It’s easy to throw that peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips and juice box into your kids’ lunchbox and think it’s nutritious. But children need wholesome nutrients to form strong bones and muscles, aid their ability to learn and concentrate, and even to help foster mental health and well-being. Rethink your schooltime game plan with the help of Spice Kitchen & Bar farmer and founder Ben Bebenroth, who offers up this healthy alternative that you can make in a big batch for a week’s worth of lunches. “Kids love texture,” he says. “This is nutritious but also fun.”
Egg salad
- Dozen eggs
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon thyme or parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- Chopped bread-and-butter pickles
- 1/4 onion, minced
- Cholula hot sauce
- Pepper
- Salt
- Romaine heart lettuce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While heating, crack 12 eggs into an oiled muffin tray and season with salt and pepper. Place tray in oven for 20 minutes. While eggs are cooling, mix mayo, mustard, herbs, onion, juice and zest from the lemon half, two shakes of Cholula, bread-and-butter pickles, salt and pepper. Chop cooled eggs, mix into dressing. Pack a 1/3 cup portion into a lunchbox. Include 4 romaine lettuce leaves to wrap, toasted almonds and fruit on the side. Kids can assemble their own lunch at school. For kids who like spicy foods, add Sriracha ketchup on the side. For an extra splash of flavor, send a bottle of water infused with a pineapple slice and mint.
