In our last blog post, we featured healthy lunch ideas, and said that there’s really nothing wrong with having a sandwich for lunch – you just need to make sure it’s a healthy sandwich, and – to avoid boredom – prepare something more interesting than the all-favorite peanut butter and jelly.

To make your sandwich healthy, start by avoiding spongy white bread and choose whole-wheat or sourdough bread. While sweet spreads such as jam and Nutella are tasty, they are not very nutritious, so it’s best to minimize their consumption. Here are a few ideas for delicious, filling, healthy sandwiches:

1. Egg salad sandwich. A substantial, filling sandwich – in fact, it is filling enough to serve as a dinner on your meatless nights.
2. Whole-wheat bread spread with a generous amount of hummus, and filled with thinly sliced cucumbers.
3. Turkey sandwich with yogurt spread – the delicious yogurt spread is made with VOSKOS®, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan and seasonings.
4. Whole wheat pita pockets filled with grilled chicken breast, grilled eggplant slices, tomato slices, and feta cheese.
5. Whole wheat bread, spread with almond butter and filled with banana slices.
6. Sourdough bread, spread with Dijon mustard and filled with roast beef, sharp cheddar and red pepper slices.
7. Sourdough bread with pesto sauce, grilled chicken and tomato slices.
8. Whole-wheat wrap, filled with a mixture of mashed white beans mixed with guacamole and grated sharp cheddar.
9. Artichoke and egg spread sandwich – a nice alternative to a traditional egg salad sandwich.
10. Leftover meatloaf sandwich – whole wheat bread with Dijon mustard, thinly sliced meatloaf and pickles.

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional peanut-butter-and-jelly or cheese-and-ham. But it’s always nice to have alternatives. Remember that leftovers make wonderful sandwich fillings, and this includes meatballs, baked or grilled chicken, even baked salmon (great with Greek yogurt and scallions). Just wrap the sandwich well in cling wrap, and pack it with a cold pack so that it stays fresh.

I used to pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my kids’ lunch boxes every single day. It was easy; they liked it; and I thought it was healthy. Research over the past couple of years has taught me that the quintessential American lunch box staple is not exactly healthy. Peanuts might contain carcinogens, jelly is basically sugar, and white bread isn’t much better – it’s quickly converted into sugar in the body.

But if peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are not the best option, what is? Here are a few ideas for a better lunch box:

1. Leftovers. Leftovers from last night’s dinner are an easy solution for today’s lunch. A fun way to transform leftovers is to dice some leftover meat and veggies and quickly fry them with leftover rice.

2. Greek yogurt. VOSKOS^® Greek Yogurt, plain or flavored is wonderful either as part of lunch, or, if you need to pack a separate snack for your child (both my kids have a snack at 10am and lunch as 12pm), VOSKOS^® is the perfect snack – delicious, filling, and high in protein.

3. Ants on a log, made with celery, almond butter and raisins, or with cream cheese and raisins (yes, it’s a yummy combination!)

4. Oatmeal and apple muffins – each of these delicious muffins contains 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein!

5. Tuna salad pockets. A refreshing change from sandwiches, these tasty, filling tuna pita pockets contain 30 grams of protein in each serving.

6. Greek yogurt breakfast quiche. Quiches are tasty at room temperature, so go ahead and pack a slice of this greek yogurt quiche in your child’s lunch box. Each slice contains 10 grams of protein.

7. Cheese cubes and fruit. Mozzarella sticks are easy, but cubed sharp cheddar is tastier. Forego the “cheese cubes and pretzels” combo and instead, pack the cheese with some grapes or dried fruit. The sweet-salty combination is wonderful.

8. Hardboiled eggs. Hardboiled eggs are healthy, delicious and filling. One of my kids likes them simply salted. For her sister, I spread them with a little spicy mustard or guacamole.

9. Vegetables and fruit. This goes without saying – every lunch box should contain a veggie and a fruit. Celery and carrot sticks with Greek yogurt ranch dressing or hummus for dipping are excellent; in the summer, try packing frozen grapes. In the winter, I often pack apple slices – dip them in orange juice to prevent browning.

10. Whole wheat or sourdough sandwiches. Obviously, sandwiches ARE a convenient lunchbox solution. Try to use whole wheat bread or sourdough bread with no sugar or preservatives, both a healthier option than processed white bread. Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will feature a list of healthy sandwich ideas!

I used to serve my kids Goldfish crackers and granola bars after school. It’s not that Goldfish crackers and granola bars are a terrible option, but the crackers are not very nutritious, and the bars are typically high in sugar and low in protein. But it was easy to serve them something that I knew they would eat.

The past New Year, one of my resolutions was to clean out our cupboards of all the junky snack foods. The reasoning? If it’s not in the house, I can’t serve it. At first, the kids were annoyed. They missed their junky, or semi-junky snacks. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see how fast they adjusted to their new and improved after-school snacks.

These days, a typical after-school snack in our house may include a cup of VOSKOS^® Greek yogurt (they love the plain mixed with a little honey or jam), a hardboiled egg, carrot sticks with hummus for dipping or sliced fruit. They love this snack, and I feel much better about serving it to them.

Of course, it’s good to change things up and avoid serving the same snack every day. So here are a few ideas for healthy, nutritious after-school snacks:

1. VOSKOS^® makes a wonderful after-school snack, of course. High in protein, calcium and potassium, it’s a nutritional powerhouse, especially when topped with a handful of nuts and berries.

2. Hardboiled eggs are yummy simply sliced and salted, or make quick, no-fuss deviled eggs by removing the yolks and mixing with a little VOSKOS^®, mustard, salt and pepper.

3. Celery sticks or carrot sticks are fun to dip into hummus, or into tzatziki.

4. Apple slices are extra yummy when dipped into plain VOSKOS^® mixed with cinnamon.

5. A smoothie makes a nutritious, filling snack.

6. Whole-grain muffins, such as these oatmeal and apple muffins, are a great snack, especially when not overly sweetened.

7. An egg salad sandwich isn’t just for lunch – try a snack of half a sandwich, served with baby carrots.

8. Fresh cut veggies (carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower florets) served with yogurt ranch dip.

9. Tortilla chips or veggie strips, dipped in guacamole.

10. Homemade fruit and nut bread is tasty and filling.

If your kids are used to junk, it may take a few weeks for them to get adjusted to healthier fare, but rest assured, they will eventually adjust!