Turning Leftovers into Tasty School Lunches

How to Turn Last Night's Dinner into a New Kid-Pleasing Entree

Aug 30, 2009

Using dinner leftovers for lunch is economical and saves time, but often bores tastesbuds. With simple additions, leftovers can be made to seem like brand new meals.

School lunches should be healthy, enticing for children, hold up well, and simple to prepare. Finding the time to plan and pack the perfect lunch can be a challenge. Repurposing leftovers from dinner can make the task considerably less daunting and make use of food that may otherwise go to waste. These ideas take the boring and bland out of leftovers by using them to create new, kid-friendly main dishes.

Turn Pasta into SaladMany pasta and rice dishes can easily be turned into cold salads. Roasted vegetables, cooked chicken, noodles, and rice are all just as good at room temperature as they are warmed. Simply add some cubed cheese, salad dressing, and maybe even some sunflower seeds or nuts.

Make Cold CutsTake a cue from the familiar day after Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches and turn dinner leftovers into lunchtime sandwiches. Other cooked meats, such as chicken, ham, and meatballs, are as delicious cold as turkey is. The meats can be used in place of cold cuts bought from a deli. They are much cheaper than cold cuts and, depending on how they are cooked, usually much healthier.

Get Children to Eat VegetablesRoasted and steamed vegetables are perfect at room temperature. They can be served as is or used as filling for a wrap. Layer slices of cheese, vegetables, and hoisin sauce, barbecue sauce, or a child’s favorite condiment onto a tortilla. Then roll up the tortilla tightly. For a touch a child will love, roll the tortilla jelly-roll style. Then cut the tortilla into four pieces to create spirals.

Change the PackagingThere is no rule that says sandwiches need to be served between two slices of bread. Whole wheat English muffins, tortillas, and bagels can make a familiar sandwich seem new to children. For extra lunchtime fun, pack large lettuce leaves and a filling, such as egg salad or tuna salad, in a separate container. Encourage children to roll up their lunch on the spot.

Serve Hot SoupKeep a container of vegetable or chicken stock on hand to turn leftovers into soup – the lunchtime version of the end of the week casserole. Try unexpected combinations like macaroni and cheese broccoli soup or ham soup with undressed coleslaw. Pack the soup in a thermos and include croutons or tortilla strips to sprinkle on top.

With a little creativity, leftovers can be made to seem brand new. To ensure that children will eat lunch, enlist their help in making it. Encourage them to experiment with new food combinations and to think about balance and nutrition in each meal.

The copyright of the article Turning Leftovers into Tasty School Lunches in Lunch Recipes is owned by Nicole Fravel. Permission to republish Turning Leftovers into Tasty School Lunches in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.