Brown Bag Lunch Ideas – How to Make the Ordinary Extraordinary

By Sherrie Le Masurier

When it comes to brown bag lunches you can make the ordinary extraordinary with a few simple alterations. The key to any successful brown bag lunch you make your child is variety.

While variety in foods is always a great idea sometimes all you need to do is make a change to the way your child’s food is prepared and packed.

For instance, you can make ordinary vegetables and fruit extraordinary by the way you cut or scoop it e.g. carrot circles instead of baby carrots or boring carrot sticks. And what about cutting your child’s kiwi in half and letting her scoop out the insides instead of peeling and slicing it?

Other fun brown bag lunch ideas include:

• Melon balls instead of melon slices or cubes
• Sliced grapes or cherry tomatoes
• Orange rings instead of unpeeled oranges or orange quarters.
• Square cucumbers or a chain of cucumbers (Hollow out the core with an apple corer or pairing knife. Cut into rings. Put a small slit in each ring so they can easily be linked together.

Packing an out of the ordinary salad is also a great way to relieve brown bag lunch boredom.

Following are some great kid-friendly salad recipes that are sure to please even picky eaters:

Carrot, Raisin & Pineapple Salad

2 cups carrots, grated
1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing.

Combine ingredients. Pack in individual containers.  

Tomato, Pasta & Cheese Salad 

8 oz. of your children’s favorite cooked pasta
4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
4 ounces favorite cheese, diced
4 tbsp. Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, cheese and salad dressing. Add cooked pasta. Toss and divide into lunch portions. Garnish each container with Parmesan cheese.

Tomato & Corn Salad

1 large tomato, diced
3 tbsp. black beans
3 tbsp. frozen corn
2 tbsp. salsa 

Toss and pack in a single portion container.

Following are some of my children’s favorite wrap ‘n go brown bag lunch ideas that fall into the ‘extraordinary’ category:

Mexican Wrap

Go Mexican by wrapping up some grilled chicken with black beans and spiced rice, topped with grated cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.  If your kids like tacos, make them transportable by opting for soft tortillas over hard shells.
 
Veggie Wrap

If your child is a veggie lover make a wrap using grilled zucchini, red and green peppers, eggplant and sweet onions. Spread the wrap with goat cheese, add a little salsa or chutney and top with vegetables. .
 
Chicken Caesar Wrap

Make up your favorite Caesar salad and put it in a soft tortilla wrap along with strips of sliced grilled chicken.

Roast Beef Wrap

Layer thin slices of roast beef on a flour tortilla. Spread with mayo and top with lettuce and tomato.

Bean Burrito

Or if your child likes to keep things simple what about spreading refried beans on a soft tortilla? Sprinkle with shredded cheese and wrap up.