Quesadillas - (Lunch - Day 10)

A quesadilla has to be one of the quickest fool proof lunches around. 2 tortillas and some shredded cheese, heat in the oven for 5 minutes and presto-chango a Mexican delight. Quesadillas can also be heated in the microwave for a SUPER quick lunch, but the tortilla is a little soggy soft that way. You can also throw left over shredded chicken or beans on it for a little pizazz (jazz hands anyone?). Quesadillas also make a good lunchbox alternative for all you crazy people who send your kiddos off to the glorious public or private school and enjoy the quietness that is your house for 8 hours a day.

Roll Ups (Lunch- Day 9)

There is something to be said about making your food fun. And, as I've said before, if you roll it they will eat it. To cut down on the carb intake in this house I forwent the tortilla and just rolled up a chunk of mozzerella cheese with a piece of ham. I gave the kiddos celery and carrots on the side.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Lunch - Day 8)

Grilled cheese is a favorite of mine. I cannot for the life of me cook it, though. I always, always burn it. Everytime. Never fails. Even today. I went through 2 sandwiches before I got the timing right. This is why I loved Grilled Cheese Uncrustables so much. Perfect everytime. But, this challenge kept me from my beloved Uncrustables. I miss you Uncrustables but I don't think that we can be friends any longer.

Because we had toast this morning I opted out of buttering the bread for the grilled cheese and just sprayed the pan with cooking spray and threw it on. The taste wasn't altered all that much and it was healthier to boot.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich vs Uncrustable Grilled Cheese

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Calories: 210 Fat: 11 g
Ingredients : Whole Wheat Bread (stone ground whole wheat flour, water, brown sugar, yeast, wheat gluten), cheddar cheese slice (milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes)

Uncrustables Grilled Cheese
Calories: 140 Fat: 6 g
Ingredients: BREAD; ENRICHED UNBLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, UNBLEACHED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, YEAST, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: WHEAT GLUTEN, SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF: DIACETYL TARTARIC ACID ESTERS OF MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES [DATEM], MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, ASCORBIC ACID, AZODICARBONAMIDE, L-CYSTEINE), YEAST NUTRIENTS (MAY CONTAIN ONE OR MORE OF: MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, AMMONIUM SULFATE), CALCIUM PROPIONATE (MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), CORNSTARCH, ENZYMES (WITH WHEAT). PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE SPREAD: CULTURED MILK AND SKIM MILK, WATER, WHEY (FROM MILK), SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, CREAM (FROM MILK), CORN SYRUP, LACTIC ACID, SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVE), GUAR GUM, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, ENZYMES.

As you can see, as far as calories and fat are concerned, Uncrustables appear to be more healthy (although they are signifigantly smaller than an average sandwich). However, I'll take the grilled cheese over that list of junk any day!

Ham Revisited (Lunch - Day 7)

The glorious thing about lunch is - there are no rules. You can pretty much serve whatever you want for lunch and no one thinks it's strange. It's the only meal where you can get by with leftovers every meal. Or, at least, it is in this house. So, we revisited the ham that we had for lunch last Tuesday. The kids still loved it. They had it with what I like to call a red fruit salad with watermelon, strawberries, and red grapes.

Ham and Fruit Salad vs Ham Sandwich and Chips

Ham and Fruit Salad
Ham
Calories : 163 Fat (Total): 9 g
Fruit Salad
Calories: 62 Fat (Total): .2 g

Ham Sandwich and Chips
Sandwich (w/ cheese and mayo) Calories: 270 Fat (Total): 9 g
Fritos Calories: 160 Fat (Total): 10g

**sandwich info via Sparkspeople Nutrition**

Sandwich Deluxe - (Lunch - Day 4)

As I have said my week has been rough. I think I chose the worst week ever to start this little challenge. Anyway, my sister came by and asked me to go shopping. As I was bolting out the door I casually told my husband to fix lunch. Famous last words.

I came home to my wonderful husband frying up a whole pan of bacon. Bacon is a staple in this house. Bacon is always in the refrigerator. Bacon is one of the main things I was trying to eliminate with this little challenge. Before I could say anything he quickly stated that he couldn't find the menu, but he saw the bacon and thought bacon sandwiches would be fine. Not just any bacon sandwiches , but bacon and ham sandwiches using my delicious ham leftover from Tuesday's lunch. So, I let him continue, mainly because I was so grateful that for the first time in a week I wasn't the one cooking. In his defense, he did add lettuce and tomato to it and made a beautiful fruit salad to go with it. It could have been worse, we normally have it with greasy potato chips and some kind of dip. See, baby steps...

Tomato and Cheese Toast - (Lunch - Day 3)

My kids eat a limited number of veggies. The one they can all agree on is tomatoes. (I know, scholars, it's a fruit, but it's my blog and I can say what I want)

This was really easy to make, but didn't turn out quite like I had hoped. For some reason I have the hardest time getting my food to look pretty. The taste is fine, but it never looks good.

Ingredients

slice of bread (we used whole wheat), slice of tomato, butter, garlic powder and cheese (1/8 lb)- grated


Method to the Madness

1. Spread small amount of butter onto bread and sprinkle with garlic powder.

2. Broil until toast is, well, toasty.

3. Remove from oven.

4. Add tomato and sprinkle cheese on top.

5. Put back in the oven until the cheese melts.

6. Tell your toddler it's pizza so she'll eat it.

The End

Buffalo Chicken Wraps (Lunch - Day 2)

These are my own invention, so no recipe link. They are SUPER easy and SUPER delicious. This was the first time we tried it and I have kiddos asking for seconds.

Ingredients

1/2 pound grated cheese (any kind, I used cheddar because it's what I had), baby spinach leaves (fresh), sliced tomato (small), and this nectar of the gods...
and chicken, I used 2 boneless chicken breast and it made 8 wraps.


Method to the Madness


1. Heat skillet, spray with non stick spray

2. Slice chicken long ways, should get about 4 or 5 good slices

3. Dump chicken into pan and stir around.
(I'm not a very patient person, so I tend to continuously stir thinking it's cooking faster)

4. When chicken has begun to brown drizzle hot sauce on it. Use a little or a lot it's up to you.
5. Your chicken should be done after about 10 minutes.

6. Layer tortilla with 1 chicken strip, spinach, tomato, and cheese.

7. Add extra hot wing sauce if you want (read: if you're not a wimp)

8. Enjoy.

I gave the kids these with apples because that's what they wanted, but I think celery would make a good veggie side for this meal.

Rugrat Rating : 5 stars

Ham and Cheese Cubes (Lunch - Day 1)

What can you say about the simplicity of ham and cheese cubes? Cutting out the bread from a ham and cheese sandwich can reap great benefits. I used a pre-cooked small store bought ham, but cooking your own could be a cheaper and even healthier alternative. I used Snyder's veggie pretzels versus crackers because they seemed to be the healthier alternative, but I'm not a nutritionist, it just seemed like they were to me.
Key points:
- cube your own cheese, the cheese that is pre-packaged is more expensive and doesn't really mesh with the whole nothing in packages theme we're working with.

- Do not use deli meat. Not only are the nitrates, sodium content and other things bad for you - but (say it with me) it's pre-packaged. The very thing we are trying to avoid.

This lunch took literally 5 minutes to prepare.
Also, if you do not watch your children and are playing on facebook while they eat this lunch lends itself to some great interpretations.