Lunch Box

School, homework and after-school activities keep all our lives extremely busy. But it's so important to connect with your children and here's a great way how. Take a minute in the morning to write your kids a note and send it along in their lunchbox. It doesn't have to be fancy, and it doesn't have to be long. With a pen and a napkin you can send along your thoughts, such as I love you, I can't wait to see you later, or good luck on that test today. It's cheap. It's simple. It's low in fat and calories. And it can really make their day!

Description of lunch box recipe:
Add a USED dryer sheet and keep it shut!! It's as simple as that.

Other suggestions and comments:
Make sure that it's used because straight out of the box can be way too strong.

Packing a school lunch is quite a challenge! Your child doesn't like sandwiches? Your child is allergic? Or have you just run out of ideas?

How about a cold salad based on pasta, beans, rice and vegetable combinations? Side dish to adults, but they are a nutritious one-dish meal for a child. Cut all food pieces large enough to identify or even pack each ingredient separately to assemble as he chooses. Include a favorite snack or fruit, peeled, sliced or otherwise made ready to eat, for satisfying variety.

Use the recipes and suggestions below as a guide. Omit any items your child will not eat or simply substitute with a similar food.

Food Group Suggestions for a Child's Lunch

Protein foods to choose from might include: chopped or deviled hard-cooked eggs; chicken drumsticks or chicken "fingers"; string cheese or cheese cubes; whole or mashed beans, yogurt as a dip or mixed with fruit; quality cooked meats sliced or shaved thinly to wrap around a favorite cheese or vegetable; canned chicken and tuna; peanut butter.

Cut favorite fruits into easy to hold sticks, wedges, disks or other fun shapes and wrap individually in colored plastic. Frozen grapes and berries are especially fun to munch on. Don't forget about convenient canned fruit for variety.

Kids love novel food containers so be creative and make your own individual servings. Use disposable plastic pastry bags and pack with peanut butter, yogurt, pudding, or applesauce for a "squeezable" treat. Try finely chopped egg salad or mashed beans to squeeze onto crackers or tortillas chips for a neat-to-eat lunch. Twist the small or eating end tightly, fold over and then secure with a twist tie. Knot the wide or filling end. Freeze if appropriate for the ingredients to help keep the lunch box cool.