Thinking outside the lunchbox?

Here are some heart healthy lunch ideas for New Brunswick families heading back to school:

Thermos solutions
Before filling a thermos with any hot food, fill it with hot or boiling water for a few minutes; pour out the water just before adding the hot food. A pre-heated thermos will help to keep food warmer. Some suggestions for thermos-fare include soup, leftover chili, stew, pasta or beans. Pack along crackers or shredded cheese to accompany.

Super Sandwiches
Mix up regular sandwich fare by using whole-grain wraps, rolls or pita bread to go along with lean meats (turkey breast, low-fat ham, lean beef) or canned fish (salmon, tuna). Add fillers like lettuce, cucumber, tomato, peppers or shredded carrots to pump up the nutritional punch. Finally, experiment with different spreads such as flavoured mustard, light mayo/cream cheese, relish or salsa.

For further variety, make different types of sandwiches: cut in half and include two different halves in each lunch bag you are preparing.

Snacks to Pack
A few other ideas for morning, afternoon or lunchtime snacks:

-yogurt or yogurt tubes

-milk pudding

-fresh, canned or dried fruit

-fruit juice

-cereal mix (make your own with heart-healthy cereals from your pantry!)

-raw veggies

-cheese or cheese sticks

-mini-muffins-make your own using regular muffin or loaf recipes.