Healthy Lunch Ideas – Make Your Lunch Great!

Technorati Tags: alton brown, diet, lists, Nutrition, weight loss

If there is anyone I trust will give me simple healthy living advice and proffer easy recipes that turn out successfully every time, it’s Mark Bittman, the author of the New York Times food column ‘The Minimalist‘.  He has also penned two of my favorite cookbooks, ‘How to Cook Everything’ and ‘How to Cook Everything Vegetarian’, and most recently has written an informative book called “Food Matters” a look at “eating, personal and planetary health”.

‘Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating (With more than 75 recipes)’, (buy on Amazon) is one of my go to books for leading a healthier lifestyle, and discusses with clarity the impact our diets have on the environment, the economy, and our own health.

Best of all, ‘Food Matters’ is written from a distinctly personal point of view: as a food writer for the New York Times, Mark Bittman loves to eat. Unfortunately, doing so without setting any boundaries for himself caused an imbalance in health and weight. In response, he decided to shift to a new approach to food, and after shedding thirty five pounds has done the inevitable: written an eco-conscious book about it. His own personal strategies included adopting a diet that is almost “vegan until dinner”, and advocates a shift to a much higher consumption rate of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and a reduction of meat and dairy products. Fortunately there is no sacrifice involved – Bittman’s recipes are flavorful, easy, and a positive addition to anyone’s diet, and best of all are as good for your wallet as your waistline.

In Food Matters, Bittman argues strongly for a general shift in diet to “Less-Meat-arianism”, and simply and clearly explains the science, policy, and economic influences on our diets.

He outlines the current flaws of meat production in this country, which along with large scale agriculture and absurd farm subsidies, are harmful to the environment, wildly inefficient, and contribute directly to global climate change. While many environmentalists advocate a switch to vegetarianism, Bittman understands that this isn’t a solution for everyone (himself included). He does advocate however to make conscious choices to both reduce the meat that we are eating and ensure that it (and most everything else we eat) comes from mostly local and sustainable sources, and from animals that are allowed to pasture, eat grass rather than corn (which they can not digest), and live a good life.

If as a society we make changes in the way we eat, even the smallest changes advocated in this book, we will make a significant impact in reducing our environmental impact, improving public health, and adopting new healthy cultural habits that will ensure the future of our society.

Unlike many of the so-called diet books out there, Bittman’s advice for a healthy every day diet is balanced, creative, and encourages positive shifts in lifestyle without any radical proclamations.

Food Matters: A Guide to Concsious Eating (With more than 75 recipes)
336 pages, published by Simon & Schuster
(buy on Amazon)

Some Other Great Books by Mark Bittman:

How to Cook Everything (buy on Amazon)
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (buy on Amazon)

Technorati Tags: diet, environmentalism, food matters, healthy eating, mark bittman

Reducing Cravings: A few simple tricks

A craving is a healthy tool that is actually your body telling you that you need something! Unfortunately, when you don’t listen carefully to your cravings on a regular basis, and you fill your craving with a junk food, you mix up the senses your body is telling you. Here are some common situations where you can act quickly to cut those cravings!

Cravings are most often your body crying out for nutrients. A good solution is taking a good look at your diet and trying to fill the gaps with what you may be needing, natural vitamins and minerals from food. Cravings also have the tendency to go on high both at work, in relationship troubles, and during the holidays. Why is this? Often a craving is a non-food related craving: you might be bored, stressed, or even nostalgic, and this has the tendency to manifest itself in cravings for real food. The best solution in these cases are to try to solve the root of the problem!

Some common cravings and some easy solutions:

You have had lunch already at work, but your co-worker microwaves something delicious and you are hungry again: this is a tough one, for which I’d offer a few different solutions. The first is to switch your eating to bento style lunches – a lunch made up of a lot of small components – which will help you to eat throughout a longer period of time until you are more satiated. You might also consider bringing a little snack for the afternoon to curb this as well – just plan it into your diet. The second line of defense here is drinking herbal tea or green tea throughout the day – bringing a warm liquid to your face to smell helps to mask those other smells, and keeps you hydrated throughout the day. I often will reuse the same tea bag many times, as to limit the amount of caffeine intake, but still giving some flavor to my water.

