www.PassionforPork.com
3 Quick & Healthy Lunch Ideas for Back to School
It’s back-to-school season, which means parents out there are racking their brains for creative lunch ideas that are delicious and healthy. The end of summer is also a time to get back into a healthier routine – perhaps you’d like to start bringing some tasty lunches to work? Here are some simple recipes using healthy cuts of pork.
Lunch Basics
For lunch (or for any meal, really), you want to aim to get at least 3 of the 4 food groups from Canada’s Food Guide, with one of the three being the Vegetables and Fruit group. This way, you can ensure that your children are getting a balance of energy and nutrients to fuel their day!
1. Use the slow cooker
Most people set their slow cooker before they go to work so they can come home to a warm, hearty supper, but why not set it before you go to bed so you can wake up to a healthy lunch? Pulled pork is a great example of an easy slow cooker meal. Pack a simple pulled pork sandwich into your child’s lunch with some veggie sticks or a piece of fruit for a balanced meal, or get creative and stick the pulled pork in a tortilla, pita or lettuce wrap, like in our Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps with Mango Barbecue Sauce.
2. Bring back the Thermos!
While many schools have microwaves, most of the time there is a long lineup, or five kids are trying to heat their lunch at the same time, so your child’s lunch hour is spent waiting for their food to heat up instead of enjoying their lunch and then some time outdoors with their friends. An insulated lunch container can ensure that your kids can get a hot lunch without the wait, or relying on cafeteria fare! Liquidy meals, like soups and stews, tend to work best. An added bonus is that you can make big batches of soup and freeze them, then defrost and reheat whenever you need a quick lunch in a pinch! Try this recipe for Minestrone Soup with Bacon, submitted by one of our readers.
3. Use up those leftovers.
Whether you’re roasting a pork roast or tenderloin, any leftover meat can be sliced or shredded and added to sandwiches and wraps, on top of salads, or in soups and stews. Try this Chipotle Pork and Avocado Wrap recipe from Cooking Light!