The best part of the school day for all students is of course the recess, the time to have fun with your friends, laugh, chat, and run around. As soon as the recess bell rings, kids grab their lunch boxes and rush outside. Do you and your friends like to open your lunch boxes and share sandwiches and snacks with each other? Are you looking for new ideas for school lunches? For those of you who are bored of the usual cheese sandwich, we have provided you with a list of tasty but healthy school lunch ideas. They are easy to prepare and they will supply you with all the nutrients you need to keep your energy level up and stay mentally alert all day long! First of all, when making sandwiches, always use whole wheat toast and buns. Brown bread is higher in fiber, iron, and B vitamins than white bread. Avoid fried foods like French fries, chicken nuggets, and falafel because they are too high in fat. You can grill a beef or chicken burger patty at home on a small electric grill or in the oven. Make your own burger with the toppings that you like. Eggs are the best source of protein. And consider this: one egg has only 75 calories! Boil an egg, slice it up, sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix in one tablespoon of yogurt, and add sliced cucumbers and tomatoes to use as a filling for sandwiches. Or you can make an omelet and slip it into a bun or small pocket pita bread. Did you ever try an olive sandwich? Fill a small whole wheat bun with sliced black olives or carrot stuffed green olives. Sorry, but you must avoid lunch meats like bologna, smoked turkey, and roast beef. These meats have been chemically treated with nitrates, which are flavorings and preservatives. In the stomach during the digestion process nitrates are turned into chemicals which could cause stomach cancer. You can use hummus as a spread for sandwiches and add a little olive oil or pickles or cucumbers. Made from garbanzo beans, hummus is low in fat and cholesterol and is rich in protein and anti-oxidants. Peanut butter is high in protein, iron, and some B vitamins. But since it is also high in fat, you should not eat peanut butter sandwiches every day. To be more creative, spread some peanut butter on toast, then add banana slices or drizzle some honey on top. Also peanut butter and fresh strawberry slices makes a good combination. Sesame seeds are rich in protective anti-oxidants, including vitamin E. For those of you who have a sweet tooth, you can use the sesame seed butter or halawa as a filling in your sandwiches. Tuna is rich in protein and the fats are good for your body, so you can have a good old tuna sandwich once in a while! For healthy snacks, try snacking on date filled or fig filled cookies, or oatmeal and raisin cookies. Your lunch box or bag should always contain one of the following, a cucumber, carrot, banana, apple, pear, orange, peach, tangerine, grapes, dates, raisins, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, or hazelnuts. Air popped and microwave popcorn is an excellent healthy snack as long as you do not add extra butter. For dessert, fruit yogurt is better than cakes or cookies.
