We know it’s hard to come up with daily lunches that are easy to make and tasty for kids to eat, too. Global News asked registered dietitians for their go-to lunch recipes when they’re packing their kids’ meals in a rush. The only criteria? The breakfast meals have to be kid friendly, easy to make for parents and dietitian-approved for nutrition.
READ MORE: Back-to-school lunches: 7 kid-friendly, easy-to-make, dietitian-approved recipes
Ingredients:
- 1 whole wheat English muffin, split
- 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 thin slice Canadian bacon/ham, diced
- ¼ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Optional: dried or fresh basil, for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a small baking sheet with foil
- Place the English muffin halves cut-side up on the baking sheet. Top each with tomato and sprinkle bacon over the tomatoes, then top with the mozzarella
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts
- Sprinkle with basil
Ingredients:
- 1-2 slices of whole grain toast
- Cooked chicken cut up into cubes
- Coffee stir sticks or wooden skewers
- Cucumbers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cheese
- Bell peppers
Directions:
- Toast the slices of whole grain toast and cut them into small squares
- Wash and cut cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes so they’re ready for the skewers
- Cut the cheese into small cubes
- Assemble the ingredients onto the skewers in this order: toasted bread, chicken cubes, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, peppers. Repeat if there is more room on the skewer
Ingredients:
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- 2 frozen whole grain waffles (Tip: look for “whole” as the first ingredient, such as whole grain or whole oats and more than two grams of fibre per waffle)
- 1 tablespoon of nut butter of your choice
- ½ of a banana sliced
- 2-3 strawberries sliced
- 1 teaspoon of honey
Directions:
- Toast the waffles and spread the nut butter and honey on one waffle
- Slice the bananas and strawberries and stack them on the second waffle
- Put the two waffles together and cut them in half for easy eating
Ingredients:
- 1 small baked sweet potato
- ½ cup black beans, drained & rinsed
- ¼ cup plain, Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh salsa
- 2 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Top baked sweet potato with black beans, salsa and grated cheese
- Heat in microwave to melt the cheese, and garnish with Greek yogurt
- Option: If you have a chili – vegetarian, lean turkey or lean beef – swap it in for the black beans
Ingredients:
- 1 can of light tuna
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons of mayo
- ½ teaspoon of lemon juice
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- ½ orange pepper, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons of raisins or craisins
Directions:
- Drain canned tuna and place in bowl for mixing other ingredients
- In a bowl, combine tuna, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, peppers, Craisins, celery, salt and pepper. Stir ingredients to combine
- Add tuna to whole grain toast, crackers, or a wrap
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of spiral pasta or 5 cups cooked (Tip: reach for whole grain pasta)
- ¼ of a red onion, chopped
- ½ cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ cup of cucumbers, diced
- ½ large yellow pepper, diced
- ¼ cup light feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 large sprigs of fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Juice and zest from half of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
Directions:
- Cook the pasta, rinse and set aside to cool
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, feta and basil into a large bowl. Once pasta is cooled, add the pasta and mix well
- In a separate dish, mix the lemon juice and zest, rice vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add to the pasta salad and toss
Serves four to six.
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup
- 1 350 gram package (12 ounces) extra-firm organic tofu cut into squares (about 20-24 square pieces)
- 6 large tortillas or 12 small tortillas
- 1 carrot, sliced or grated
- 1 cucumber, sliced or grated
- Green lettuce leaves
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). In a baking dish, stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, and maple syrup
- Add the tofu and coat each side. Bake uncovered for 17 to 22 minutes, turning once through baking. Remove and let cool slightly – pour any remaining marinade over the tofu
- Add tofu to the tortillas and combine with carrots, cucumber and green leaf lettuce
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