You crave hot chocolate, pumpkin spice lattes, and egg nog: There are a few different reasons why we crave seasonal foods – partially because we are living in a media driven society that reminds us around every corner that we want to have these things, but naturally speaking – a lot of these foods respond to a seasonal craving that makes absolute sense – in winter we want warming, heavier foods, that protect our bodies and give us energy. Unfortunately, a lot of these drinks are high in refined sugars and are likely to give you a rush and a crash. Ultimately, one or two of these a season is perfectly healthy – choose a high quality version (fat and all), and savor it slowly. Create a food memory instead of just downing these every few days and you will feel much more fulfilled. On the off days, go for seasonal alternatives – adding cinnamon to your coffee and drinking steamed soy steeped with a peppermint tea bag are some of my favorites.

Learn the signs of Dehydration – better yet – avoid it entirely! WATER, WATER, WATER. First line of attack, when you crave any foods – your body doesn’t usually tell you it needs water until after you are getting dehydrated, and then it often warns you in the form of mild hunger. When you get hungry, or an odd craving, drink a glass of water first, and then wait a few minutes (even if it’s hard!) before eating something.

Craving breakdowns:

Sweet craving?

#1 Try adding naturally Sweet Vegetables to your diet: Often when we have sweet cravings, our first response is to want a little candy bar, a handful of m&m’s , you name it. This isn’t completely off base – your body needs sweet foods, just not the junk! Help curb sweet cravings by adding naturally sweet foods to your diet, particularly during the winter months – sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash are all good options, and taste great simply roasted, so that the sweetness really comes out. The key here is that you are going for complex carbohydrates instead of simple ones, and choosing foods that will break down slowly to give you energy without a crash in energy after the initial highs.

#2. Use natural sweeteners: Honey is a great sweetener, and using local honey has the added benefit of preventing many seasonal allergies. Pure Maple Syrup is a favorite in New England and goes particularly well with sweeter vegetables, root vegetables, and even meats. For those concerned about blood sugar, natural sweeteners such as Agave, made from agave cactus is much sweeter than sugar, and has the added benefit of not raising blood sugar levels.

Salty Craving? This is most often due to a mineral deficiency – because natural sea salts are high in minerals, over time our bodies have associated mineral deficiencies with salty craving that most often leads us to the chips, popcorn, you name it. A good solution here is to eat foods high in mineral contents – dark leafy greens are one of the best ways to combat this, as are sea vegetables (seaweeds). By incorporating these into your everyday diet you will find these cravings reduce themselves. You might also consider investing in a high quality sea salt for your kitchen – one that is slightly gray or brown in color will contain all the natural minerals your body is wanting – sprinkle just a tiny amount as a finisher and it will be much more flavorful than dousing your foods.

Chocolate Craving? Sometimes a chocolate craving is so overwhelming that nothing else will fulfill it. In this case, take a really good quality high cocoa content piece (a small one!) and sit down and savor it over several minutes. Or, if you are hungry for more, stir a half ounce of good quality dark chocolate into some oatmeal.

Start listening to your body and feeding it what it wants to eat and drink, and you will find your cravings reduced in no time!

For more reading on cravings and general health:

Integrative Nutrition by Joshua Rosenthal

8 Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil

Gluten allergies, wheat allergies, and celiac disease have recently become a major concern for a growing percentage of the population. For people allergic to gluten, ordering lunch at a cafe or restaurant is nearly impossible – even when dishes are seemingly gluten free, risks of contamination are high.

Fortunately, packing a healthy lunch that tastes delicious and is gluten free is the best way to avoid eating harmful foods. Here are just a few ideas for gluten free lunches that take minimal amounts of time, (more are coming soon!) and will not leave anyone hungry or unfulfilled. Best of all, these ideas are useful for everyone!

1. Pack leftovers: Make your life easy the night before! If you are cooking dinner, cook an extra portion, and save it for the next day. Then, when packing lunch, start with a portion of leftovers, and supplement from there – add freshly cut vegetables and fruit, small portions of nuts, or anything little that will add some novelty. (This is a useful strategy for anyone packing a lunch).

