More Lunches….For Adults

I thought I would share one of my own lunch plates, since what I eat is often what gets passed down to my family. Today, I had some comfort food. For me, that’s a thick peanut butter and jelly. It reminds me of my childhood: my mom only gave me peanut butter and jelly (on luscious white bread) and an apple. She says that’s all I ever asked for. The flavors of strawberry jelly with creamy peanut butter bring me comfort, for sure, and my taste buds love it.  Now, however, my sandwich is made with homemade, whole grain bread, almond butter, and a strawberry jelly (from Mrs. Maison) that has only 4 ingredients. If you haven’t tried almond butter yet, do it! It’s pretty yummy, and tastes very nutty, which I suppose is the goal of nut butters.

I paired my sandwich with a few servings of veggies. I was going to opt for carrots, but I had already planned to grate carrots into spaghetti sauce for dinner. Then, I eyed a bag of spinach in the vegetable crisper. I didn’t much feel like chopping other veggies to accompany this. So, I went for the small bowl of mixed veggie soup. I almost always try to have a veggie soup in my fridge for this reason (see previous post). I can add it as a side dish to a meal for a quick veggie. I can add grains and beans to it and make a complete meal. It can be a snack alone. I’ve heard of people that eat veggie soup for breakfast, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that yet. It just doesn’t seem right. In the past, I couldn’t even stomach an omelet with veggies in it.

What do you eat for lunch? What have you tried recently that is WFPB? Have you started looking for a healthy alternative to peanut butter and a good jam? What did you find?

Kids and Lunch

A favorite lunch item around here is peanut butter and jelly, the mainstay of many children’s lunches across the country. My daughter, Nelia, would eat this every day; Lourdes prefers more variety. Mom desires more for their lunches as well, and this meal had to be attacked with the same Momma Bear ferocity as other meals. Could I even trust them to eat what I packed, or would it end up in the garbage?

Nuts are a great lunch idea. However, Nelia only likes sunflower seeds and pistachios; Lourdes will eat almonds, peanuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (with salt). I’m okay with making concessions like adding a bit of salt to introduce new foods.

Other great lunch ideas to include are whole grains. I’ve sent Lourdes to school with a thermos full of heated barley, upon her request. Barley is very sweet, and the smaller grain can be quite juicy. Whole grain crackers are great too, as well as whole grain bread.

I learned a painful lesson through the experience posted earlier (Parsnips and Rutabaga), so I now know not to introduce too much too soon. I personally love Wasa crackers. So does my husband. I wondered if the girls would approach Wasa with the same zest they gave barley. So, one day, I offered it to them, and they loved it! Now, they would prefer a Cheez-It any day over a Wasa, and I’m good with that. I still pop them in a lunch occasionally.

Here's a lunch I recently made the girls to give you some ideas:

Organic yogurt, Wasa crackers, a pear, nuts and water. This is a great lunch, and it hits all the necessary food groups. 

You probably spotted another concession here. I haven’t been able to get the girls to like soy yogurt. My choices around here are limited. I've only been able to find peach and strawberry soy yogurt. I know they would love vanilla flavor. I've made my own yogurt before, but I'm not willing to go down that road yet. I'll keep looking. In the meantime, sometimes I give them a treat and buy their favorite, Yoplait yogurt: Cotton Candy and Kiwi flavor. Alright. I said it! Now you know the real truth about me. 

In all seriousness, I think concessions like this have to be made so that a revolt does not begin to brew on the horizon. I continually remind myself that this is a journey, not a destination. Any progress in healthy foods leads to a healthier body, and a strong, healthy future for my kids when they are adults. Sometimes I spend extra and buy the organic; they don't really care for this either. I still try to sneak in the soy yogurt occasionally as well. I'm pleased even if they eat a few bites.

Try out some new ideas tomorrow when you’re making lunch. Think outside the traditional, peanut butter and jelly box and see what happens. Hopefully, none of our lunch choices for our kids will end up in the trash. I'd love to hear your ideas, so share some of your successes and failures.