Your assignment for this school year is to prepare healthy lunches for your kids that will make their lunch period more fun, enjoying the yummy foods. Here are 5 healthy lunch recipes for teenagers, very easy to prepare and also nutritious.
Veggies with Cheesy Salsa
Chop up your child’s favorite veggies and pack them along with this tasty creamy dip. Kids will definitely love their healthy veggies.
Ingredients:
- Carrots (peeled and cut), celery, cucumbers (cut into sticks), cherry tomatoes, red or green peppers (cut into stripes).
Cheesy Salsa Dip
- 8 ounces light cream cheese
- 3/4 cup cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
- 3/4 cup medium-hot salsa
Cheesy salsa preparation:
Add cream cheese, drained beans in food processor with knife blade and blend at low speed. Then, add medium-hot salsa and use pulsing action on food processor (you can also turn the blender on and off occasionally), to mix the salsa with other ingredients, but be careful not to overblend. You can prepare the dip earlier and put in refrigerator for a while.
Parmesan Pita Crisps
Baked crisps are a healthy alternative to potato chips, without the fat. These crispy homemade pita chips are very tasty and perfect for dipping.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp cumin (ground)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper (ground)
- 5 whole wheat or white pitas
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (coarsely grated)
- Salt (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix oil, cumin and ground pepper in cup. Then, cut each wheat pita in half. Brush the one side of the pita half with the oil mixture, and cut into 8 wedges. Put the wedges at 2 pans, sprinkle them with Parmesan and salt to taste. Bake for about 12 – 15 minutes to get golden. In half of the baking process, rotate the pans from the racks. Cool the crisps.
Turkey-Melon Wraps
Your kids will love the sweet turkey sandwich prepared in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 small cantaloupe
- 1 lavash (or half soft Armenian flatbread)
- 1/4 cup bottled horseradish sauce
- 6 large green lettuce leaves
- 12 ounces deli smoked turkey breast (thinly sliced)
Preparation:
Cut the rind from cantaloupe and cut the flesh into very thick slices. Then spread the unfold lavash with horseradish sauce and top with lettuce and turkey. On the short end of the lavash, add cantaloupe slices in single layer to cover half of the lavash.
Tightly roll the lavash and trim the ends. With knife, cut roll into 4 pieces.
DIY Yogurt Parfait
Your kids will definitely love this nutritious, easy lunch snack.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup low-fat granola
- ¼ cup cherries (dried)
- ¼ cup walnuts (chopped)
- 1 vanilla yogurt container
Preparation:
Add the granola, dried cherries, and chopped walnuts mixed together in a ziplock bag. Pack it with the vanilla yogurt container. When it comes to lunch time, let your kids mix the ingredients into the yogurt.
English Muffin Pizza
Easily prepared mini pizza, that your teenager will enjoy during lunch time.
Ingredients:
- 1 plain bagel
- 4 tbsp pizza sauce
- 2 oz. Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Preparation:
Cut bagel in half and spread pizza sauce on each half, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Add favorite toppings and microwave for about one minute.