2. Not just leaves: Salad lunch: start with leafy greens, but don’t stop there: add cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, avocado, grated carrots, any vegetable you have in your refrigerator. It’s helpful to pre-cut vegetables a few times a week. For some heft, add legumes such as chickpeas, edamame, lean protein like chicken or a hard-boiled egg. Pack a simple lemon vinaigrette on the side, and toss when ready to eat. Making a home made vinaigrette is simple, and essential for those who need to keep track of ingredients – premade salad dressings are notorious for having long lists of ingredients. An easy homemade vinaigrette can be 1:1 oil to acid, although some people prefer a little less tang, and use one part acid (such as lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or flavored vinegar) to three parts oil. Best of all, you can make a large batch of dressing, and keep it in your fridge for a week.

3. Oven roasted vegetables: Pre-roast a large batch of vegetables at the beginning of the week, and eat all week long. These can be supplemented with brown rice (not all GF people can eat rice, so please keep that in mind), legumes, quinoa, or gluten free pastas. They can be topped with home made tomato sauce, home made vinaigrette, or even gluten free cheese.

4. Brown rice salads, or Brown rice sushi: Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that is a filling option for lunches. It can be mixed with beans, vegetables, and other lean proteins such as chicken, tofu, and eggs. It has a nice bite, and is nutty in flavor, but picks up the flavor of sauces or other accompaniments. Cooking a large batch of brown rice in the beginning of the week is an easy way to have it on hand during  the week. Learning how to make sushi is fairly easy, and is great for the lunchbox. (To keep in mind: Soy sauce has gluten, so instead use bragg’s liquid aminos, or gluten free soy sauce).

5. Potato or Sweet Potato or Squash: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash are filling options for lunches. Simply roasted, these hold up well particularly for lunch, and they can be topped with home made salsas, or made into delicious fresh salads with fresh herbs and a vinaigrette.

For a sweet option, try a Greek Yogurt Parfait: Make sure your yogurt is gluten free – they should be, but you should double check. In a ball mason jar, (or tupperware) create a layered parfait with nuts, fruit, and honey.

Stock up at the supermarket:

Many supermarkets are now carrying a variety of gluten free foods, although the best way to ensure a gluten free diet is to cook whole foods on a regular basis, and avoid prepackaged, processed food. (Yes! Natural, Organic, Gluten-Free, etc. foods can still be processed!) That said, a supermarket carries what its customer’s buy: If you are looking for gluten-free foods and you can’t find them, ask! Most grocers will be more than willing to carry new foods.

Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are both good sources of gluten free foods, but increasingly even big-box stores like Walmart are adding gluten free products to their shelves.  Trader Joe’s also has a list of gluten free foods.

For more resources on gluten-free eating:

Just a few of some of the great gluten-free blogs and books out there (and simply some great sites, period.) Be sure to check out the blogrolls of each of these sites for more direction!

Shauna, author of Gluten-Free Girl is a wonderful resource for gluten free recipes that taste (and look!) delicious. An incredibly useful website for anyone switching over to a gluten free diet, or if you have a gluten free guest and need some great recipes and ideas! She also has a book on the shelves: “Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back…And How You Can Too.”

Heidi Swanson of 101 cookbooks has an ever growing list of gluten free recipes on her website 101 cookbooks, including a variety of hearty salads and soups perfect for the lunchbox. Her cookbook Super Natural Cooking is also a great source for recipes.

A Gluten-Free Guide is a great food website with product reviews, recipes, and even restaurant experience!

Ginger Lemon Girl is another great gluten free blogger with a southern twist.

Craving Bread? Why not make your own? Zoe Francois and Dr. Jeff Hertzberg have a great method in “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” with new gluten free recipes – and is based on master recipes that you can whip up in less than fifteen minutes, and store in the refrigerator over the next few weeks, baking the amount of bread that you want to eat. Genius!

What are your Gluten-Free lunches like?

Photo: Chemtec

Technorati Tags: allergies, celiac, gluten, Gluten Free, wheat free

In order to save time packing a healthy lunch each day, it’s incredibly useful to prepare in advance. It makes a big daily time difference to take a few hours over the weekend to cook for the week. If you have time, blocking out an hour or so midweek will help you to refresh your stock. You can mix and match these staple foods with leftovers to create filling and unique meals.

Precutting Vegetables: It’s like having your own salad bar! Best done throughout the week, it’s helpful to cut up fresh fruits and vegetables and store them pre-chopped to add to whatever dish you are preparing, quickly steam, or eat raw. They won’t generally last the entire week, so doing this every few days is a better idea. Useful pre-cut vegetables include : onions, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, to name a few.

