Be it resolved: to upgrade brown-bag lunches.We often think of school lunches when discussing brown-bag meals. However, many adults also choose to carry a lunch from home to improve the family budget. Financial experts can amass quite an impressive number over a career for fewer stops at a commercial eatery. One such expert points out that a Starbucks coffee at $4 every day for a week is $20, $80 a month, or $960 each year. Close to $1,000 per year for an item with no nutritional value and a known addictive ad·dic·tive adj. 1. Causing or tending to cause addiction. 2. Characterized by or susceptible to addiction. addictive ( drug that is detrimental det·ri·men·tal adj. Causing damage or harm; injurious. det  ri·men to health! Adults brown-bag it not only for financial
reasons, but for personal taste and health. Taste fatigue taste fatigue Critical care A taste-driven loss of desire to ingest a particular food–eg, oral supplements, in a CA Pt undergoing oral feeding, because the Pt can no longer tolerate the taste. See Cancer cachexia. sets in with
some commercial foods. You are in charge of the amount of fat, sugar,
and salt in your food when you prepare it, which is not the case with
the closest fast-food spot. This is a definite plus for your health.Brown-bag lunches need to be thought of as a meal that will provide from one third to two fifths of the recommended dietary allowances Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are quantities of nutrients in the diet that are required to maintain good health in people. . So think nutrients as the menus are built. A 7- to 10-year-old schoolchild needs about 650 calories in their bag, while an adult needs about the same to 1,000 (depending on activity). The Vegetarian vegetarian /veg·e·tar·i·an/ (vej?e-tar´e-an) 1. one who practices vegetarianism. 2. pertaining to vegetarianism. veg·e·tar·i·an n. One who practices vegetarianism. Food Guide Pyramid Food Guide Pyramid n. A food pyramid devised by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992, in which grains and cereals represent the base beneath layers for fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy products, and fats and sweets at the peak. is a helpful guide to ensure adequate nutrition. Remember: menu items should contribute to the total number of servings recommended for a day. Vary the contents in the bag with new foods in new shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and flavors. Variety is the key. Many different breads are on the market. Try a new flavor. Or cut the bread differently. Pita "Pain in the ass." See digispeak. PITA - Pain in the arse/ass. pockets may contain the sandwich spread and vegetables just as well as two square slices of bread. Or wrap it all in a flour tortilla. Lots of options are out there. Expand your baggers' acceptable foods list by trying some of the breads listed in the box. Lunch can revolve around Verb 1. revolve around - center upon; "Her entire attention centered on her children"; "Our day revolved around our work" center, center on, concentrate on, focus on, revolve about a hot food carried in a short squatty squat·ty adj. squat·ti·er, squat·ti·est Somewhat short and thick; rather squat. Adj. 1. squatty - short and thick; as e.g. thermos. Try a casserole, pasta, soup, or stew for variety. Add crunch (1) To process data. See number crunching. (2) To compress data. See data compression. 1. (jargon) crunch - To process, usually in a time-consuming or complicated way. with crispy crisp·y adj. crisp·i·er, crisp·i·est 1. Firm but easily broken or crumbled; crisp. 2. Having small curls, waves, or ripples. vegetables in a plastic bag. Or make your own chips with a couple of the following recipes. Fresh fruit (washed, peeled, cored, or sliced ready-to-eat) makes a tasty tast·y adj. tast·i·er, tast·i·est 1. Having a pleasing flavor; savory. 2. Having or showing good taste; tasteful. tast dessert for a healthy choice. Small cookies or bite-sized muffins can add calories where needed and a little treat to end the meal. Make the meals you send special with little touches. Notes from mom and dad are a welcome surprise. If you are at a loss for words after the first week, for inspiration try Courtney Garton's Napkins: Lunchbag Notes From Dad, 128 pages, Perry Publishing. Choosing a lunch box with a special design sparks up the lunch for elementary students. Use colorful plastic flatware, along with coordinated paper plates and napkins, to mark certain events. Paper bags may be decorated dec·o·rate tr.v. dec·o·rat·ed, dec·o·rat·ing, dec·o·rates 1. To furnish, provide, or adorn with something ornamental; embellish. 