Three Healthy School Lunches

Good nutrition is important for helping your children to do their best at school...but no lunch, no matter how nutritious, is going to fuel them properly if they won’t eat it.

To avoid having your kids ditch what you give them in favour of whatever’s in the vending machine, try these healthy—but tasty—lunch ideas.

South Asian Style Wraps

Wraps:

4 whole-wheat tortillas

4 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried

89 grams very thin strips of peeled, seeded cucumber

350 grams grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

47 grams of fresh baby spinach leaves, stems removed

1 mango, peeled, cut into thin strips (optional)

Salt and pepper

Dipping Sauce:

1 tbsp curry powder, or to taste

184 grams fat-free plain yogurt

173 grams fat-free mayonnaise

1. Mix sauce ingredients together in small bowl before making the wraps to allow the flavours to meld.
2. Make wraps one at a time: Place lettuce leaf on tortilla and add 1/4 of remaining ingredients in order listed. Spread thin layer of dipping sauce along edges that will be exposed once wrap is rolled. Roll tortilla, pressing edges so that the sauce will help seal the wrap. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 wraps

Classic Hummus

1 can or 420 grams of chickpeas

1 lemon

1 garlic clove

130 grams of tahini

1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

3/4 tsp salt

Pinch fresh black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1. Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas, juice the lemon and smash the garlic clove to remove the skin.
2. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin (if using), salt and pepper for 1 minute or until smooth.
3. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until well blended. If your hummus looks a little clumpy, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency.
4. Serve this classic hummus with warm pita, pita chips, carrots or sugar snap peas, or spread it on a wrap or sandwich.

Carrot Spread

6 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 small garlic clove, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp finely grated,

Peeled fresh ginger

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1–2 tbsp tahini, almond

Butter or cashew butter

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Optional: pinch of cayenne

Pepper or dash of hot sauce

1. Set a steamer basket in a saucepan with 2 inches simmering water. Add carrots; cover and steam until tender, about 12 minutes. Or simply boil carrots in a small amount of water and drain when done.
2. Transfer cooked carrots to a food processor, along with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, about 1 minute, adding up to 2 tbsp water, if necessary. Adjust seasonings as desired.
3. Serve with pita chips or whole-wheat bread cut into fun shapes.

Makes about 1.5 cups