Moms and dads, you know the drill: it's back-to-school time, and that means packing healthy lunches that your kids will actually want to eat – all before dashing out the door yourself. Here's one quick tip: leave the deli slices, kebabs, cheese, milk and other animal-derived products on the supermarket shelves and replace them with good-for-you vegetarian alternatives such as soya milk and mock meats. Kids who are raised on vegetarian diets have a tremendous advantage over their meat-eating peers. For one thing, they have a lower risk of health problems such as obesity, cancer and heart disease as they grow older. With a little imagination, it's easy to pack a lunch that your kids will love! Here are a few of our favorite ideas to get you started: Veggie-licious Lunchbox Dishes • Make a “veggie dog in a blanket”. Wrap a veggie dog in puff pastry and bake. Pack ketchup for dipping. • Create crunchy PB&Js. Cut rice cakes or corn cakes in half with a sharp knife and spread jam and nut butter on one half. Then top with the other half. • Pair veggie kebabs (try cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, sweet peppers and baked tofu cubes) with foul beans or tahini for dipping. • Combine cooked spiral pasta with diced cucumbers, tomatoes and/or bell peppers and mix with your favorite vinaigrette or egg-free mayonnaise for an easy pasta salad. • Fry tofu chunks instead of chicken. (You can find lots of great recipes online!) • Try hummus with pita bread and falafel bits – add lettuce, tomatoes and other fresh veggies to make a yummy wrap sandwich! Don't forget to include the occasional sweet treat and a drink: Sweet Treats • Fresh fruit, such as apple, mango or pineapple slices, a peeled and separated orange or grapes • Raisins, dates or other dried fruit • Halawa, kahk or coconut pie Drinks • Juice boxes • Canned vegetable juice • Bottled water • Flavored soya milk in bottles or boxes Kid-Tested Lunchtime Tips • Make food fun by cutting sandwiches into different shapes. Cookie cutters are great for this. • Keep foods cool by including a carton or plastic container of frozen juice in the lunchbox. The juice will thaw by lunchtime. • Pack “kid-size” foods such as cherry tomatoes, baby bananas and small boxes of raisins. • You can control what goes into your child's lunchbox, but you can't always control what goes into your child. If you send your kids to school with a lunch that they like – and one that they've helped prepare and pack – they'll be less likely to toss or trade it. • Remember that kids can be influenced by peer pressure. Foods that they love at home might be not-so-cool at school. Ask them what types of foods their friends take for lunch. Whatever they are, you can probably find healthy vegetarian versions. • Most kids will skip foods that take a lot of effort to eat. A little prep work can make almost anything more kid-friendly. For example, peel oranges and cover them with plastic wrap before packing them, or cut kiwi fruit in half and let kids scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon. ** Jason Baker is the director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia. To get involved with PETA's work in Egypt, visit PETAAsiaPacific.com. BM
