Back to School: Balanced Lunches to Get You Started Right

And yes, it is the time of year that tests us the most. Between shopping for clothes and school supplies, we have to identify everything, pencil ready please, and then we have to find the perfect lunches. I don't know about you but I'm afraid that teachers, supervisors or other parents will judge my boys' lunch boxes. I want the children to also enjoy their meals of the day and to be well fed. I don't want them to have sandwiches all year long so I intend to innovate. With 2 boys at school and a boyfriend at work, I have to surpass myself. Salad, sandwich, submarine, poke bowl, tuna pancake (the recipe is on the blog) or salmon, Tim or Amir style wraps...

Anything can become inspiration if you put your mind to it. I'll give you some ideas, maybe it could save your life ;)

Composition of a salad:

• Choice of one or more lettuces (iceberg, romaine, curly, arugula, spinach, Boston, spring mix)

The choice is vast and the tastes diverse. Making a salad mix with iceberg, green and/or red curly and spinach is ideal so that the salad is not too bitter in the mouth.

We all know that kids aren't always fans of greens, so it's possible to switch up the salad base with pasta like macaroni or even tortellini which makes a great Italian salad. Couscous or orzo are useful little pastas to make a salad base but can also be mixed with lettuce leaves to help kids eat a little more greens.

• Choice of vegetables.

For my part, I eat with my eyes, so I love to vary my vegetables according to the colors. Cucumber for green, baby carrots for orange, tomato for red, red onion for purple, radishes for pink, pepper for yellow and even corn or legumes. And why not vary the flavor with fruits; Strawberries, oranges, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apples or even pears.

If your child doesn't like lettuce, there's nothing stopping you from creating a colorful salad filled with vegetables and fruits along with protein.

• Protein Choice *Most important in my opinion*

The choice of protein is important because it is what will allow children not to be hungry in the 10 minutes following dinner. A few small cold meats can accompany the meal well, otherwise adding cooked eggs, chopped ham, marinated and grilled chicken or even pulled pork or breaded chicken nuggets can also delight the little ones. Of course for those who like seafood and fish, it is an ideal protein for meals. Tuna, salmon, shrimp, pollock.

For those who don't like or like meat less, it is of course possible to add legumes to make the protein. You can even add cheese to boost the protein intake. A few pieces of chicken with a piece of grilled halloumi can make a big difference in making a child happy.

These three little dots can make a super complete and nourishing salad and then for those who would like to add a little crunch, add fried wonton, croutons or even crumbled Doritos or Tostitos is perfect to make the cherry on the cake. The dressing is your choice or the choice of your minis.

Imagination is your only limit! ;)

Stay tuned for more great ideas for more perfect lunches...

Vanessa