I need ideas for packing a clean lunch!! cold salads, etc...

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Replies

  • Nikki881
    Nikki881 Posts: 203
    Bump, this is great info!
  • lorib75
    lorib75 Posts: 490 Member
    Make sure to get your kids involved. My kids love eating what they have made. Pasta salad with whole wheat rotini, black olives, roma tomatoes diced, cucumber diced, sliced thin red onion, tuna/chicken or turkey pepperoni, then just a fat free viniagrette.
    Simple and yummy. You could add some feta cheese too if your kids are adventurous.
    Have a great summer, you are doing it right!!:flowerforyou:
  • als1210
    als1210 Posts: 8
    How about a Caprese salad? Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil drizzled with olive oil and pepper. My favorite!
  • jazzie2421
    jazzie2421 Posts: 45
    I trade lettuce for broccoli slaw. It has a little bit of a crunch and spice, and it doesn't get all soggy.
  • CynthiaElise
    CynthiaElise Posts: 262 Member
    I do a chicken salad that is da bomb. You can put it in a wrap or just eat it as is. Perfect for a summer lunch.

    Cold rotisserie chicken breast, cubed (however much)
    halved red grapes
    slivered red onion
    slivered almonds
    granny smith apples diced
    I do a 1/2 fage greek yogurt and 1/2 low fat mayo combo (as much as desired)
    curry powder (this is only if you like that sort of thing, you can leave it out)

    This sounds amazing!! Thanks for sharing :) Yum!
  • determined2lose89
    determined2lose89 Posts: 342 Member
    Chickpea Salad:

    1 can of chickpeas (rinsed to reduce sodium)
    1 can of no-salt added diced tomatoes (or about 3-4 fresh tomatoes)
    1 can of water packed in water, drained
    1/2 cup chopped red onion
    1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsely
    Pepper to taste

    Mix all together and enjoy in servings!
  • ArtGeek22
    ArtGeek22 Posts: 1,429 Member
    Here are some of my favorites:

    Roll-ups (just deli meat rolled up)
    Brocoli slaw (really good with a little bit of ranch)
    Grapes
    Sliced strawberries
    Egg salad (2 tsp mayo for every egg; I use lite)
    Carrots and humus
    Apple
    Peanuts and/or Almonds
    Flatouts (for wraps instead of bread)
    Yogurt (greek yogurt is the best! Has lots of protein)
    Almond milk (as a treat you could add Ovaltine)

    Hope I helped :flowerforyou:
  • flamegirl72
    flamegirl72 Posts: 143 Member
    Chickpea Salad:

    1 can of chickpeas (rinsed to reduce sodium)
    1 can of no-salt added diced tomatoes (or about 3-4 fresh tomatoes)
    1 can of water packed in water, drained
    1/2 cup chopped red onion
    1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsely
    Pepper to taste

    Mix all together and enjoy in servings!


    This sounds yummy....I assume you meant TUNA packed in water?
  • Linda6580
    Linda6580 Posts: 192 Member
    bump! These all sound so delish!!
  • prunella1066
    prunella1066 Posts: 89 Member
    I had this salad at a baby shower this past weekend and it was very different and quite YUMMY!! Of course I had to get the recipe, and as I was looking it over, I realized there is some sugar and bacon in it. I'm sure it can be made into a much healthier salad. But thought I would share anyway.

    Broccoli Salad

    Dressing

    1 cup mayonnaise
    4 tbs apple cider vinegar
    1/2 cup sugar

    Dissolve sugar in vinegar. Add mayonnaise and refrigerate overnight.

    Salad

    5 cups fresh broccoli (bite size pieces)
    1 apple, diced
    1/2 cup golden raisins
    1/2 red onion, diced
    8 slices bacon, crumbled
    1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

    Mix all salad ingredients, add dressing and mix well.

    Was an interesting combination but quite good!!
  • threnners
    threnners Posts: 175 Member
    I pack mini whole wheat pitas and stuff them with cucumbers and some form of light dressing. Tasty little crunchy things they are!
  • sound amazing!
  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
    I don't like lettuce, so when making a salad I'll omit it and use a bunch of chopped veggies: tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onion, mushrooms, jicima, etc. Then I'll add in some tuna, egg, or chicken breast, a little cheese, and maybe some dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. Basically, a little of everything you might find at a salad bar, but without the lettuce.
  • Kiki_009
    Kiki_009 Posts: 18 Member
    you could also do warm pastas in a thermos.

    And I love the blog 100daysofrealfood The blogger is a mom and packs lunches for her kids that are always "real" food. She has lots of recipes and ideas. The one we use the most is to make smoothies and freeze them in these: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-431-4-Piece-Silicone-Maker/dp/B0036B9KHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336496191&sr=8-1

    They thaw by lunch time but are still cold. My kids love them.
  • skullik
    skullik Posts: 142 Member
    Bump for later!
  • audreygonzy
    audreygonzy Posts: 161 Member
    bump
  • cowgirlup327
    cowgirlup327 Posts: 58 Member
    Cut a pita in half and stuff it with your favorite deli meat, tomato, cucumber, sprouts (if you are able to eat those), avocado, etc. Cold veggies and hummus (so many different flavors) is great and portable - also good with crackers. Yogurt is always a good option because you can buy large tubs of plain or vanilla yogurt and mix in your favorite fresh/local/seasonal fruits - especially good if your kids have different fruit preferences. I also love to make falafel at home (basically just boiled and mashed chick peas with a little coriander, cumin and parsley - flattened into patties and cooked in olive oil or baked) and stuff it into a whole wheat pita with tomato and avocado. Cheese and crackers are easy - maybe with some deli meat or pepperoni - could be fun for the kids to make their own "cracker sandwiches" at the park. As long as you have a cooler and an ice pack, the possibilities are nearly endless. You can make a great vegan pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, penne, olive oil, olives and some seasonings, which won't necessarily require refrigeration and doesn't need to be heated. You really can combine a lot of small portions of foods you'd typically thing of as snacks (some raw nuts, a piece of fruit, veggies, etc.) so that you have a balanced and portable lunch.
  • Great ideas!
  • 123philhunting
    123philhunting Posts: 6 Member
    Just made this... Outrageous.....Thanks!!!!
  • jutymo
    jutymo Posts: 162 Member
    great ideas here!

    p.s. Bento boxes website is pretty awesome!!

    I love Bento boxes, they're so creative! I've got all kinds of silicone cups, tiny cutters to make shapes, molds for hard boiled eggs (rabbit, car, cat, dog), dividers, all kinds of stuff to make them look "pretty". My daughter loved them and didn't want to look at them until lunch time so she was surprised every day. That's a good element for kids, how cool and pretty their lunch looks. Makes them want to eat them even more I think and if it's filled with healthy stuff, all the better!