Ask A Boston Expert: 5 School Lunches Kids Can Make Themselves
Laura DiSipio is a fourth-grade teacher in Newton, Massachusetts. She has been teaching for almost 12 years and has three children of her own. The thing she enjoys the most about teaching is being able to change a child's mindset.
"I find the most value of being a teacher is showing her students that being successful is not just getting a correct answer but rather success lies in their journey -- making mistakes along the way. Getting a nine-year-old to understand that and appreciate how they get to the correct answer makes me love and value my job," she says.
Peirce Elementary School
170 Temple St.
W. Newton, MA 02465
(617) 559-9630
www.newton.k12.ma.us
(Some schools allow this even if it is a nut free school even though Nutella is made of hazelnuts). This is really easy to make and the idea of having chocolate for lunch is very appealing to my children. This is also a great option to have if you are running out of ideas for what to pack for lunch. My kids have made this for lunch and they are only 9 and 7 years old. They just take two slices of wheat bread and spread Nutella on one of the slices. Put the slices together and there you have your sandwich. Also, Nutella is a good substitute for peanut butter and is very filling, as they are eating two slices of whole wheat bread.
My daughter does not like eating sandwiches for lunch, so this is a great option. She puts about six or seven Triscuit crackers in a plastic baggy, which can be put directly into her lunch sack. Then we cut up about four slices of sharp cheddar cheese and place that in a Tupperware container that is divided so the items do not touch each other. We will also add carrots and celery and some hummus for dipping. The hummus is healthy and makes the vegetables more appealing to eat. Sometimes we will substitute ranch dressing for the hummus to change it up a bit. My kids love this as they love to dunk things. Also, they love having multiple things to eat for lunch at a time.
I like to have salad pre-washed in my refrigerator so my daughter can make her own salad the night before school. She will grab a Tupperware container and fill it with salad, wash some cut up carrots and some grape tomatoes. We have small Tupperware containers to hold the dressing. This is great because she does not need to measure out the dressing, she will just pour it on when she is ready for lunch at school.
We always have leftovers at home, as I cook each night. If we have pasta leftover (usually pasta chicken and broccoli as it is less messy for them to eat at school) I will heat it on the stove in the morning before school. Then my children will portion out the pasta into their canisters, add some freshly grated parmesan cheese and then quickly cover so the heat stays inside. They will grab a fork or spoon and place all of this in their lunch sacks.
This is a sandwich that all of my children enjoy once a week. My son can easily make these sandwiches for his siblings the night before school. He will take two pieces of wheat bread, layer one piece of turkey breast, one slice of muenster cheese and then another piece of turkey breast. He will spread a little mayonnaise onto the other piece of the bread. Then place it on top. My children do not like their sandwiches cut as they say it is easier and less messy, so they stay the shape of square. This sandwich is filling and they enjoy it, even my daughter who isn't a huge sandwich lover.
