Making School Lunches Fun & Healthy

While it’s tough to get college-bound kids to eat healthier while they’re away at school, it can almost be more challenging to make sure your younger kids are eating good, healthy lunches each day in the cafeteria. Moms run a fine line between giving kids food they will want to eat and still making it good for them in the process. Although some schools have started more health-oriented cafeteria programs, the best way to ensure your kids are eating properly at lunch is to make the meal yourself.

Of course, the healthier you make the lunch, the less they want to eat it, right? You certainly don’t want to make a healthy lunch only to have them trade it away for another kid’s cookies or chips. So how do you make healthy lunches that your kids will still love? George Foreman has the solution! The below ideas offer some great options for creating fun, healthy meals your kids can be proud to bring out at the lunch table.

Build-a-Burger Box Lunch

Burgers can be tricky in take-away lunches because the buns tend to get soggy and the veggies never stay fresh, but there is an easy solution that simply involves keeping all the ingredients separate until you’re ready to eat. At home, simply cook the burger patties on your George Foreman Grill so you can knock out the fat, then pack everything so it’s kept separated – keep the burger, buns and any condiments in separate compartments or containers.

You can put any veggies on the side and put condiments in plastic ramekins – since most kids think pickles, mustard and ketchup when it comes to burgers anyway, you don’t really have to worry about wilted lettuce or soggy tomatoes. If they prefer cheese burgers, simply send them with a slice of their favorite kind of cheese and they (or a teacher) can microwave it to melt the cheese.

Tip – Make it mini! For a fun change from their daily lunch offering, make a few mini-burgers instead of one big burger – your kid is sure to be a star at the lunch table!

An Easy Chicken Sandwich

Chicken sandwiches are a staple in most cafeterias, but the fried frozen patties leave something to be desired in being actually good to eat. To make a healthier version, grill the chicken on your George Foreman Grill at home and make a healthier fresh version of this classic cafeteria favorite. You can top it with lettuce, tomato and either mustard or low-fat mayo for a fully balanced meal, or if your kids completely balk at veggies, you can mop the chicken breast with barbeque sauce just before you grill it for BBQ chicken variation.

Pork ‘n Beans Made Easy

This classic dish is a staple of American comfort food and loved by kids everywhere. Although your kids may be accustomed to the rather unhealthy versions that come premade out of a can, you can actually do a healthier version of this dish without a lot of hassle. Simply buy pork sausages – either the full-sized link or the mini-sausages if you’re going for something more authentic. Cook the sausage on your George Foreman grill to knock out the fat (if you cook mini sausages, make sure the lid touches the top of the sausages or else you may need to turn them).

Once the sausage is cooked, cut it up into bite-sized pieces and add it into some baked beans. As beans go, baked are not really the healthiest, since canned food companies tend to add a lot of sugar, but you can find low-sugar and/or low-fat versions for an all-around healthier meal.

The Ultimate Pizza Packed Lunch

This one takes a little longer to do than the other ideas, but if you’re out to win that Mom of the Year title this year, this may help you get there. The idea is to take a kid-friendly pizza combination – ham and grilled pineapple – and make a smaller, healthier version that your kids can take to school. Instead of pizza dough, you will need to use another kind of bread and toast it. You can use a French bread roll halved, a thick slice of Texas toast or really any thicker bread that will hold up to the weight of the toppings when it’s heated.

At home, grill the ham and the pineapple and cut them into chunks, keeping both in separate containers or lunch box compartments. Pack the rest of their lunch box with a small bag of shredded cheese, the toasted bread and a small container of sauce.  Like the burger, the kids can then build their pizza at school and microwave it for a hot, healthier pizza that will make them the envy of all their friends.