Want your kids to eat their back-to-school lunches?
Make sure the food looks appealing.
“We eat with our eyes,” said Emidio Amicucci, the president and executive chef of Avanti Events Ltd.
“If it’s colourful, bright, vibrant, kids will be attracted to it” and will be more likely to eat it.
“Do things with shapes. Cookie cutters, cheese strings or cut things out, anything that makes it appealing.”
The longtime Newmarket resident has first-hand experience with back-to-school lunches. He and his wife share the responsibility of creating school lunches for their eight-year-old daughter, who is a picky eater.
A child’s own food preference isn’t the only thing that makes creating healthy school lunches difficult.
The number of restrictions parents face also makes it hard. Much like what Amicucci sees for his wedding or corporate clients, the list of things parents can’t send to school with their children is long. Then there is the timing. Kids have a short amount of time to eat their lunch before they have pack it up and go outside.
“It’s very limited the majority of the time.”
And while it’s important to create a nutritionally dense lunch, kids also have to eat it.
“One of the things it has to be is appealing,” Amicucci said. “It’s the whole thing. Make it fun for them to eat, right from the shape of the food to the vessel itself. It all comes down to the eye. If it looks fun and tasty, they are more likely to eat it.”
In addition to cutting out food into fun shapes, Amicucci suggested people include bright-coloured vegetables and fruit and use bento boxes to make the presentation appealing and kid friendly. Buy thermos and lunch bags that kids can decorate.
The second thing to remember is smell.
If foods smell funny, it’s unlikely the kids will eat it.
Amicucci said his daughter loves raw cauliflower, “but by the time she opens up her lunch bag, the smell is embarrassing, and she is reluctant to eat it.”
This is the same with eggs, which are protein-packed but are strong in odour. Instead, Amicucci suggested cheese, mozzarella or cheddar, which have less of a scent.
Parents should include raw vegetables and fruit and the “right amount of protein and carbs.” Amicucci often turns to chicken or turkey.
When it comes to eating, “we use mostly our eyes, then nose and (then) lastly taste.”
And while it’s important to create good eating habits in children, Amicucci said “it’s a bit of a conundrum,” between the desire to create nutritious school lunches and making sure his child actually eats it. Amicucci said his daughter would happily fill up on carbs, he also wants to make sure she eats more fruits and vegetables.
“I understand there are bad fuels and good fuels, but at the end of the day they are not going to die of hunger, and they are going to eat. (You just) want them to get out of their bad habits early.”
Lunch suggestions:
- Cut up vegetables and dips (hummus, see recipe below, tzatziki)
- Fruit and Greek yogurt
- Greek yogurt and granola
- Make-your-own sandwiches (separate the toppings, condiments, and let kids make their own sandwiches)
- Protein bowls, layer protein with veggies and crunchy toppings)
- Soup
- Make-ahead burritos, wraps, calzones, quesadillas, savoury muffins
- Leftovers
- Mini meatloaf muffins
- Pinwheel sandwiches
- Salad, lettuce or pasta
- Kebabs with dipping sauce
- Fritters
- Frittatas/quiche
Other tips:
- Invest in a good thermos. Emidio Amicucci, the president and executive chef of Avanti Events Ltd., suggested the Yeti brand, which is more expensive, but is a good investment as things stay hotter longer.
- Put ice packs in the lunch bag to keep things cold or place a frozen juice box in the lunch bag. By the time lunch time rolls around, the juice box will be melted, and everything stays cold.
- Hide nutrients such as vegetables and protein in muffins, smoothies or other items.
Recipe
Hummus
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp each of lemon juice and water
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dill
1/4 tsp of salt
Pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Blend ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or naan bread.
Chicken Lollipops with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Kids do love to dip their food, and these crunchy chicken lollipops are a fun way to do just that.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Servings: 12
Chicken Lollipops
1 lb (500 g) boneless skinless Ontario chicken breasts (about two)
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
3 tbsp (45 ml) plain yogurt
1/2 cup (125 ml) dried panko crumbs or dried bread crumbs
1/2 tsp (2 ml) paprika
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
Sweet and Sour Sauce
(Makes 1-1/4 cups or 300 ml):
1/2 cup (125 ml) ketchup1/4 cup (50 ml) each apple cider vinegar and peach jam
2 tbsp (25 ml) each apple juice and Ontario Honey
1/2 tsp (2 ml) garlic powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) each salt and pepper
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice chicken lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) wide strips. Stir oregano with salt; sprinkle over chicken.
Place yogurt in a small bowl; set aside. Stir panko, paprika and oil in small bowl. Roll each chicken strip into spiral; insert small skewer through each to hold like lollipop. (End pieces will be smaller, so roll with another strip.)
Brush chicken all over with yogurt. Dip into and sprinkle with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Set on baking sheet.
Bake in 425 F (220 C) oven until golden and no longer pink inside, five to six minutes a side.
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
In bowl, whisk together, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, peach jam, apple juice, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Serve right away or transfer to air-tight container. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to one week.)
Serve sweet and sour sauce with chicken lollipops.
Nutritional information
One chicken lollipop with 1 tbsp/15 ml sauce:
Protein: 10 grams
Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fibre: 0 grams
Calories: 99