Roasting Vegetables : Roasting (or grilling) a big batch of vegetables is an easy way to use produce before it goes bad. The roasted vegetables can then be used on sandwiches (perhaps with some hummus), in stir fry, as a side dish, in salads, and even pureed with some yogurt or hot broth to form a tasty soup.

Cooking Beans: Canned beans are good, but dried beans are better. All it takes is a soak over night and a few hours in some boiling water – it’s mostly hands off. It helps to alternate different beans each week for variety, or sometimes I cook two varieties. Garbanzo Beans, Pinto Beans, Black Beans, and Edamame are all great options. Then during the week add the beans to soups, salads, mash them on sandwiches, throw into omelets, mix with salsa and top with some cheese, or dress them with a vinaigrette.

Hardboiled Eggs: So useful! You can hard-boil a half a dozen eggs and just leave them in the fridge to add to salads, bentos, make into egg salad, or just eat whole for an afternoon pick me up.

A Batch of Grain: Quinoa, barley, bulgur wheat, and brown rice are all great options. These can be made in advance, stored in the fridge, or wrapped in single portion (half-cup) amounts (while still warm to retain moisture) and stored in the freezer. Then, you can add fresh vegetables and seasonings create new combinations with different flavor profiles – say “curry, stir fry, salad”

A Pot of Soup / or Chili / or Curry: Cooking a pot of soup or chili is a no brainer, and portions can be individually frozen if you aren’t keen on eating the same soup several times in a row. Hearty vegetable soups with beans hold up well, and are filling, butternut squash soups are great for fall. Just avoid adding pasta, because it can become mushy over a few days – best to cook some fresh pasta and add it in when you are reheating the soup.

And you can easily do the same with some breakfast foods – a pot of steel cut oats can be reheated throughout the week, as well as some healthy muffins packed with fruit and nuts, or breakfast burritos.

Photo: felipevex

When packing a lunch, it helps to pack a healthy snack for midway between lunch and dinner. The key here is to eat something light, low in calories (about 200, ideally less), high in nutrients, and preferably slow burning, to tide you through the afternoon, when we are prone to sleepiness and a drop in productivity.

- Fresh fruit – Try grapes, or a few small plums, a nectarine, a small banana, an apple – are all good options. Fruits have natural sugars which give us a lift. Don’t overdo it with these though – keep your portions about the size of one small to medium fruit, to avoid a sugar overload.

- Dried Fruits – Try apple rings, dates, and don’t forget prunes! Just keep the portions small, and remember that dried fruits naturally have higher calories than fresh fruit, and not as much volume. There is a great line of dried fruits called “Just Tomatoes, Etc.” that produces dried fruits and vegetables that are organic with only one ingredient on the label. They are healthy and tasty.

- A small handful of nuts (about 15 almonds, or just a few tablespoons): Also try soy nuts, cashews, almonds, or walnuts. Sometimes, just having these in your bag, and knowing that they are there in case of emergency is enough to ward off hunger in the afternoon.

- Edamame (fresh soybeans – 1 cup in the pods, 120 calories) Squeeze on some lemon, or a sprinkle of salt to give these a little kick. You can buy them frozen at Trader Joe’s or in the supermarket in the freezer section. You can also make a nice little salad out of these with some lemon vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan cheese.

- Wasa Crackers with cottage cheese (2 wasa crackers – 70, 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese – 80) Wasa crackers are crunchy and filling, and are perfectly paired with cottage cheese.

- A sliced apple, with peanut butter to dip, or consider cashew butter or almond butter. (Medium apple – 120 calories, 1 tablespoon peanut butter – about 95)

- Plain yogurt with walnuts or almonds, and a drizzle of honey – nonfat yogurt is fine, but if you can spare the calories for the day, you might want to try whole milk yogurt – it’s delicious. Or, in place of honey, stir in some fruit jam. (170 calories for 8 oz. whole milk yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey- 60 calories)

- 2 cups of freshly popped popcorn: The idea here is to avoid the prepackaged varieties particularly with added butter, fake butter, and lots of salt, and stick to all natural kernels. You can pop your own by putting 1/4 cup of kernels in a brown paper bag with some dried herbs such as oregano, pizza seasoning, rosemary, or red pepper flakes (optional), rolling down the bag a few times, and microwaving for 3-4 minutes. (60-100 calories)

- A hardboiled egg: (about 80 calories). For a kick, mash with a squirt of mustard and a teaspoon of mayo, salt and pepper. Call it a “not quite deviled egg”. (Kids also love making these. Give them a fork and let them do the mashing themselves. )

What are your favorite snacks?

