If your child’s school doesn’t have microwave ovens, you can still send your child to school with a tasty and healthy lunch. Try these “no microwave needed” lunch ideas: • Yummy dippers: Pack hummus with a whole-grain pita, carrot sticks, celery sticks or apple slices for dipping. Add a piece of low-fat cheese or a small container of milk. • Build your own wrap: Let your child choose sliced ham, tofu or chicken, a low-fat cheese, lettuce or spinach, and tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to wrap in a whole-grain tortilla. Add a side of canned or fresh mixed fruit. • Homemade soup: Combine diced cooked chicken, reduced-salt chicken stock, cut-up fresh vegetables, whole wheat pasta and spices into a pot. Boil until vegetables and pasta are cooked, and transfer to an insulated container. Add a whole-grain bun, an orange and a small container of milk. • Stuffed pita: Chop up leftover cooked chicken, turkey or beans, and put inside a whole-grain pita or a few mini pitas. Add bell peppers and shredded lettuce. Complete the meal with yogurt and a pear. • Leftovers: Some foods can be eaten cold rather than hot, such as homemade pizza and hamburgers. Keep food safe. Food safety tips for packing lunches: • Use an insulated lunch bag rather than a plastic bag or box. This will help keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Clean the lunch bag every day. • Use a heat-preserving or insulated container for hot foods such as soup or chili. To keep food hot longer, fill your insulated container with hot water for a few minutes, then pour it out and fill with hot food. • To keep foods cool and fresh, partially freeze items such as yogurt and milk, or put a frozen ice pack in the lunch bag. • Remind your child to wash their hands before eating, or pack hand sanitizer in their lunch bag.

For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4

© 2022 Hanna Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.