Back to school healthy lunch ideas

September 8, 12:43 PMNY Healthy Food ExaminerElizabeth Stein

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School is officially back in session, which means it is time to revamp your summer eating style. Start the school year off right with healthy lunches for both you and your kids. No time to make a gourmet meal? Try these 8 quick, healthy lunch suggestions.

1. The classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich gets a much needed upgrade. Try almond butter and berries.
2. Make a big mixed greens salad, loaded with a rainbow of vegetables and some protein (beans, legumes, organic chicken, etc) that you can serve for several days.
3. Use leftover veggie stir-fry from dinner and put it in a sprouted grain wrap to make your own rendition of a burrito.
4. Stock your freezer with go-to options, like Amy's California Veggie Burger. It is both soy free and vegan.  Serve in a sprouted grain wrap with lettuce, tomato and organic ketchup.
5. Make a big batch of pasta salad.  This gluten-free pasta salad is a perfect mix of veggies and vegetarian sources of protein: Brown Rice Pasta with Chickpeas, Sundried Tomatoes, Swiss Chard and Hemp Seed Pesto
6. Make a veggie sandwich on sprouted grain bread with leftover salad ingredients such as arugula, tomato, red pepper and Bobbi's black bean hummus.
7. Give the standard turkey sandwich a twist, by adding sliced avocado and cranberry chutney. Be sure to purchase organic turkey, free of nitrates (which are thought to be cancer causing), like Applegate Farms. 
8. Instead of a mayonnaise based chicken salad, try this  gluten-free vegetarian option: Chickpea Salad with Celery, Walnut and Cranberries on Millet Bread.
   
   Ingredients:
   1 can chickpeas (drained and washed)
   2 tbsp vegenaise
   1 tbsp Dijon mustard
   1 tsp salt
   ¼ cup celery
   1/8 cup dried cranberries (or grapes)
   1/8 cup of walnuts, crushed
   Millet bread
   
   Directions:
   In a medium bowl, combine chickpea, vegenaise, mustard and salt. Using the back of a spoon mash the chickpeas to desired consistency. Mix in celery, cranberries and walnuts.  Serve open faced on millet bread.
    

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