Healthy & tasty school lunches kids will love

Sadly not a lot has changed on the school lunch scene since Ronald Reagan declared ketchup a vegetable.

School lunches are cheap, over-processed and lacking in nutritition and imagination.  Think Sloppy Joes and canned corn. 

For this reason I've always packed my son's lunches.  Still it takes some clever machinations to come up with interesting, portable and tasty lunches that your kid will love - particularly when classmates are toting Twinkies and chips.

One popular bag lunch my son really enjoys is homemade pizza. We buy pizza dough from Trader Joe's (a fantastic deal at 99 cents), make a pie loaded with veggies and cheese for dinner, then save a few slices for school lunches.  It's a great way to get in those 3 cups of recommended daily servings of vegetables.

Here are a few great ideas for bag lunches your kids will love.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Substitute any type of pasta to keep things interesting.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
• 9 oz. pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Dilute soups as directed on can. Combine in saucepan with tortellini and heat over medium heat until the soup boils, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add peas and simmer 2 more minutes until the tortellini is tender. Pour into thermoses and package cheese separately to sprinkle over soup before eating. 4 servings

Parmesan Tuna Sandwiches

Here's a frewh & flavorful take on a classic.

Prep Time: :20

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. can chunk tuna, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• dash pepper

Preparation:

Combine tuna, bell pepper, and green onions in medium bowl. In small bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, and basil leaves and blend well. Add to tuna mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate tightly up to 2 days.

Individual Layered Salad

Try tons of different salads using this basic recipe; vary the toppings, the types of lettuces, the meats and cheeses, and the veggies.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen baby peas, unthawed
• 1 cup cubed cheese
• 1 cup cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 3-4 cups torn lettuce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or creamy salad dressing

Preparation:

Layer the ingredients in a small Tupperware or resealable container, in the order given. You could add more ingredients, like cashew nuts, green bell pepper slivers, cubed cucumber, blanched green beans, Parmesan cheese, cubed ham, or cooked pork tenderloin. Pack a fork, and let your diner mix the salad just before eating.