2. with stickers or personal messages. School lunch is a brief, frenzied fren·zied adj. Affected with or marked by frenzy; frantic: a frenzied rush for the exits. fren point in the school day. Everyone--teachers included--looks forward to the break in the busyness. Children are eager to move on to playtime and often fail to finish their lunch, either from distraction Distraction Divination (See OMEN.) Porlock a “person from Porlock” interrupted Coleridge while he was recollecting the dream on which he based “Kubla Khan”. [Br. Lit.: Poems of Coleridge in Magill IV, 756] or nonacceptance of food items. Peer pressure is applied to the lunch box too. Foods take their turns on the "out" list. Those who prepare lunches need to be "keyed in" to which foods are "in" and which are "out" this week or month. Listen to the child's conversation; ask questions, participate in schoolroom activities on a regular basis. As a room mother/father, note which foods are eaten and which are tossed. (Nutritious nutritious /nu·tri·tious/ (noo-trish´us) affording nourishment. nu·tri·tious adj. Providing nourishment; nourishing. nutritious affording nourishment. apples, oranges, and sandwiches are unceremoniously dropped in the trash every day by children too busy to sit down and eat.) Create a mentality with your brown baggers to bring home the foods they choose not to eat at school. Try new recipes at home to see if the baggers will eat them before sending an item to school. Lunchtime is a time of renewal for wiggly little bodies and for hungry little tummies--and tall ones, for that matter. Upgrade with the following recipes to add "pizzazz" to the lunches leaving your kitchen. The basic pattern for a brown-bag lunch menu might be: * Sandwich/hot item * Fruit and/or vegetable * Snack-type food * Beverage * Dessert TLT SANDWICH (Tofu, Lettuce, and Tomato) 1 pound block firm tofu 2 T. olive oil 1/2 large onion, cut in 1/8-inch wedges 1 T. soy sauce or barbecue sauce 12 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread 1/4 cup margarine or mayonnaise 6 leaves Romaine lettuce 4 tomatoes, sliced Cut tofu into 1/4-inch slabs to fit on bread. Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onions until clear. Carefully add tofu slabs; sprinkle with soy sauce or barbecue sauce. Heat until browned on both sides; remove from heat. Spread bread with margarine or mayonnaise; add tofu and vegetables. Wrap tightly and place in a lunch box or bag. Serves: 6. Calories: 365; protein: 18 grams; carbohydrate: 31 grams; fat: 21 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 8.3 grams. "TUNA" SANDWICH 1 15-ounce can garbanzos, mashed 2 green onions, minced (including green tops) 1 stalk celery, diced 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1 t. kelp 12 slices French bread (or other favorite) Mix all ingredients. Allow to marinate overnight. Spread "tuna" mixture on bread. Wrap tightly, and place in a lunch box or bag. Serves: 6. Calories: 209; protein: 7 grams; carbohydrate: 38 grams; fat: 3 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 2 grams. PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM SANDWICH 2 T. olive oil 4 T. lemon juice 2-4 portobello mushrooms, sliced to fit rolls 1 small onion, sliced in rings 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup spinach leaves salt to taste 1 T. margarine 2 French or pumpernickel rolls Combine one tablespoon olive oil and two tablespoons lemon juice; marinate washed mushrooms in the mixture for a few minutes. Saute onion rings and garlic in the remaining oil and lemon juice until clear. Add mushrooms and saute for two additional minutes; add spinach during the last minute. Salt lightly. Spread margarine on both sides of the rolls. Assemble rolls and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, or place in a sealed container. Serves: 2. Calories per serving: 358; protein: 7 grams; carbohydrate: 38 grams; fat: 21 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 1.5 grams. HUMMUS SPREAD 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans 2 T. lemon juice medium onion, chunked 2 T. chopped parsley 2 cloves garlic 2 green onions 1/4 cup sesame seeds 2 T. sunflower seeds Drain garbanzo beans; reserve liquid. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process. Add garbanzo liquid for desired consistency to spread. Use as a spread with the Roasted Vegetable Sandwich, or with pieces of pita bread or crackers. Makes: 2 1/2 cups. Calories per 2 tablespoons: 43; protein: 1 gram; carbohydrate: 3 grams; fat: 3 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 1 gram PASTA SALAD 1 pound angel hair spaghetti, broke into 3-inch lengths 1 8-ounce bottle low-calorie Italian salad dressing 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped red onion, sliced thinly 2 pieces Worthington FriChik, diced 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 6-ounce can pitted ripe olives Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Combine spaghetti, dressing, celery, green pepper, onion, and FriChik. Chill overnight. Add tomatoes and olives just before placing in a short, squatty thermos. Serves: 8. Calories