Hey Mom, what's for lunch?

Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

It's here, that time of year when school lets out and lots of kids will be home for the summer, every day, asking the dreaded question: What's for lunch?

Even those who don't stay home but trot off to music or theater or sports camps still have to eat, so their question becomes: What's in the lunch box?

It's definitely one of the child-raising tasks parents don't get teary-eyed over when the little cherubs grow up enough to start doing for themselves.

With children ages 12, 10, 7 1/2 and 5 in the house, Eugene mother Summer Spinner tallies more than 800 portable lunches a year and has a long way to go. Her three oldest children - Quinn, Jack and Meredith - carry their lunches most days, while the youngest, Walker, still eats most of his at home.

"Unfortunately, I started out with picky children, so I found myself making different lunches for each one," Spinner recalls, a routine that quickly became too labor-intensive - and maybe too indulgent - to continue. "So then I got to thinking, 'If one wants to eat peanut butter crackers every day, then everybody can eat them one day a week,' ' with the others' favorite foods of the moment thrown into the rotation on the other days.

Still, child-driven menus can make for some rather boring and possibly not too nutritious offerings, so she tries hard to come up with combinations that will satisfy the "ooh, yum" requirement as well as nourish little bones, muscles and teeth.

"My philosophy is `quick and easy,' ' Spinner says. "I always include a fruit, a vegetable or both. I use whole-grain breads, and I don't pack sweet drinks."

She makes "a lot of little sandwiches," because some of the children eat a whole one, while others may manage only a half or a quarter at a sitting.

"I use a lot of mini-bagels, that I fill with turkey and cream cheese or sometimes peanut butter and jam or honey," she says. "I also pack things like (whole-grain) chips and bean dip, carrots with ranch dressing, cucumber sticks and cheese and crackers."

Leftover noodle dishes - even macaroni and cheese - from the family dinner table often work for lunch entrees as well, because many taste good cold. Her kids also go for leftover pizza, which Spinner makes with whole-wheat crust for added nutrition.

"Some people hesitate to pack things that need to be kept cold, but I find that if you stick in one of those little reusable ice packs, it stays plenty cold until lunchtime."

She streamlines the lunch-packing effort by doing as much as she can the night before.

"I used to try to do it all in the morning, and it made everything much too hectic," Spinner says. "Starting the evening before really helps, and it also gets the kids involved more, which is good."

In an effort to avoid unnecessary packaging and cutting costs, she buys things such as yogurt in larger quantities instead of small, individual servings and spoons them into containers. She cores apples and sends slices according to children's appetites and includes produce that's in season to vary the menu.

"I don't use lunch bags or plastic utensils - I pack metal spoons and cloth napkins that they bring back home," she says. "I've been packing lunches for seven years, and we've lost very little in that time."

Her efforts seem to be bearing fruit, so to speak. When her oldest son started middle school, he decided to take his lunch instead of purchasing the lunches provided there, and "after the first week, he said all his friends wanted his lunch," Spinner says.

Lunches at home during the summer - she's a stay-at-home mom - will expand the menu to hot dishes such as burritos, nachos and spaghetti, but Spinner says she's always on the lookout for more choices.

A new cookbook, "Brain Foods for Kids" by Nicola Graimes, might be of assistance. Published in paperback this year by Bantam Dell, a division of Random House, Graimes' book opens with a discussion of brain development in children and what kinds of foods contribute to growth and intellectual development, sustain energy or promote calm behavior.

Most clusters of recipes throughout the book have an accompanying "Brain Box," which explains what the nutrients in the recipes do for a child's development. They include dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts and beverages.

High-Energy Bean Burgers

2/3 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 onion, grated

1 small carrot, grated

2/3 cup fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter or almond butter

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper, to taste

Flour, for coating

Sunflower oil, for frying

4 whole-wheat hamburger buns (or seeded bagels)

Shredded lettuce, tomato, cucumber slices, ketchup and mayonnaise (optional)

Put the kidney beans in a food processor or blender with the onion, carrot, bread crumbs, peanut butter and egg. Blend to a coarse puree. Season with salt and pepper and chill for at least 1 hour.

Using floured hands, form into 4 patties; coat each lightly with flour.

Heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of a heavy frying pan and cook the "burgers" about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Alternatively, patties can be broiled by brushing them lightly with oil and putting under the broiler about 4 minutes on each side.

To serve, split each hamburger bun or bagel in half and assemble the burgers, layering with the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, ketchup and mayonnaise, as desired.