Pjoto: (nkzs)

How does your lunch match up? When packing a lunch, it helps to know some useful ratios to have a healthy balance of foods for the day. It’s as simple as remembering 3-2-1.

If you are considering calories, your lunch should clock in between 400-500 calories, up to 600-700 if you are participating in some sort of vigorous exercise or if you are a hungry guy. These are rough guidelines, and really, more important that calories, try following the ratio method to balance your lunch.

With a ratio of 3-2-1 (three parts slow release carbs, two parts veg/fruit, and one part lean protein), you can avoid having to count calories – because your calories will be roughly the amount of ml of your given container. For example, if you have a 500 ml container, using this ratio and choosing foods that aren’t fried or fatty, you will have about 500 calories of food in your lunch. It’s not a perfect science, but comes pretty close. 3-2-1 ratio isn’t for everyone, some people might like to have more vegetables, or a little bit more protein, but it’s a pretty good bet that you will have a filling meal if you stick close to it.

What is in my lunchbox?

• Carbohydrate: Slow releasing grains such as brown rice, bulgur wheat, cous cous, quinoa, wild rice, farro, buckwheat noodles, or whole wheat pasta – to provide energy throughout the day.
• Protein: Lean meats such as chicken, fish, turkey meatballs, hardboiled eggs, cheese (keep in mind that this one has fat, so use in moderation.)
• Fruits and Vegetables: Taste the rainbow. It’s silly, but it really makes the point – I try to eat as many colors of fruits and vegetables in each lunch as I can – usually about 3-4 different servings to vary things up. I usually will have a little leftover vegetable from dinner, and supplement it with some freshly cut veg.
• Water: Don’t forget to hydrate! I always bring a water bottle that I refill throughout the day. I also will stash tea bags in my bag, particularly if your office has a way to heat water and drink green tea all day long. If you like them, consider those little crystal light packages if you don’t like the taste of water (some people don’t!). Also, call me crazy, I like hot water with a little bit of lemon or fresh ginger. Hydrating and delicious!
• Afternoon snack: I always tuck an afternoon snack in with my main lunch, because even if I have had a well balanced meal, I often find myself hungry as the day dwindles. You can eat a small handful of nuts, or a piece of fruit, and it’s remarkable how quickly it will pep you back up.

How do you keep balance in your lunch? Any tricks to get in those fruits and vegetables?

Photo: Pontuse

Technorati Tags: 3-2-1 ratio, Balanced Lunch, healthy lunch ideas

Wouldn’t it be great if you got up in the morning and it took no more than five minutes to put together a new and exciting lunch box meal every day? The Japanese call the pantry stash johbisai – and it saves a lot of time and energy putting together your meals if you already have a basic lunch stash to go to. The keys are to buy in bulk and cook in bulk, individually wrap items – and to keep plenty of pre-made items either in the freezer or refrigerator. Here are some good suggestions to start your lunch box pantry:

- Hard-boiled eggs - once a week, make a half dozen hardboiled eggs to keep in your fridge and pop into your lunch box – they store nicely in those little leftover green plastic
berry containers. You can make a quick egg salad by using an egg, a squirt of dijon
mustard, and a teaspoon of mayo.

- Frozen meatballs (I like IKEA, but I also make my own turkey meatballs once a month). Heat the meatballs and pop them in your lunch box.

- Single serve rice – make a pot of brown or white rice, and while still warm, wrap half cup servings individually in saran wrap, and place in freezer. Or, make a fresh weekly batch and keep it in your fridge for easy additions to lunch, dinner, or even breakfast (warmed with a little milk and cinnamon).

- Frozen muffins - muffins can be frozen individually and popped right in a lunchbox and will defrost by lunch time. Mini muffins are great for lunches or snacks.

- Frozen Dumplings (require just a few minutes to heat) – and are a great lunch food. They can be bought in bulk in most asian markets, or for an ambitious afternoon cranked out at home.

- Dried fruits and nuts – Think almonds, walnuts, cranberries, raisins, apricots, figs, soynuts, dried mango, pineapple and apple slices to name a few. Perfect to boost the protein in your lunch, or as a quick afternoon pick me up.

