This is the first post in my new “100 Days of Real Food Tips” series. Enjoy!
Think Beyond the Sandwich Bread…
- Pinwheels (pictured)
Rolled up whole-wheat tortillas filled with:
- Cream cheese*, thin cucumber slices, and dill
- Goat cheese* and roasted red bell peppers (sold as pimentos)
- Peanut butter* and banana slices
- Sunflower butter* and all-fruit spread (similar to jelly)
- Egg salad
- Hummus, cheese, and grated carrots
*Easiest to spread when the tortilla is warm…don’t forget the fun toothpicks!
- Apple Sandwiches (pictured)
I got this idea from Williams-Sonoma and all you have to do is slice the apple*, cut out the core with a small round cookie cutter, knife or corer, and fill with:
- Peanut or sunflower butter
- Raisins
- Raw rolled oats (optional)
*Can also squirt apple with a little lemon juice so it doesn’t turn brown
Top with all the usual sandwich fillings or use two crackers to make little sandwiches.
- Whole-Wheat Waffles, Banana Bread or Biscuits
Whole-Wheat Zucchini Muffins
Any of these options would be a fun stand-in for the typical sandwich bread. The waffles and banana bread would be especially delicious with some plain or flavored cream cheese in the middle.
- Whole-Grain Muffins
Forget a sandwich all together and send in some homemade whole-wheat muffins – like zucchini (pictured) or blueberry – in place of bread. Most muffins can be made in advance and pulled out of the freezer the night before school.
Other Lunch Ideas…
- Whole-Wheat Non-Deep Fried Donuts (pictured at top)
When I brought home a little plug-in donut maker (similar to a waffle maker) from Target my husband said, “Oh great, another appliance to find room for.” But my children devour these little donuts and feel like they’re getting an extra special “treat” so I think it was well worth the purchase. You can also make an extra big batch of these mini-donuts and freeze the extras for later. If you buy one try this recipe for 28 donuts: 1 cup whole-wheat flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 4 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil).
- Fruit Kabobs
Whole-Wheat Pizza Toast
Incorporate fruit and cheese that you know your child likes as well as one new item. Everything is more fun on a stick!
- Whole-Wheat Pizza Toast
This is much faster than making regular pizza from scratch and just as delicious. Simply top regular whole-wheat sandwich bread with sauce and cheese then pop it in the toaster oven….and voila!
- Warm Lunch in Thermos
A Thermos is a great way to switch things up when it comes to packing lunch. Try soups, oatmeal, brown rice or whole-grain pasta dishes, and leftover dinners.
- Homemade Freezie Pops or “Gogurts” (pictured)
Homemade Smoothie Pops
I’ve been talking about these reusable freezie pop holders for a while now, but I love them so much I just couldn’t leave them off the list. I fill them with everything from smoothies to plain yogurt mixed with homemade berry sauce to store-bought applesauce and then stick them in the freezer. They are usually semi-frozen by the time my daughter eats lunch at school and she devours them every time!
If you have any other fun lunch ideas you’d like to share please leave them in the comments below.
Me again. Do you avoid nonstick surfaces in general? I do, so I consider this donut maker to be a ‘cheat’ in the nontoxic department. Would love to have your thoughts on this. I tried to kick teflon out of the kitchen but finally got an ikea nonstick just for eggs.
I avoid nonstick for the most part, but not 100%…probably only 85 or 90% of the time. For eggs it’s possible you weren’t cooking them at the right temp. Also, it helps to let the eggs sit for a minute or two before you start stirring them in the pan. Good luck!
love your website! these look great!
love your website! everything looks good!
Hi! Our kiddos are 6, 4, 2 and they LOVE the mini donuts! I add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for chocolate ones. Yum! We just started grinding our own flour… So we use our vitamix to grind up fresh organic soft white flour for these… Makes em taste even better! Thanks for the recipe!
– The Holcombe family
I also make baked donuts with pumpkin puree or adding flax seed. Sometimes we change them up to “donagels” by cutting them like a bagel, toasting and using cream cheese on them. My daughter loves them.
thanks for all the inspiring ideas!
[...] Whole-Wheat “Baked” Donuts [...]
Hi -
Any comments on the sunbeam donut maker compared to the bella one?
It seems that both look good, not sure which one to buy. Thanks
Hi there,
How do you package the frozen yogurt for your daughter’s school? We have used Gogurt and things like that in the past because they are so convenient to pack. Does it stay in the mold and go straight in her lunch bag? Would love to hear. Thanks!
Hi Kendra. This post should answer your questions: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. ~Amy
Has anyone tried a different sweetener with the baked whole wheat donuts? My daughter is not a maple syrup fan. Would honey or agave syrup work?
Hi Laurie. Honey would work great. We do not use agave in our recipes. ~Amy
My son is allergic to eggs. Do you have any suggestion on how to make the donuts without eggs? Thank you!
Hi Geeta. This link which give suggestions based on cooking methods should help: http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/. Choose real food replacements whenever possible. ~Amy
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