Best Lunch Box Ever (33 page)

Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Cut into 18 bars.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the pantry or 2 weeks in the freezer.

MAKE AHEAD NOTES:
highly portable; a good make-ahead option.

Raising the Bar on Granola

I have conflicted feelings about packaged granola bars: I love the convenience, but I don't always like the ingredients or the excessive packaging. The fact that manufacturers add a boatload of “vitamins and minerals” doesn't offset the sugar, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that are sometimes in there, too. If I'm going to give my kids a sweet, I'll give them a sweet. I'd rather it not masquerade as health food. Here are some guidelines to help you buy a better bar.

Less sugar:
Aim for about 8 grams of sugar or less per bar. Keep in mind that dried fruits naturally contain sugar, so allow a little wiggle room for bars with raisins, dried cherries, and the like.

More fiber:
At least 2 grams of fiber per serving is a good goal, and more is even better. Look for the words “whole grains” among the ingredients, which pack in more fiber and nutrients than processed ones.

Fewer calories:
Some bars top 200 calories, which is a lot, especially for littler appetites, and particularly if you are pairing the snack with a glass of milk. Opt for bars that are less than 150 calories.

Familiar foods:
Read the label and look for wholesome ingredients. Skip any bars that include partially hydrogenated fats, or any other ingredient a typical school kid couldn't identify.

Eight After-School Eats

Here are eight easy-to-make healthful snacks to hold your kids over until dinner is on the table.

1
.   Speedy Parfait:
Layer low-fat yogurt, fruit, granola, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for a quick parfait.

2
.   Tortilla Roll-Up:
Put shredded lettuce, grated carrot, grated cheese, and a few dashes of taco sauce on a whole-wheat flour tortilla and roll up.

3
.   Chocolate Grahamwich:
Break a graham cracker in half. In a toaster oven, melt chocolate chips on one half and spread with a knife. Smear the other half with your favorite nut or seed butter. Press the two halves together to make a sandwich.

4
.   Hot Cereal:
Make a batch of hot cereal such as oatmeal or wheat farina with low-fat milk. Top with fresh or dried fruit.

5
.   Notch-Above Nachos:
To make nachos that are more nourishing than most, layer baked tortilla chips, plenty of black beans, a sprinkling of cheese, and salsa. Melt it all in the toaster oven.

6
.   Soup's On:
Heat up homemade or store-bought soup. Chicken noodle, tomato, and minestrone are kid favorites. Toss in some extra veggies for good measure.

7
.   Pancake Sandwich:
Spread leftover pancakes or whole-grain toaster waffles with low-fat Greek yogurt or cream cheese, fresh fruit, and a little maple syrup.

8
.   Lettuce Wrap:
Wrap a big crunchy lettuce leaf, a slice of turkey, matchstick slices of crunchy veggies, and a dab of mustard around a mozzarella cheese stick.

CALL ME CRAZY,
but I've been known to give these nourishing pops to my kids for breakfast. There are two whole oranges in the recipe, something you're not likely to find in store-bought brands. The yogurt lends a protein boost that will help fill up kids' tummies longer than standard juice pops. If you can't wait for the pops to freeze, enjoy them as frothy drinks over ice.

MAKES 10 POPS

2 medium seedless Valencia oranges

1 cup unsweetened mango juice (see Note)

1
¹
/
₂
cups nonfat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Special equipment

Ten 3-ounce popsicle molds

Set the oranges on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut off the peel and pith of each orange, following the curve of the fruit. Cut each orange into quarters.

Pour the mango juice into a blender, followed by the oranges, yogurt, and vanilla. Blend until creamy and smooth with no chunks of fruit remaining, about 1 minute.

Pour into ten molds and freeze for at least 6 hours.

MAKE AHEAD NOTES:
portable if pulled from the freezer and wrapped in parchment paper just before picking up from school; a good make-ahead option.

EVEN IF BANANA SHAKES
aren't your “thing,” don't overlook this one. The first time I made it, I found myself downing the whole contents of the blender myself; not a drop was left for the kids. Although it doesn't have a smidgen of ice cream, it qualifies as a shake since it has all the requisite frothy deliciousness. As an option, you can add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to make it even more luscious. Be sure to freeze the banana first, since that's the secret to the creamy texture.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

1 cup milk, preferably 1 percent

1
¹
/
₂
medium frozen ripe bananas, cut into 6 pieces

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ice cubes

Pour the milk into a blender, followed by the banana, honey, vanilla, and ice. Blend until creamy and smooth with no banana chunks or ice chips remaining, about 1 minute.

Pour into two cups.

MAKE AHEAD NOTES:
portable if made just before snack time and packed into to-go cups with straws.

WITH THE CREAMY TEXTURE,
tangy flavor, and pink color of this smoothie, few would guess a full cup of spinach is in there, too. If you are worried your crew will be spinach-averse, start with
¹
/
₂
cup and then work your way up. Stock a supply of travel cups with straws to make on-the-go smoothies for your after-school crowd. The sweetness of vanilla yogurt can vary, so add more honey if needed.