Read Best Lunch Box Ever Online
Authors: Katie Sullivan Morford
Best Lunch Box Ever (17 page)
Using tongs, add the cooked noodles to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the sauce. Add the raw vegetables, tofu, and green onions, and toss again until coated with the sauce and evenly distributed.
Divide the sesame noodles between two or three containers.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
CLASSIC
GROWING UP,
this simple cold pasta was a meal my mom made for supper that sometimes landed in our lunch boxes the next day. The humble combination of tuna, pasta, and mayo is the ultimate comfort food. Best of all, it calls for ingredients that are likely already in your pantry.
MAKES 3 SERVINGS
One 3-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1
1
/
2
cups leftover cooked short pasta such as penne or rotini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
In a medium bowl, break up the tuna with a fork. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and cooked pasta, and stir until combined.
Add the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise. Stir until combined. Taste and add more mayonnaise if needed.
Divide the tuna pasta between three containers.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
A Tuna Tutorial
Canned tuna is convenient, low in saturated fat, and a good source of protein. The problem is, tuna can also be high in something you don't wantâthe environmental pollutant mercury. To keep mercury levels in check, be smart about the kind of tuna you choose and how much you feed your family. Here are a few pointers to help you shop wisely:
Buy water-packed chunk light tuna, which has the lowest level of mercury of any variety. This is not to be confused with chunk white tuna or albacore, which tend to be high in mercury and are best avoided.
Alternatively, look for albacore labeled “pole caught,” which means the fish are smaller than the conventional variety, with less mercury buildup.
Turn to the experts at the Natural Resources Defense Counsel for guidelines on how much canned tuna is safe for kids based on their body weight. The guidelines can be found at
www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp
.
Consider using canned wild Alaskan sockeye salmon instead of tuna. It's rich in omega-3s, low in mercury, and sustainably caught. It's got a fairly strong flavor, so consider mixing in equal parts canned chicken when you introduce it to your kids. They may take to it better this way.
Tacos
ON ONE OF OUR FIRST DATES,
my husband introduced me to minced squab in lettuce cups, the specialty of the house at his favorite Chinese restaurant. Ever since, I've been hooked. This is a supersimplified spin on that famous dish. Kids really respond to the sauce's soy and hoisin flavors and all the crunchy bits of the fillingâcucumbers, cashews, and sprouts. Pack it up by storing the filling in one container and the lettuce in another, all to be assembled like little tacos at the lunch table.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 cup leftover chopped cooked chicken, beef, or pork
1
/
2
cup coarsely chopped mung bean sprouts
1
/
4
cup finely chopped English cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped roasted cashews
4 medium crunchy Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves
In a medium bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
Add the chicken, bean sprouts, cucumber, and cashews, and stir until the ingredients are evenly coated with the sauce.
Divide the chicken mixture between two containers and pack the lettuce in two other containers.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Be sure to give your child instructions for spooning the filling onto the lettuce leaves at lunchtime.
ON A BUN
SHREDDED CHICKEN, BEEF, OR PORK
slathered in barbecue sauce and served on a soft bun: What's not to like? The wholesomeness of the whole-wheat bun and shredded cabbage hardly register with the kiddos with all the other deliciousness going on. Dads (at least the one in our household) are particularly fond of this as well.
MAKES 2 GENEROUS SERVINGS;
1
/
2
SANDWICH WILL SUFFICE FOR SMALLER APPETITES
1 heaping cup leftover shredded cooked chicken, beef, or pork
1
/
4
cup favorite barbecue sauce
2 soft whole-wheat hamburger buns
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2
/
3
cup shredded cabbage
Put the chicken into a small saucepan. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken and stir until evenly coated. Over medium heat, cook, stirring often, until piping hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the chicken mixture between two thermoses.