Why Healthy Lunches Matter

According to one school lunch worker, an increasing number of children are spending their lunch money on junk food. Help your child start a new “good-for-you” trend in school with these nutritious foods. 

Yummy-Dip Lunch

 For a twist on the classic peanut-butter-sandwich lunch, try packing this treat. With a small, secure container of peanut butter, pack a plastic self-sealing bag filled with a mixture of raisins, sunflower seeds, and toasted sesame seeds and self-sealing bags of crackers and/or celery and carrot sticks or other crisp vegetables. Your child can dip the vegetables or crackers into the peanut butter, then into the raisin mixture for a nutritious, crunchy treat. 

Tomato Spice Quick Bread

   This delicious sweet bread beautifully complements a cheese and fruit lunch.
   6 tablespoons margarine
   1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
   1/2 cup granulated sugar
   1 egg
   2 1/2 cups flour
   1 teaspoon baking soda
   1 1/2 teaspoon salt
   1 teaspoon cinnamon
   1 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cloves and allspice
   1 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato juice
   3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 

   In a large mixing bowl cream margarine and sugars. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together. Add alternately with tomato juice to margarine-sugar mixture. Fold in nuts. Pour into well-greased, floured loaf pan (9″ x 5″). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until done.