a special first day lunch

Welcome back to school! I look forward to this fall and a new year, of finding new foods, fast favorites and revamped standbys to tuck into my children's brown bag lunches. To kick off a new year, I posited this question to the Editor, Silvana Nardone, at Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine:

1. Is there anything special you will pack in your son's lunch on the first day of school?

I packed Isaiah plenty of variety, knowing that he’d be distracted by all the excitement of the first day of school: a ham and cheddar sandwich on whole wheat bread, a fruit-and-nut granola bar, cheese crackers, dried pineapple slices and a tropical blend 100% juice drink. Of course, I also packed him a note wishing him a fun, great day!

Thanks, Silvana. I will have to have my boys try those pineapple slices!

My boys had their favorite sandwiches, some yogurt covered pretzels, apple slices and a special orange drink: Orangina. What did you put in your child's lunch on the first day?

interview with Silvana Nardone.

Silvana Nardone is the Editor for Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. She has two children: Isaiah (10) and Chiara (9 mo). I had an opportunity to ask her a few questions, and thought it might be useful to pass along her answers to all of you:

Question: What are good snacks kids can make themselves (after school)?

Answer: Keep things simple. For teenagers, the toaster oven can be handy to make mini pita pizzas or a quick quesadilla.

Question: Do you have any tricks or tidbits you can share re: getting kids to eat more vegetables?

Answer: It’s not easy—my son even has issues with carrots! I’ll puree carrots with water or broth and mix the puree into meatballs. Soups work pretty well. I just keep trying new things and every once in a while, I’ll reintroduce vegetables he’s refused before. It’s a challenge, but what has helped is involving him in the process. A couple of years ago, I asked him to pick at least two vegetables he would always eat: He chose grape tomatoes and asparagus.

Question: What do you think kids most enjoy doing in the kitchen?

Answer: Everything! I taught a cooking class for kids—preschool to fifth grade—for years. Even the little guys got into it. Cooking uses the five senses, so every second they’re experiencing something new. It’s also instantly gratifying to make something from start to finish—and eat it! Plus, who doesn’t love to get their hands dirty and make a mess?

Question: What are a few recipes that you think work well for kids to ‘make dinner’?

Answer: You can check out the recipes from our “Kids” column in the magazine or online www.rachaelraymag.com—just click on Kids. All the recipes were written for kids to make.

Thanks Silvana!

I hope you found this short interview helpful; it is useful to gather ideas from parents-feeding-children everywhere, including the editor from Rachel Ray! You already know: I love the idea of getting kids involved in, learning about and ultimately interested in the food they consume. I tell my boys they probably haven't tried their favorite food yet (and think of all the foods you love!), so it is worth trying new foods, just in case...

what kind of granola do you like?

You may already toss this into your brown bag, or in the very least you have tried granola with yogurt. Ideally, this little note is a friendly reminder of a winning combination that had otherwise slipped your mind.

There are so many granola varieties out there, whether your own recipe, in a box, from the bulk section, organic or not. You can keep it simple or find one chocked full of nuts and dried fruits.

Granola flavors are abundant, and it can be a fun exercise to offer your child [or self!] a taste test. Granola can often be found in bulk: scoop a cup of 4-5 different flavors of granola and bring them home. Set up small bowls with some of each, label them with numbers and have your kids be the judge!

They can place them in order of like to dislike (1-5, 1 being their favorite) or just rate them (from 1-5 smiley faces: the more the better!). With this fun experiment, there is a good chance your child will have more of a vested interest---a bit of pride even---in eating their selected granola. Put a package of granola in their lunch box with any variety of yogurt. They can scoop the granola right onto the yogurt. Just for fun, if you read this and try some granolas, tell us your favorite (in the comments below)!