THINK OUTSIDE THE (LUNCH) BOX CREATIVE MEAL SERVICES CAN SEND YOU TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS.Byline: NATALIE HAUGHTON >FOOD EDITOR Don't have time to pack your child a healthy school lunch? Let someone else do it for you. The newest trend in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, is to hire companies such as Freshlunches Inc., Brown Bag Naturals or Susan's Healthy Gourmet to make and drop off nutritious lunches at the child's school or home. At $4 to $6 per lunch, parents can buy convenience and peace of mind. "We provide organic and all-natural lunches for children K-12 at school," notes Winnie Tong, general manager and partner of Los Angeles-based Freshlunches Inc. "Our menu has been designed by a child nutritionist nu·tri·tion·ist n. One who is trained or is an expert in the field of nutrition. nutritionist Dietitian, see there , so all the portions are age-appropriate. " The lunches are only available at schools that have contracted with the company, and the program is completely elective. Parents can order weekly, daily or monthly, making food selections online. Lunches are $3.99, $4.99 and $5.99, with the two least expensive choices recommended for K to sixth-graders or light eaters. The $5.99 lunch is designed for sixth- to 12th-graders or adults (many teachers order them). A small bottle of water and utensils are also included. The lunches are delivered daily to the schools in recyclable brown bags with a big sticker marked with the student's name, teacher, classroom and description of the lunch contents. This fall, the two-year old company Freshlunches will be delivering lunches to more than seven schools in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Pasadena, Woodland Hills and Chatsworth. Generally, about 20 percent of the students in any given school participate, says Tong. The food items (on a rotating menu that changes monthly) are designed to appeal to kids and be eaten without heating. Among the options are make-it-yourself nacho salad, mac and cheese, cheese tortellini, chicken wraps, turkey stackers, veggie and cheese quesadilla que·sa·dil·la n. A flour tortilla folded in half around a savory filling, as of cheese or beans, then fried or toasted. [American Spanish, from Spanish, diminutive of quesada, , carrots/celery sticks with hummus hum·mus also hum·us or hom·mos n. A smooth thick mixture of mashed chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and garlic, used especially as a dip for pita. or ranch dip, and pasta salad. "I've used this service (Freshlunches) every day it has been available since last March," notes Michelle Osterman of Granada Hills, whose 9-year daughter attends a Woodland Hills charter school. "My daughter loves this (the lunches)." Among her favorites are the chicken salad with curry, turkey wraps, fresh fruit, corkscrew corkscrew a deformity in which the affected part is spiraled like a corkscrew. corkscrew claw a probably heritable defect of the lateral claw, usually of the front feet, of cattle causing serious lameness. pasta with fresh tomatoes, and almond butter with fruit preserve sandwich. And Osterman doesn't mind the price. "I would spend that (amount) anyway to get that kind of food." Brown Bag Naturals, another Los Angeles-based company that delivers natural and organic school lunches, counts private and public schools in Manhattan Beach Manhattan Beach, city (1990 pop. 32,063), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1912. It is a residential and beach community with an oil refinery and nearby factories that produce transportation and electrical equipment, computers, and pottery. , Malibu, Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (rĭdŏn`dō), city (1990 pop. 60,167), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1892. Once a commercial port for Los Angeles, it is a residential and resort city with a protected harbor and an excellent marina. and Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. as its core business, says Adam Zauder, the company's chief executive officer and co-founder. The company has grown from delivering 35 lunches daily to one school almost two years ago to 1,000 lunches to 14 schools today. Zauder foresees an explosion in this concept in the future. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was going to be a big national business." "Our business ... is really all about ingredients. Little kids don't want fancy sauces and fancy meals. They want the basics," Zaude notes, adding that parents want their kids to eat better but aren't sure what to give them. "We provide that solution for them," he says. With time and volume, Zauder hopes to decrease lunch prices from the current $5 each. "Our goal is to make Brown Bag Naturals available to children across the country at every socioeconomic level." Calories in each lunch range from 500 to 850. The company makes items such as chicken-salad tortilla wraps, turkey bagels, pepperoni and cheese cracker stackers, and chicken teriyaki ter·i·ya·ki n. A Japanese dish of grilled or broiled slices of marinated meat or shellfish. [Japanese : teri, glaze + yaki, to broil.] Noun 1. bowls. The two top-selling entrees are turkey hoagies (sliced turkey on whole-wheat hot-dog buns with cheese, veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. , lettuce) and chopped salad with chicken. Unlike the other two lunch services, Susan's Healthy Gourmet will drop off school lunches (in a clear plastic bag tied with a colored ribbon) at a customer's home twice a week -- for parents to send to school with their children -- for $6 per lunch, plus a $10 delivery charge (no minimum order required), says Kerry Johnson, the company's president. The 12-year old Irvine-based company began offering its lunch option -- with lower fat (no trans fats) and lower sodium -- two years ago. It's available throughout Los Angeles, San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. and Riverside counties. The lunches