple: Pick a starch or grain, a protein, a fruit, a vegetable, a dip, a dessert, or chips. From there, it expands into a multitude of ideas on how to create healthful and balanced lunches. This variety play not only exposes kids to new flavours and textures, but the full-page photos can inspire joy and fun when planning lunches.
For me, the most helpful portion of the book was a two-week sample lunch plan. This helped me shape ideas for offering variety without having to shop for entirely different ingredients each day.
Here’s a few “recipes” that my family tested out:
Waffle Sandwich, pages 114-115
Truthfully, I had never thought of using a waffle as the ‘bread’ component of a sandwich. How GENIUS! Toasting frozen waffles and then spreading them with sunflower seed butter and some jelly takes a standard sandwich to another level.
Build Your Own English Muffin Pizza, pages 120-121
If you’re trying to give your little ones a bit more agency, have them build their own mini pizzas is on an English muffin. Thow on some sauce, veggies, cheese, and although a divisive ingredient, throw some pineapple in there too. All food groups represented, you’ve got a confident and happy little eater and you skipped the actual making of the lunch. Win-win!
Nacho Bites, pages 134-135
This is another super fun, create-your-own adventure lunch. For this, tortilla scoops, ground beef, beans, cheese, some salsa or guacamole are represented. Heck, even I loved that for lunch!
Ravioli Skewers, pages 154-155
When I tell you that I loved this idea, I mean it. We all know skewered meatballs or tomato and cheese but ravioli? Incredible. Alternate mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and cooked ravioli for this savoury skewer! Spoon some pesto or tomato sauce into a container to dip and you’re golden.
Tell me your kids wouldn’t be the star of the lunch room with simple, tasty, easy-to-execute and inventive feasts like that?
Photos courtesy of Feeding Littles Lunches. All rights reserved.
