Is there anything more burdensome for parents than filling the school-lunch box every day with a wholesome-but-pleasing lunch?
I am not so old that I've forgotten the lunches my own mother lovingly packed for me. A big sandwich, a piece of fruit, a box of pretzels and a Devil Dog or Yodel for dessert: enough food to fuel a longshoreman. Every day, I'd skip straight to the snack cake and dump the rest in the garbage.
With that memory in mind as I pack my own daughters' midday meals, I first of all save the sweets for after school. When there are no Ring Dings, they're more likely to eat the other stuff. Since they're not big on sandwiches (the apples don't fall very far from the tree, I guess), I'll often give them a dip or spread instead. It's healthy food disguised as fun food. To kids, everything, including puréed chickpeas or goat cheese, tastes better on a chip.
The following recipes take minutes to prepare and will keep for several days or up to one week in the refrigerator. Make a couple of dips on Sunday night, keep a bag of baby carrots, a box of cherry tomatoes, some celery sticks, baked corn chips and whole-grain crackers or pretzels in the house, and packing several days' worth of lunches will be a snap. (If your child is big on sandwiches, you can use any of these dips and spreads on a tortilla, supplemented by baby spinach or lettuce, and/or sliced turkey or ham, to make a quick wrap.)
Yields will depend on your child's age and appetite. One recipe of hummus might make four servings for a picky and petite kindergartner who eats lunch at 11 a.m., or two servings for a ravenous fourth-grader who eats lunch after playing kickball at recess.
