Most of the recipes for the lunch ideas listed in this post can be found in The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook available on Kindle, iTunes, Nook and Paperback.
by Stephanie Dodge
It’s about that time again! Back to school! Parents are celebrating (and regaining their sanity) and are kids moaning and groaning through the school supply section of the store. Since starting the Dolce Diet lifestyle I have always encouraged my children (ages 3 and 8) to try new foods and eat almost the same meals as my husband and I. They love it! So with school coming I cringe with the thought of my daughter eating a school lunch or some pre-packaged garbage. Here are some of my ideas to keep my children and yours happy, healthy and ready to learn!
Packaging
I first want to address packaging, as in how to package your child’s lunch. My solution is bento boxes, you can find them almost everywhere now and I feel that they are the perfect container for some creative, preservative free, Dolce-approved lunches. Now that we have the right container, let’s move on to preparing the right lunch.
Main dishes
-Apple and almond butter sandwich (apple slices replace bread)
-Wheat pita with egg and avocado salad
-Dolce pizza leftovers
-Ezekiel bread with apples and havarti cheese
-Pita pizza (they assemble, place toasted pita in one space, shredded cheese and power pasta sauce in the two others) Kids love to assemble their own lunches!
-Leftover turkey burgers on pita bread
-Almond butter and fruit stuffed pita
-Honey mustard turkey and pear salad or sandwich (Note: If making a salad, layer all ingredients on bottom with spinach on top so it won’t get soggy.)
-Chicken apple quesadillas
-Waldorf salad
-Turkey meatballs and power pasta sauce to dip in or pour over
Snacks
-Cherry tomatoes
-Sliced banana with peanut butter
-Cheese stick
-Carrots with Greek yogurt for dipping
-Fruit kabobs
-Celery with almond butter and raisins on top
-Hardboiled egg
-Dolce Go-bars Nuts
-Home baked tortilla chips
Drinks
My eight year old goes to school with water- this is what she prefers. If your child is reluctant, try adding fresh fruit to give it some flavor.
As an end note, if you’re living the Dolce Diet lifestyle and your children are not, you’re wrong! No sugar coating it, if you want the best for your kids, give them the best! I would love to hear from other mothers and fathers about what you send your children to school with. Please comment and let me know!
Stephanie is a longtime MyDolceDiet.com member and mother of two who follows the Living Lean lifestyle.