per serving: 340; protein: 18 grams; carbohydrate: 44 grams; fat: 12 grams; cholesterol: 3 milligrams; fiber: 4 grams. LENTIL SOUP 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cups dry lentils cup uncooked rice 4 cups water 1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes water salt to taste In a medium saucepan, simmer all ingredients until lentils are soft (approximately one hour). Add water to make a consistency of your choice. Salt to taste. Place in a thermos to keep warm for lunch. Serves: 8. Calories per serving: 170; protein: 10 grams; carbohydrate: 34 grams; fat: 0.2 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 6 grams. OVEN-BAKED POTATO CHIPS 3 large potatoes (with skins) 1 T. canola oil fresh rosemary salt clove of garlic and/or whole mushrooms (optional) Slice washed potatoes with skins. Parboil until just tender; drain. Place on a baking tray. Drizzle with canola oil. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary, and lightly salt. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit until crunchy. Add a whole garlic clove and/or whole mushrooms onto the tray while baking for added flavor. Serves: 8. Calories per serving: 70; protein: 1 gram; carbohydrate: 12 grams; fat: 2 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 1.4 grams. SWEET POTATO CHIPS 2 medium sweet potatoes 1 T. canola oil vegetable cooking spray Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Slice thin. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Place potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with canola oil. Bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Turn slices over; bake 5 more minutes. They should be dry and slightly crisp; if not, bake 3 more minutes. (Watch carefully to avoid burning.) Serves: 8. Calories per serving: 44; protein: 0.5 grams; carbohydrate: 7 grams; fat: 2 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 1 gram. PRETZELS 1 T. yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1 t. honey 11/3 cups flour 1 t. salt Set oven to 375 [degrees] F. Dissolve yeast in water and add honey; let sit 5 minutes. Mix flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Mix together (may be crumbly). Place on a bread board, and knead to form a ball. When kneaded, pull off a piece the size of a gumball. Roll between hands to make into the shape of a long skinny snake. Twist into a pretzel shape. Repeat using remaining dough. Bake 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes: 6 pretzels. Calories per pretzel: 100; protein: 3 grams; carbohydrate: 21 grams; fat: 0.2 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 1 gram. TRAIL MIX 3/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup peanuts cup sunflower seeds 1/4 cup soy nuts 1/4 cup pecans 1/4 cup M&M's Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place a serving in a small sealed container or plastic bag to add to a lunch bag. Serves: 8. Calories per serving: 167; protein: 5 grams; carbohydrate: 16 grams; fat: 10 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 2 grams. For recipe variation: Use dried fruit of choice (apple, apricots, banana, cranberries, papaya, pineapple, etc.). Vary the nuts according to your diner's preference: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, etc. Replace M&M's with gummy bears, Swedish fish, or other confection. Try some of these breads: Flavor Whole-wheat Boston Brown Multigrain Onion French Herb Cheese Raisin Potato Oatmeal Rye Cinnamon Pumpernickel Shape Bagel English muffin Pita Crackers Tortilla Rolls Frankfurter Kaiser Sub Hamburger Hard Biscuit Rice cakes Food Safety Tips * Wash hands before preparing food. * Use clean utensils in food preparation. * Keep pets away from kitchen counters. * Wrap sandwiches tightly, or place them in sealed containers. * Wash fruits and vegetables. * Save fruit or other nonperishable food items for an after-school snack. * Use a cup or straw for beverages; do not drink from a commercial container. * Wash a lunch box every evening with soap and water; use paper bags only once. * Use a freezer freezer the compartment in which meat and offal are stored at freezing temperatures of 10 to 16°F (-12 to -9°C) although there is a trend to lower temperatures of 0 to -22°F (-18 to -30°C). pack to keep cold foods cold. * Use a thermos to keep hot foods hot. ROASTED VEGETABLE SANDWICH 2 medium eggplants 1 zucchini 1 red pepper 1 yellow pepper 1 onion 1 red onion 1 T. olive oil 3 cloves garlic 16 slices French bread Slice washed vegetables and place in a single layer in a 9" x 13" pan. Drizzle with olive oil and add garlic cloves. Roast at 350-375 Fahrenheit for one hour. Turn every 15 minutes; some dark spots may develop. Slice the French bread. Spread with Hummus Spread (see recipe on this page and page 48); place desired vegetables on hummus; top with second slice of French bread. Wrap securely, or