for 5- to 12-year-olds have about 450 calories each and about 9 to 15 grams fat, while those for high-schoolers have up to 600 calories each. Most popular with the younger set are the picnic basket A picnic basket is a basket or other container intended to hold food and tableware for a picnic meal. The term usually refers to the contents of the container as well as the container itself. and finger fun lunches that include such items as ants on a log Ants on a log is a popular children's snack made by spreading peanut butter on celery and placing raisins on top. (celery with low-sodium peanut butter and raisins), strawberries with yogurt dip, mini ham and cheese sandwich The ham and cheese sandwich is a common type of sandwich in the United States. It is made by putting cheese and sliced ham between two slices of bread. The bread is sometimes toasted and vegetables like lettuce or tomato slices can also be included. on multigrain bread (in the shape of a teddy bear), apple slices with caramel sauce and more. Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton@dailynews.com SCOOP-IT-UP TUNA SALAD 1 (6-ounce) can solid white OR light tuna in water, drained and flaked 1 small carrot, shredded (about 1/2 cup) 3 tablespoons light canola mayonnaise Salt and pepper
Scoopers: Baked tortilla chips, cucumber wheels, mini whole wheat pitas and whole grain crackers In a medium bowl, combine tuna, carrot, mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste. Mix welll. To pack for a school lunch, place the tuna salad in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Pack scoopers in separate containers. Makes 2 servings. Each serving has 200 calories (without the scoopers), 9 grams total fat, 530 grams sodium, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber and 20 grams protein. >FROM JANICE NEWELL BISSEX, MS, RD, CO-AUTHOR OF "THE MOMS' GUIDE TO MEAL MAKEOVERS." find out more> >FRESHLUNCHES INC: www.freshlunches.com or (310) 478-6048. >BROWN BAG NATURALS: www.brownbagnaturals.com or (310) 850-9781. >SUSAN'S HEALTHY GOURMET: www.susanshealthygourmet.com or (888) 396-3257. TIPS ON PACKING LUNCHES "If you're a parent packing a child's lunch, the less artificial ingredients you can use, the better," says Janice Newell Bissex, a registered dietitian registered dietitian, n See dietitian, registered. and co-author of "The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers." "Stick to real foods," says the mother of two girls, ages 8 and 15, who packs lunches for her daughters. Be sure to include a fruit, vegetable, whole grain, lean protein and dairy. School lunch calories and fat vary with the age of the child and the activity level, but generally younger kids need 500 to 600 calories and teenagers about 800 calories in lunches and snacks, points out Bissex. Take into account a child's likes and dislikes, so the lunch won't be traded or tossed. Keep food cold and safe by packing an ice pack in an insulated lunch box. Encourage children to make their own lunches, but have plenty of choices available. Take them shopping and peruse pe·ruse tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es To read or examine, typically with great care. [Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- the numerous healthy options in markets. Read labels. Include a variety of lean protein sources such as tuna, fresh turkey and chicken in sandwiches, wraps, etc. Avoid processed meats. Use a variety of whole-grain breads, bagels, crackers, tortillas, etc. Pack a healthy beverage of low-fat milk Noun 1. low-fat milk - milk from which some of the cream has been removed milk - a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings , 100 percent fruit juice or water. Or have kids buy milk at school. Offer healthy snack choices such as organic granola bars, trail mix, yogurt with fruits, hummus with fresh veggies or whole-grain banana muffins, etc. Also pack baked tortilla, pita or other chips, multigrain chips, pretzels, popcorn, whole-grain puffs along with nuts, dried apricots or raisins. Use reduced-fat cheeses or cheese sticks -- many taste just as good as their higher-fat counterparts these days. For healthy desserts, offer fruits such as fresh whole strawberries, sliced apples, peeled oranges and grapes, bananas, etc. Pack your child's favorite cut-up fresh fruit on a skewer (include a yogurt fruit dip) to make eating it more fun. >N.H. CAPTION(S): 7 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Stumped over what to pack in your child's school lunch? WE'VE GOT BROWN-BAG SOLUTIONS (2 -- color) What did kid tasters think of the meals available from Freshlunches? GABBY gab·by adj. gab·bi·er, gab·bi·est Slang Tending to talk excessively; garrulous. gab  bi·ness n. CORREA, 10, NORTH HILLS
She said the Tricolor tricolor describes a coat color of dogs and cats which has orange and black patches (similar to the tortoiseshell) but has in addition patches of white hair; see tortoiseshell. Corkscrew Cheese Pasta is really good. She also liked the Mac and Cheese and scored it 8 out of a possible 10 points. "Good flavor and the best part of the lunch. The chicken is very good in the Lentil lentil, leguminous Old World annual plant (Lens culinaris) with whitish or pale blue flowers. Its pods contain two greenish-brown or dark-colored seeds, also called lentils, which when fully ripe are ground into meal or used in soups and stews. Brown Rice Bowl, but I don't like the lentils." THOMAS KUKLENSKI, 9, TARZANA After sampling the cheese tortellini lunch with carrots and ranch dressing, he noted, "I would like this lunch one or two days a week." He gave the tortellini 7 out of 10 points for overall taste and appeal. "It's good. I would eat it again." (3 -- color) no caption (paper bag) (4 -- 7 -- color) Here are some samples of organic and natural Freshlunches selections that can be ordered for kids' school lunches. Box: TIPS ON PACKING LUNCHES (see text) |
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