-Bonbel Baby Cheese Wheels – or any other cubed cheeses – you can pre-cube them and store them in a ziplock and pop a few in your lunch every so often.

-Pudding or Yogurt – buy in bulk, and make a new flavor each week to portion in your lunches. Or you can freeze jello or pudding and put right into the lunchbox frozen.

-Burritos wrapped in foil – make an assembly line of burritos and wrap in parchment and foil and pop in the freezer – great for easy on-the-go breakfasts, or filling lunches.

These are only the start of what you can make in advance – What do you have in your lunch box pantry? Are we missing one of your favorites?

Photo – bcmom

As a child, I never ate sandwiches. Over the years though, as I started making my own lunches every day, I realized the value of the sandwich as a lunch box savior. These sandwiches are just a start to expand your range of sandwich possibilities – here are several healthy sandwich options to get you going!
It starts with the bread – plain bread alternatives: Pita bread, tortillas, dinner rolls, naan bread, challah bread, bagels, english muffins, pain de mie, rye bread, flatbread, butter lettuce leaves – don’t be afraid to branch out! If you are looking for optimum healthy bread options, try picking a bread with several grams of fiber per slice, and whole grains – preferably ones you can actually see in the bread.

Good Spread options: pesto, hummus, olive tapenade as a basis for any sandwich – just add vegetables. To add some punch, try some whole grain dijon mustard (Maille brand is a favorite), or a thin spread of harissa – a north african chili paste.

Textural additions: try adding raisins, granola, sesame seeds, pickles, cornichon pickles, chocolate chips, popcorn or potato crisps – if you are eating the sandwich right away.

Omnivore sandwiches:
- pep up your chicken or tuna salad with some lemon juice, paprika, and chopped onion
- egg salad and with steamed or grilled asparagus on baguette or pain de mie
- smoked salmon and cream cheese (sprinkle of dill or capers optional)
- turkey, cream cheese and tomato on a toasted bagel
- bacon and avocado, or bacon, lettuce and tomato
- soft cheese such as brie or goat with grated carrot, coarse salt, and cracked pepper
- hummus and a poached or fried egg
- turkey and cucumber raita on naan bread

Vegan sandwiches (vegetarian addition in brackets):
- (honey), peanut butter, and banana
- banana and chopped dates (ricotta)
- sliced avocado and olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper on rye bread
- hummus and cucumber
- grilled asparagus with lemon vinaigrette and lettuce wraps
- almond butter, strawberry jam, and mango* (thank you Pal’s takeaway!)

Am I missing your favorite sandwiches? What kinds of sandwiches do you love? What sandwiches do your kids love?

Photo: Kasiaflickr

Technorati Tags: omnivore sandwiches, sandwich, Sandwich recipes, vegan sandwiches, vegetarian sandwiches

Some of the best ways of getting kids to eat healthy food you pack in their lunch box is to make it look exciting! Try using a rainbow of foods to brighten their day. Here are some easy suggestions for rainbow colored fruits, vegetables, and other tid-bits you can use to make a fulfilling and colorful lunch for the little ones.

White: white rice, mushrooms, cauliflower, potatoes, butter beans, cheese cubes
Black: black beans, olives, black rice
Pink: pink grapefruit
Red: beets, cherries, red peppers, strawberries, tomatoes
Orange: apricots, carrots, oranges, orange peppers, peaches, pumpkin
Yellow: yellow peppers, bananas, summer squash, pineapple
Green: broccoli, green peppers, spinach, green grapes, lettuce, cucumber, peas
Blue: blueberries, blackberries
Purple: plums, grapes, eggplant, purple potatoes, purple cabbage
Brown: almonds, walnuts, chocolate chips (in small quantity!)

Don’t forget the dipping sauce – yogurt for fruits, or a simple vinaigrette for vegetables. You can either use a small separate tupperware for the sauce, or use a silicone muffin cup right in the container with the rest of the food.

But wait a second – rainbow lunches aren’t just for kids – eating a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables provides essential nutrients and enhances any diet – and let’s face it – wouldn’t it be kind of exciting to open up your own rainbow lunch after a hard morning of work?

What other tricks do you use to get your kids to eat their lunch?

Photo: Jewelmaker

Technorati Tags: fruits, Lunches for Kids, rainbow foods, vegetables