Fun, Fast. Fresh, Frugal Foods for Kids

About 20 years ago, I taught in a private Montessori school. To promote better nutrition and learning, the children were asked to bring only healthy foods in their lunches. We served no refined sugar and tried to encourage fresh foods. As this was in the days before microwaves were in use in schools, we had to be creative with the foods we served the children. Here is a list of some of our best suggestions for lunches, snacks and even party foods.

Fruit tray with grapes, orange slices, peaches, kiwi slices, bananas (cut in half with skins on). Use any fruit in season.

Creamy peanut dip- use for fruits or crackers and pretzels. Mix equal parts plain or vanilla yogurt with creamy peanut butter

Apples-tart like Macintosh or Jonathon with peanut dip

cheese cubes or slices, summer sausage slices, cracker assortment (serve with toothpicks)

pinwheels (flour tortilla spread with cream cheese, meat and/or cheese slices and romaine lettuce leaf--rolled up, sliced and closed with a toothpick (called Lavash in Lebanon)

relish tray with sweet and dill pickles and olives

salads with fresh veggie blend ( grind up your favorite veggies, store in frig and garnish a nice romaine or spring mix salad.

Olive oil dressing with oil, balsamic vinegar and rosemany

cheese fondue ( melt Campbell's cheddar soup in a chafing dish or make a suace of cheese cubes, milk and flour) use long skewers and serve with sourdough and rye bread cubes, celery, mushrooms

Veggie tray with dip--baby carrots, colored peppers, cucumber slices, cauliflower and broccoli florets, zucchini slices, mushrooms, grape tomatoes

Crustless PBJ, egg salad or tunafish sandwiches cut into fun shapes with cookie cutter

Assorted nuts to crack

Cheezits-only this brand has 4 grams of protein per serving!

Deviled eggs (hard-boil for 10minutes in salted water, cool, peel, slice lengthwise, remove yolk and mash yolk with mayo and mustard, fill empty egg whites with yolk mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Polish Roses: clean and trim scallions, spread any lunchmeat slices with cream cheese and roll around scallion

Cheese ball: mash shredded Colby cheese, chopped red onion, cream cheese and Kraft Roka Blue spread into a ball and roll in chopped walnuts or sliced almonds.

Honey cookies Set out decorations and kids can frost and design masterpieces! ( Cookies- Mix one stick margarine, ½ cup of honey, unbleached flour, 1 tsp of cinnamon and baking soda. Blend, roll thick and cut into holiday shapes. Bake on 325o for about 12-15 min. Frost with popsicle sticks

Jello Jigglers cut in holiday shapes. Make gelatin using unflavored gelatin and colored fruit juice and half the water called for.

Popcorn and pretzels

Peanutty Popcorn- mix honey and creamy peanut butter over low flame. Toss over popcorn until coated. Toast a few minutes in the oven. I sometimes toss in sesame seeds.

Parmesan Popcorn-mix Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, some dill, black pepper and salt. Toss with popped corn and toast in oven a few moments! Tastes like cheese popcorn and much healthier!

Gingerbread with spray whipped topping! The spices and molasses are good for kids!

Power Pellets- ( invented these during the first Pac-Man craze) Mix equal parts powdered milk, honey, raisins, peanut butter and carob powder, roll into balls and dip in powdered milk.

Shish-Kebabs (sort-of) on a toothpick place the following combinations

fruit-pineapple chunk, grape, cherry or peach chunk

savory-cheese cube, Vienna sausage chunk, and pickle or Spanish olive(my kids adored these

warm (not hot) cocoa (with candy cane), cappuccino or spiced cider packets

punchbowl with cranberry juice, Squirt and pop icecubes or pop ice ring made in jello mold arrange fruit pieces in mold or ice cubes trays.

slushes made with frozen clear pop or juice.

strawberry milk

eggnog (blend milk, honey, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg to taste)

juice boxes

smoothies (mix banana, frozen berries, peaches, pineapple, any juice concentrate you like and plain or vanilla and yogurt or ice cream and some crushed ice in the blender)

We really can feed our kids well and it's not costly either!