Back to School Lunches: Kids Can Make Their Own
Deanna Cook is a children's cookbook author, who encourages children to play with their food.
It’s that time of year again — time to get back to school and back to packing lunches every single morning (can you hear my dread?). In a busy household, it’s never easy to pull off making a lunch that’s healthy, packable, and appetizing. So here’s a crazy idea: why not get the kids to make their own lunches?
When my daughters, Ella and Maisie, were in elementary school, they got into the habit of making their lunches every day. I had read a clever idea in a parenting magazine that really worked. I gave my kids a weekly lunch allowance and told them they could buy lunch at school, or pack it at home and pocket the money. My kids liked the idea of making some cold hard cash, so they’d get up every morning a little earlier than usual and pack up their own lunches (and keep the money!). They started with the easy stuff: bagel and cream cheese, grapes, and a cookie. Then they moved to fancier sandwiches (fresh mozzarella, pesto, garden fresh tomatoes on a baguette). Now that they are in high school, they pack stir-fried rice, mango smoothies, and Greek salad.
Getting kids to make their own lunches is a win-win. They learn how to whip up something good to eat when they’re in a rush (an important skill that will come in handy throughout their lives). If they pack their lunches, they’re more likely to eat them, too. And when kids are given the opportunity to make their own lunches (or cook any meal for that matter), they learn math, science, reading, time management, and more.
Preparing a midday meal is a great way to practice cooking skills, too. The more time your kids spend experimenting with fresh ingredients and trying out simple kitchen tools, the better they will get at cooking. It’s like playing soccer or the piano – it takes time and effort to learn to cook, but practice makes perfect. For kids, it’s not just about the cooking techniques they’re mastering, but it’s also about getting creative with food presentation. When they make their own lunches, they feel independent and proud of the food they made all by themselves.
If you’d like to get your own children into the habit of making lunches, start with the recipes here and from my cookbook, Cooking Class. You might also consider making a cash deal with them like I did. Once they’ve chosen some recipes, stock up at the beginning of the week on good fresh lunch ingredients (bakery bread, farmer’s market veggies, organic lunch meats, and so on). Depending on their age, you can let the kids do most of the cooking on their own with a little guidance from you. Stay nearby for questions in the beginning. But step out of the way and let them get creative. With any luck, you may inspire the kids to start the morning habit of making their own lunches. 
PB & Honey Pockets
Recipe excerpted from Cooking Class (c) by Deanna F. Cook, photography (c) by Julie Bidwell, used with permission from Storey Publishing.
Have you seen those crustless peanut butter sandwiches in the store? Instead of buying them, here’s how to make your own healthier and tastier version at home.
- Servings Makes 2 pockets
Ingredients
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2 slices soft sandwich bread
- 2–3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey or jam
- Small round cookie cutter
Preparation
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
1. Roll one slice of the bread flat with a rolling pin.
2. Cut out two small circles with a round cookie cutter.
3. Spread a little peanut butter on one bread circle and a little honey or jam on the other. Don’t go all the way to the edges.
4. Put the circles together to make a round sandwich. Using the tines of a fork, seal the sandwich pocket. Repeat the steps with the second slice of bread.
Sandwich Shop
Recipe excerpted from Cooking Class (c) by Deanna F. Cook, photography (c) by Julie Bidwell, used with permission from Storey Publishing.
Get creative in the kitchen with these deli sandwich ideas. Let your ingredients inspire you!
Turkey Club:
Toast + Turkey + Bacon + Lettuce + Tomato + Mayo
Funny Face:
Carrot Stick Hair + Olive Eyes + Red & Yellow Pepper Nose & Mouth + Cream Cheese + Bagel
Super Sub:
Sub Roll + Olive Oil + Salami + Provolone + Lettuce
Scary Sandwich:
Wheat Bread + Cheese & Peas For Eyes + Bell Pepper Eyebrows + Sunflower Seed Teeth + Ham Tongue
Tea Party Sandwiches:
Thin White Bread + Mayo + Dill + Cucumber
Lunch-On-A-Stick
Recipes excerpted from Cooking Class (c) by Deanna F. Cook, photography (c) by Julie Bidwell, used with permission from Storey Publishing.
If you’re tired of boring old sandwiches for lunch, try this twist: Make a sandwich on a stick! You can cut a slice of meat into strips, roll it up, and slip it on toothpicks or, even easier, ask at the deli counter for a ½-inch thick slice that you can cut into chunks. Mix and match to make your own favorite combos.
- Servings Makes 4 to 6 lunch sticks
Ingredients
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:
- 227 grams (8 ounces) deli meat (ham, turkey, or salami)
- 2 sticks string cheese or 6 small fresh mozzarella balls
- 2 large leaves red or green lettuce
- 2 slices bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- Mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and mustard, for dipping
Special Equipment: Toothpicks
Preparation
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
1. Roll up sliced meat and cut it into strips or cut it into chunks, depending on the thickness. Cut the string cheese into 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces (you can leave the mozzarella balls whole or cut them in half). Tear the lettuce into small pieces.
2. Thread the toothpicks with the bread, meat, cheese, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes.
3. Make patterns or alternate colors! Serve with mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and mustard on the side for dipping.
COOL COMBOS
Try these sandwich stick combos:
• Fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, French bread cubes, basil leaves
• Ham, cheese, lettuce, and bread
• Grapes, strawberries, and mini marshmallows
• Lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers
Deanna Cook
Deanna F. Cook has written dozens of cookbooks for families and kids, including Cooking Class and the Kids’ Multicultural Cookbook. She was the creative development director at FamilyFun and has been an editor at Scholastic and Disney. She’s appeared on national television sharing recipes and is currently the content director at Kidstir.com. She lives in Western Massachusetts, USA with her family. Visit her at DeannaFCook.com.
Courtesy photo
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