One of the challenges I’ve always had is preparing a good lunch for my daughter. She pretty much won’t eat sandwiches (aside from once in a long while wanting a grilled cheese), won’t touch tortillas in her lunch (despite loving them at home) and is just generally picky about what she will eat for lunch at school. She particularly hates peanut butter or anything at all to do with nuts.

Here’s one of her favorites, which we call Sand and Shells:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 diced onion
1 cup cracked wheat
1 egg, beaten
2 cups water
12 oz. seashell pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large frying pan. Saute onions, then remove and set onions aside.

Mix cracked wheat into beaten egg and mix until coated. Pour into frying pan and cook until egg is done. Pour in water, add onions, salt and pepper and allow to simmer on low heat.

It’s a really easy recipe and one of the few things I can make for her lunches that she will be excited about. Unless you want to count those awful canned raviolis, which she adores and I only keep on hand for when there are no other choices. Can’t always get to the store in time.

When the water has been absorbed, add in the sea shell pasta and butter. Mix and serve.

I always include some fresh vegetables and some fruit in her lunches. Some crackers or a bread roll and she’s pretty happy.

Once in a while there will be a dinner leftover that she will like well enough to want to take to school. Not as often as I’d like, but it happens. Mostly with one sort or another of pasta. Put a little pesto sauce on pasta, and she’ll wolf it down!

What about your family? What school lunch recipes really go over well. Let’s share ideas.