place in a sealed container. Serves: 8. Calories per serving: 240; protein: 8 grams; carbohydrate: 42 grams; fat: 5 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 4 grams. Note: Peppers and onions have a delightful sweet taste when roasted. Week of menus: 1. TLT TLT Tilt TLT The Literary Times TLT Teaching, Learning & Technology TLT The Last Temptation (music album) TLT Transmission Line Transformer TLT The Little Theatre TLT Test Loop Translator TLT Trails Less Traveled (tofu tofu Soft, bland, custardlike food product made from soybeans. Believed to date from China's Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), tofu is today an important source of protein in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. , lettuce lettuce, annual garden plant (Lactuca sativa and varieties) of the family Asteraceae (aster family), probably native to the East Indies or Asia Minor, possibly as a derivative of the widespread weed called wild lettuce (L. scariola). L. , and tomato) sandwich on multigrain bread, apple, carrot/celery sticks, nonfat non·fat adj. Lacking fat solids or having the fat content removed. milk, blueberry blueberry, plant of the large genus Vaccinium, widely distributed shrubs (occasionally small trees) of the family Ericaceae (heath family), usually found on acid soil. They are often confused with the related huckleberry. minimuffins 2. Pasta salad, Triscuits, string cheese, orange juice, banana 3. "Tuna" sandwich on French bread, grapes Grapes - A Modula-like system description language. E-mail: <peter@cadlab.cadlab.de>. ["GRAPES Language Description. Syntax, Semantics and Grammar of GRAPES-86", Siemens Nixdorf Inform, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-8009-4112-0]. , oven-baked potato chips, nonfat milk, oatmeal-raisin cookie cookie File or part of a file put on a Web user's hard disk by a Web site. Cookies are used to store registration data, to make it possible to customize information for visitors to a Web site, to target Web advertising, and to keep track of the products a user wishes to 4. Roasted roast v. roast·ed, roast·ing, roasts v.tr. 1. To cook with dry heat, as in an oven or near hot coals. 2. To dry, brown, or parch by exposing to heat. 3. vegetable sandwich Vegetable sandwich is the most common type of sandwich in India. It is a purely vegetarian item (though not vegan if butter is used), and is often seen prepared and served fresh by roadside vendors as well as in many restaurants. in pita bread, banana, peanuts pea·nut n. 1. A prostrate southern Brazilian plant (Arachis hypogaea) widely cultivated in tropical and warm temperate regions, having yellow flowers on stalks that bend over so that the seed pods ripen underground. 2. , nonfat milk, Fig Newtons The Fig Newton is a brand of fig bar (in Europe, fig roll), a soft, cake-like pastry filled with fig jam. A trademarked product of Nabisco, Fig Newtons originated in the United States and have since spread across the world. 5. Lentil soup Noun 1. lentil soup - made of stock and lentils with onions carrots and celery soup - liquid food especially of meat or fish or vegetable stock often containing pieces of solid food , bagel, cream cheese, melon melon, fruit of Cucumis melo, a plant of the family Curcurbitaceae (gourd family) native to Asia and now cultivated extensively in warm regions. There are many varieties, differing in taste, color, and skin texture—e.g. chunks, nonfat milk, trail mix BLACK BEANS AND RICE 1 pound black beans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender 1/2 medium onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 T. olive oil 1 packet G. Washington Seasoning salt to taste 2 cups cooked brown rice 2 T. chopped parsley Prepare beans. Saute onion and garlic in oil. Mix with beans along with the G. Washington Seasoning and salt. Place hot brown rice in the bottom of a short squatty thermos. Top with the bean mixture. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Serves: 8. Calories: 178; protein: 17 grams; carbohydrate: 29 grams; fat: 4 grams; cholesterol: 0 milligrams; fiber: 3.5 grams. Brown Bag Little Touches * Send saved single-serving packages of condiments from fast-food restaurants: catsup, mayonnaise, hot sauce, soy sauce. * Freeze juice containers; they will thaw by lunch. * Or use little freezer gel packs. * Use cookie cutters to make shaped sandwiches. * Or cut bread in triangles, squares, rectangles. * Send mail in bag: note, news clippings, Web articles. * Use shaped pasta (hearts, Christmas trees Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. , etc.). * Make your own trail mix of nuts, pretzels, M&M's, crackers, or other special treats. * Include Handi Wipes in a plastic bag. Georgia E. Hodgkin, Ed.D., R.D., F.A.D.A., prepared approximately 6, 300 brown-bag lunches when three Hodgkins were little. |
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