Kids are very picky when it comes to food. If it were up to them, they would eat mac and cheese all day long and every day. However, a mother’s concern never goes away and that’s why most of them are always busy in the kitchen trying to whip up something good when those little monsters in the belly start screaming. Whether they are at school or at home, lunch time calls for something yummy that can be eaten quickly and is still fulfilling. So, here are 5 lunch ideas that you can try to please your kid’s palette:
Recipe 1
BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Pickled Cucumber
Ingredients
- Small white onion: ¼ cup finely chopped
- Small seedless cucumber: 1
- Rice wine vinegar: ¼ cup
- Rotisserie or boiled chicken: 1 bowl
- Kosher salt: ¼ teaspoon
- BBQ sauce: ½ cup
- Country bread: 4 slices
- Copious amount of ketchup (necessary)
- Potato chips
Preparation
- In a bowl, add rice vinegar and salt, and toss in the cucumber and onion.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes, tossing it occasionally.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken.
- Spread the BBQ sauce on the bread, place the chicken and toss the pickled cucumber and onion.
Note: If your kids like their sandwich with ketchup and crunchy, you can use any kind of potato chips.
Recipe 2
English Muffin Pizza
Ingredients
- Whole grain English muffins: 2
- Homemade or store bought tomato sauce: 1 cup
- Slices of pepperoni: 4
- Mozzarella slices: 4 (¼ inch thick)
- Salt
- Dried oregano
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Toast the muffins for 4 minutes until they turn brown.
- Spread tomato sauce and pepperoni on the muffin and then top it with the cheese slice.
- Sprinkle some salt and oregano and place it in the oven.
- Bake for 4 minutes until cheese has melted.
Recipe 3
Ham and Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients
- Whole wheat tortilla: 4
- Jarlsberg cheese: 4 triangle slices, ¼ inch thick
- Ham: 8 thin slices
- Baby spinach leaves
- Mayonnaise: 1 tablespoon
- Mustard: 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Cut two tortillas into half and open them.
- Mix mustard and mayonnaise together and spread it inside the tortilla.
- Create two layers by placing one slice of cheese and two slices of ham.
- Top with baby spinach leaves and fold it into a triangle.
- Place it in a Panini press and cook it until the cheese melts and the tortilla turns golden.
Recipe 4
Peanut Butter and Jam Bars
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: 3 cups
- Large egg: 1
- Butter: 1 cup
- Sugar: 1 cup
- Creamy peanut butter: ½ cup
- Strawberry or grape jam: 1 cup
- Salted roasted peanuts: 1 cup
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy and light.
- On low speed, add in the egg and peanut butter.
- Now, add the flour in small amounts until a dough forms.
- Finally, mix in the peanuts.
- Divide the dough equally and hand press one layer on a greased foil pan.
- Spread the peanut butter and put the second layer of dough above.
- Now, spread the jam.
- Bake for 50 minutes and cool it on a wire rack.
- Place it on a cutting board and cut into strips.
Recipe 5
Spiced Chocolate-Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- Old-fashioned oats: 2 cups
- Brown sugar: ½ cup
- Whole wheat flour: 1¼ cups
- Large beaten egg: 1
- Baking powder: 2 teaspoon
- Chia seeds: 2 tablespoon
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Ground ginger: ¼ teaspoon
- Baking soda: ¾ teaspoon
- Ground cinnamon: ½ teaspoon
- Mashed banana: 1¼ cups
- Bittersweet chocolate: 2 oz
- Vegetable oil: 2 tablespoon
- Low-fat buttermilk: 1 cup
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a bowl, beat sugar, oats, flour, baking soda, Chiaseeds, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ginger.
- In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, oil and mashed bananas.
- Fold the banana mixture in the flour mixture.
- Divide into the muffin tray and bake for 25 minutes.
- Drizzle the top with chocolate when the muffins are hot.
You can pack these easy recipes in your kid’s lunch box, so that they can share it with their friends or you can serve them piping hot in the evening.
