Imaginative Brown Bag Lunch
Chicken Tortilla Wrap, White Pizza - Homemade School or Work Lunches
Aug 7, 2009
Brown bagging it to school has been the bane of many kids as well as their parents. The kids open the bag and say a big fat “YUK” and parents worry that the bag is going in the trash and the kids aren’t eating. Parents have to become more and more imaginative to get their kids to eat their brown bag lunches.
Not only do parents have to worry “if” their kids are eating lunch but they want to make sure they are eating healthy as well. A Twinkie and soft drink does not make a nutritious meal for anyone no less a child.
The following recipes will make a nutritious lunch that your kids might like to eat and the best thing about them is that adults too can happily consume them and not think they are going to be teased about eating kid’s food. Take them to work instead of spending money to go out and get something artery clogging.
Chicken and Apple Tortilla Wrap
Ingredients:
- ½ Granny Smith apple with skin on, sliced into thin pieces
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 large four tortilla
- ½ cup cooked chicken sliced thin, cold
- 2 slice Swiss cheese, use low sodium if preferred
- Lettuce leaves
- Optional: light mayo or honey mustard
Directions:
- Place the flour tortilla on a flat surface and if you want spread with a light layer of mayo or honey mustard. You can also leave it plain as it is just as good.
- The apple should be sliced in to very thin pieces that give, so they can be rolled. Place lemon juice in a small bowl and add apple slices. Let them soak for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the apple from becoming real brown (it still will brown but not as much). Take the apple out to drain on paper towels.
- Place chicken evenly across the tortilla.
- Layer over top the Swiss cheese, apple slices, and lettuce leaves.
- Roll and secure with a toothpick. Remind everyone to remove the toothpick before eating.
- Place in an airtight bag and send to school or work.
- You may want to make 2 for adults and older children. Pack with some raw carrots and some pretzels.
White Pizza to Go
Adults will love this too so you may want to make a bunch. You can freeze them after cooking, pop them out of the freezer and add to the lunch bag in the morning. They should thaw before lunch. Kids can put them in a microwave for 1 or 2 minutes and chow down.
Ingredients:
- 1 pre-made mini pizza shell
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Options: sliced mushrooms, broccoli florets, frozen spinach that has been thawed – drained – and dried, green or Italian banana peppers cut in strips, onions, asparagus pieces.
Directions:
- Place the pizza shell on a greased baking sheet.
- Pour olive oil right on the pizza shell and rub it in.
- Sprinkle the fresh crushed garlic all over pizza shell.
- Sprinkle on Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- Place any of the options on the pizza.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until crust is brown on bottom and edge and cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and cool.
- Wrap in tin foil and include paper towels or a paper plate to put under it when put in the microwave.
- You can eat this cold and it is really good. Remind kids not to put the foil in the microwave. If you put the pizza in plastic wrap it will get soggy, it doesn’t when in foil.
Lunch can be something the kids and adults look forward to and these recipes will do it.
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