Serves 4.

Source: "Brain Foods for Kids" by Nicola Graimes.

Red Pepper Hummus 

1 small red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into thick strips

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 8-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon light tahini (sesame seed paste, available at natural food stores)

1 tablespoon warm water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the red pepper in a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon oil and mix to coat the pepper slices. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until tender and the skin begins to blister. Transfer to a plastic bag or wrap in foil, and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove from the bag or foil and rub off the skin.

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste.

Serve on wedges of pita bread or on whole-grain bread.

Makes 10 small servings.

Bubble 'N' Squeak Patties

1/2 cup Savoy cabbage, shredded fine

1 heaping cup cold mashed potatoes 

1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg, beaten

Flour for coating

Sunflower oil for frying

Steam the shredded cabbage for 3 minutes until just tender. Let cool; squeeze in hands or a towel to remove as much water as possible.

Mix cabbage with mashed potato, cheese, mustard and salt and pepper. Stir in the egg, and mix until combined.

Divide the mixture into six portions; form each into a flat patty, using floured hands. Coat each patty lightly in flour. Coat the bottom of a large, heavy frying pan with oil. Cook patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Drain on paper towels before serving. Serves 6.

Source: "Brain Foods for Kids."

Pear Batter Pudding

Butter, for greasing

6 tablespoons unrefined, superfine sugar

2 ripe pears, pared, cored and sliced thin

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups light cream

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/8 teaspoon salt (pinch)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish and sprinkle the bottom with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

Dip the sliced pears in the lemon juice to prevent browning; arrange them in the bottom of the dish.

Blend the eggs, cream, milk, flour and remaining sugar with a rotary beater or in a food processor until smooth and frothy. Pour over the pears.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden. The batter will still be wobbly, but it will firm up as it cools.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: "Brain Foods for Kids."

Brain-Busting Gingerbread 

1 1/3 sticks unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 cup dried, pitted dates, chopped

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup dark molasses 

1/2 cup corn syrup 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift the flours, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the ginger, baking soda and dates.

Beat together the milk and egg and set aside.

Put the sugar, molasses, corn syrup and butter in a saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until melted. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir. Add the milk and egg mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour into the baking dish, leveling the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Peel off the parchment paper.

Cut into 20 small squares.

Source: "Brain Foods for Kids."

Brown Bread Ice Cream

2 cups whole-wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 2/3 cups whipping cream 

2 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons maple syrup 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the bread crumbs and sugar in a bowl, then spread evenly over a baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until the crumbs become dark golden but not burned, and the sugar has almost dissolved. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

In a third small bowl, beat together the egg yolks and maple syrup.

Stir the cooled bread crumb mixture into the whipped cream. Carefully fold in the egg whites. Spoon into a freezer container and freeze for a few hours until firm.

Before serving, put the container in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to soften.

Serves 6 to 8.

Source: "Brain Foods for Kids."

Pancakes With Baked Bananas

2 bananas

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/8 teaspoon salt (pinch)

2 tablespoons rolled oats (oatmeal)

2 tablespoons unrefined superfine sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 cups buttermilk 

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Sunflower oil, for frying

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, until tender. Let cool slightly before slicing into disks.

Meanwhile, mix together the flour, salt, oats, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, buttermilk, milk and melted butter and add to the flour mixture. Beat well to remove lumps, making a thick batter.

Lightly oil a heavy frying pan or griddle and heat. Place 2 tablespoons batter per pancake in the hot pan. Cook about 3 minutes until golden; turn and cook another 2 minutes. Place on a plate covered with foil to keep warm while using the remaining batter.

To serve, put pancakes on serving plates, spoon the sliced baked bananas on top and drizzle with maple syrup.

Serves 4.

Source: "Brain Foods for Kids."

Ants on a Log 

Celery stalks

Peanut butter

Raisins

Wash the celery stalks, and cut into pieces about 5 inches long. Spread peanut butter in the U-shaped part of the celery, from one end to the other. Press raisins into the peanut butter.

Source: www.recipegoldmine .com/childrecipe/childrecipe2 .html.

CAPTION(S):

Meredith Spinner says the best part of helping to make lunch is, "You get to eat some of the stuff." Here she has some leftover cream cheese and jam that she put on a bagel. Bagels with peanut butter, jam, cream cheese or pizza sauce and grated cheese are on the menu for the Spinners: Meredith, 7, Jack, 10, and Walker, 5.