Pack a nutritious lunch for your family

Now that you’re making lunch for your child to take to school, take a few minutes to make a brown bag for yourself. Eating out is estimated to cost three times more than eating the same meal at home. If you consider the cost of gasoline to drive to the restaurant, it costs even more.

With so many of us watching our budget these days, it makes sense to cut our expenses if possible and the food budget seems to be the most flexible household expense.

Before we talk about menu ideas, let’s talk about food safety. Lunches are left at room temperature for several hours. Organisms that cause food-borne illness thrive at room temperature. It’s a good idea to purchase an insulated lunch box for you and your children. Insulated lunch boxes will keep food cool and fresh until lunchtime.

Start making lunch at dinnertime. It will save you time in the morning when everyone is rushing about. Consider leftovers from dinner for the next day’s lunch and make a few extra servings. Chicken breast makes a great sandwich. Slice extra carrots, cucumber and celery and pour dressing into a mini dip container. Some kids love cherry tomatoes.

Adults who have a microwave at work can take just about anything that can be reheated, from a serving of casserole to spaghetti and meatballs.

Boiled eggs are a favorite for many adults. Some kids object to the smell and the comments they’ll get from the other kids regarding the smell. So consider making egg salad sandwiches for them.

Pasta salads travel well and are a break from sandwiches. To amp the protein content, add cheese, hardboiled egg, tuna or chicken. Throw in vegetables for color, flavor and nutrition. You can shred veggies to make them easier to eat or to disguise them from picky eaters.

Fajitas are easy to make using meat from dinner. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and some of your favorite dressing or sauce.

When the weather gets cooler, pack soup or chili in a thermos and wrap some whole grain crackers.

Fruit is nice sweet treat. But many kids don’t seem to be able to eat an entire piece of fruit and throw most of it away. If this is the case with your child, pack a fruit cocktail or chopped up fruit in a small container. Stay away from whole bananas. They tend to turn brown and unappetizing, and end up in the trash.

Finally, ask your family for suggestions and help preparing lunch the night before. Kids are more likely to eat their lunch if they had a hand in it. For more nutritious recipe ideas, contact the Better Living for Texans food stamp nutrition education program.

Nora N. Garza is a County Extension Agent with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Hidalgo County, a part of the Texas A&M System. She can be reached at n-garza@tamu.edu.