• Serve food on colorful and oddly shaped dishes.
• Make fun names for everyday foods such as, “Pirate Pineapple”or “Goblin Stew.”
• Let the kids make choices.
Having a variety of sauces for dipping or assembling their owntaco will keep kids busy and
make them feel special.
• Don’t forget the drink! Adding a garnish to a kid’s beverage makes it interesting. Try a strawberry on the rim of a glass of milk.
Lunch Box Lessons
Be sure to stock up on ice packs before the beginning of the school year. Making sure your child's lunch is cool will maintain the flavors of the food—and help protect him or her from food borne illnesses. Bacteria grows rapidly between the temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit in certain foods. This temperature range is known as the "Danger Zone." Tucking an ice pack into the cooler or lunch bag will keep foods out of that dangerous temperature zone. To keep things ice cold, you can prepare cooked food, like meats or pasta salads, the night before to give it time to chill in the refrigerator before packing, or add a frozen juice box to their lunchbox as an
edible insulator. Certain foods don't need to be kept cool to be safe. Whole fruits and veggies, hard cheese, canned meat and fish, chips, breads, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, mustard and pickles are all safe at room temperature.*
* www.foodnetwork.com, August 2008
