Healthy eating

If you pack lunches, you can pack healthy!
Written and photographed by Nancy Monaghan

With a little imagination you can pack healthy lunches for school or the office - and here’s a head start!

The easiest way to pack a healthy lunch is to use leftovers from last night’s healthy dinner. Two of our favorites are the Curried Tuna Salad and the Grilled Shrimp and Basil below. Bento boxes – Japanese-style box lunches packed with flair to tempt the eyes before the tastebuds – are wonderfully creative ways to package healthy lunches, especially for kids who like color, variety, and crunch. American-style Bento boxes are available in most any variety store or on line, or you can make your own if you really want to get creative.

For other healthy lunch inspiration we turned to Eating Well, Inc. The company’s website, eatingwell.com, is a treasure chest of great ideas for healthy lunches, whether you’re packing them for school or the office, or simply sitting down at home. Their BBQ Chicken Sandwich is another great idea for leftover cooked chicken, and the Strawberry & Cream Cheese Sandwich is a nice lunchbox surprise.

Curried tuna salad

2 7-oz cans good tuna, drained well
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
¼ cup + 2 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tbsp red onion, minced
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp dried dill
2 pinches garlic powder
1 cup chopped iceberg or other sturdy lettuce
Chinese noodles (optional)
Radishes (optional)

Drain tuna well and combine in a large bowl with all remaining ingredients except lettuce. Refrigerate at least a few hours to allow flavors to combine.

Adjust seasonings if desired, add chopped lettuce and serve on fresh tomato slices. Top with a few Chinese noodles for added crunch if desired.

Pizza roll-up
1 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortilla
2 tbsp prepared pizza sauce
12 leaves baby spinach
3 tbsp shredded part-skim mozzarella

Place tortilla on a plate and spread pizza sauce over it. Top with an even layer of spinach and sprinkle cheese on top. Microwave on high until the cheese is just melted, about 45 seconds. Carefully roll the tortilla up. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into pieces, if desired. (Can be made ahead, just roll up and refrigerate.)
---Recipe courtesy of Eating Well, Inc. (eatingwell.com)

Grilled shrimp and basil

2 lbs fresh large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp garlic, minced (divided)
1-1/2 tbsp oil
Fresh ground pepper to taste
½ tin anchovy fillets (2-3)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup roasted pine nuts
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), julienned
½ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely diced
¼ cup very finely diced red onion
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped tarragon

For the walnut vinaigrette:
2 tbsp minced red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup rice or champagne vinegar
½ cup canola oil
½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
¼ tsp pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish

This recipe, adapted from Dean & Deluca, is terrific for brunch, lunch or dinner, as an appetizer or main course, or as leftovers to pack for lunch tomorrow.

Combine shrimp with salt, one tablespoon garlic and 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with pepper and marinate, refrigerated and covered, for 30 minutes or overnight.

For dressing: In a food processor, combine anchovies and a splash of the anchovy oil from the tin with lemon juice and process until smooth. Slowly drip in ¼ cup olive oil and add two tablespoons of water (dressing should be slightly thin, if not, add more water).

Grill shrimp until opaque, about three minutes on each side, and let stand until room temperature. Place pine nuts single layer in a shallow pan and roast at 400 degrees about five minutes until golden.

Combine shrimp and dressing, mix well. Add sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts, stir well. (At this point remove your luncheon portion and refrigerate. When you pack it for lunch tomorrow, add the fresh basil leaves then.) Add basil and serve.

Note: Shrimp can be cooked and dressing made a day ahead and refrigerated, bring to room temperature before mixing salad together. If you want a heartier salad, add some chopped romaine leaves.

Strawberry & Cream Cheese Sandwich
1 tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
1/4 tsp honey
1/8 tsp freshly grated orange zest
2 slices very thin whole-wheat sandwich bread
2 medium strawberries, sliced

Combine cream cheese, honey and orange zest in a bowl. Spread bread with the cheese mixture. Place sliced strawberries on one piece of bread, top with the other.
--Recipe courtesy of Eating Well, Inc. (eatingwell.com)
Photo by Ken Burris

BBQ Chicken Sandwich
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
2 tsp light ranch dressing
1 small whole-wheat sandwich bun
1 leaf romaine lettuce

Use leftover cooked chicken mixed with barbecue sauce and crunchy carrots for a quick and healthy lunch. To make one sandwich:

Combine chicken, carrots and barbecue sauce in a bowl. Spread ranch dressing on the bun. Top with the chickenmixture and lettuce.
---Recipe courtesy of Eating Well, Inc. (eatingwell.com) Photo by Ken Burris

Salmon Salad Bento Lunch
1/2 cup boneless, skinless canned salmon,
flaked (2 1/2 ounces)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1 tsp minced red onion, or to taste
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp rinsed and chopped capers
1/2 cup watercress, tough stems removed
1 ounce small whole-grain crackers
(about 16)
1 cup mixed vegetables, such as bell pe
pers and carrots, cut into sticks
1 cup mixed grapes

To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate the salad (salmon through capers) for up to two days and assemble with remaining ingredients when ready to use. Watercress acts as a tasty divider between the salmon salad and crackers. Multicolored peppers and grapes add color to this bento and boost your daily servings of fruits and veggies.

Combine salmon, oil, lemon juice, olives, red onion, parsley and capers in a small bowl.

Pack the salmon salad, watercress and crackers in one medium container. Fill another medium container with vegetables and grapes.
---Recipe courtesy of Eating Well, Inc. (eatingwell.com) Photo by Ken Burris

Create your own Bento Box

Try your own version of a Bento box lunch. A careful arrangement of foods of different colors, tastes and textures is very attractive to kids and adults alike. They’ll help you forget about those cheeseburgers and pizzas you used to eat before you decided to commit to healthy lunches.

Here we illustrate a few options for a bento box mix and match: celery stuffed with peanut butter and topped with raisins, carrots peeled thin with a vegetable peeler (put them in ice water for about 15 minutes to make a coil, they’re more interesting than plain carrot sticks), cheese balls (use low-fat cream cheese or any other healthier cheese you can shape into a ball) coated with craisins, and string cheese wrapped with prosciutto.