Their daily bread

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/09/2008 (6475 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the song says: “Sandwiches are beautiful, sandwiches are fine.”

But there will come a day when your kids might not want to “eat them all the time.”

It’s not too early in the school year to head off those lunchbag blahs.

The beauty of a well-made sandwich is that, apart from being easy to pack and eat, it really takes very little to make it into a nice balanced lunch that includes proteins and starches and still leaves plenty of room for fruits and vegetables.

So what’s the trick to mixing up the lunchtime menu? Try looking for a few alternatives to the usual loaf of bread. You’ll find three recipes here that will bring some homemade variety to the lunch menu. As a bonus, they’re all easy to make, so you can invite the kids into the kitchen to help out. After the recipes, you’ll find a few other tips for the lunchroom, both at school and at work. All of the “bread alternatives” feature whole wheat flour to give your fibre intake a little boost.

Caribbean banana bread

Nutritious and economical, peanut butter and jam has always been a lunch box staple. In this version, I’ve switched out the usual plain sandwich bread for a yeast-risen banana bread and baked it in individual-sized loaf pans. This bread-machine recipe can also be baked as a whole loaf in the bread machine or by putting the batter in a regular loaf pan in the oven. The nuts can be left out and dried cranberries would be a nice alternative to the raisins.

When slicing the mini-loaves for sandwiches, you can slice across as shown or cut the bread like a regular loaf and make several small sandwiches (which would be easier for younger kids to handle). If you are making the mini-loaves (you’ll get five or six) use them the first day or slice them and wrap them for the freezer for another day.

Any kitchen specialty store should carry small bread pans.

75 ml (1/3 cup) water

175 ml (3/4 cup) mashed ripe banana

30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil, margarine or butter

1 large egg

3 ml (3/4 tsp) salt

45 ml (3 tbsp) brown sugar, packed

375 ml (11..2 cups) white flour

375 ml (11..2 cups) whole wheat flour

5 ml (1 tsp) ground nutmeg or cinnamon.

6 ml (11..4 tsp) bread-machine or instant yeast

50 ml (1/4 cup) each raisins and chopped pecans (optional)

1. Add all ingredients except raisins and nuts according to manufacturer’s instructions. Select sweet or basic white cycle.

2. Add raisins and nuts at “add ingredients” signal (about 20 to 30 minutes into cycle after starting time).

To bake in small pans: Fill bread pan as above and set to “dough cycle.” Add raisins and pecans (if using) at signal. When dough is ready, remove and divide into pieces (you will have enough for five or six small pans). Shape the pieces and place into greased pans. Bake in pre-heated oven at 190C (375F) for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove when bread is golden brown, tip from pans and let cool.

Recipe source: Shirley Ann Holmes, Easy Bread Machine Baking, Firefly Books.

Whole wheat ham and cheese biscuits

Who says you need layers in a sandwich? A fresh biscuit with some ham and cheese in it is great with an apple for a snack or partnered with a couple of devilled eggs for a lunch. This recipe has been adapted slightly from the original with the addition of the ham and cheese, as well as an extra tablespoon of milk. When adding extras like meat and cheese biscuits, it’s best to mix the dry ingredients and cut in the fat, and then add the meat and cheese. The flour will help to distribute the extras throughout the dough and prevent them from sticking together into one big ball (the same goes for fruit and nuts). This also helps to prevent over-kneading, which can make the biscuits dry and tough.

To make sour milk for this recipe, place 5 ml (1 tsp) of vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup, then add enough milk to make 190 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp). Let it sit for 15 minutes or so.

Preheat oven to 220C (425F)

Sift together:

375 ml (11..2 cups) whole wheat flour

375 ml (11..2 cups) unbleached white flour

10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

Cut in with 2 knives and then switch to a fork or pastry blender, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal:

125 ml (1/2 cup) lard or butter

To make ham and cheese biscuits, mix in:

125 ml (1/2 cup) diced ham or cooked back bacon

125 ml (1/2 cup) grated cheddar cheese

Add gradually and mix in well:

190 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) sour milk, buttermilk, or water

Knead lightly for a minute until the dough sticks together. Roll out 1..2-inch thick and cut into shapes with a small glass or biscuit cutter. Set on an ungreased sheet; bake 15 minutes at 220C (425F) until browned. Makes up to 15 biscuits.

Recipe source: Adapted from Susan Restino, Mrs. Restino’s Country Kitchen, Shelter Publications.

Whole wheat muffins

This recipe is good any time of day. Serve these instead of toast and jam at breakfast time, serve them with a hearty soup or chili at suppertime or, try them as they are pictured here, packed in a lunch kit with a thermos of baked beans. Round out the meal with some veggie sticks. For fruit, add a few orange slices and some diced pineapple, sweet and slightly acidic, their flavour is a nice contrast to the beans. Mix the ingredients well, but don’t overdo it.

You can change these up a little by adding sunflower seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped apple, or diced dried apricots.

500 ml (2 cups) whole wheat flour

50 ml (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

15 ml (1 tbsp) baking powder

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

1 egg, beaten

250 ml (1 cup) milk

50 ml (1/4 cup) cooking oil

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in centre.

Pour egg, milk and cooking oil into well. Stir just to moisten. Fill greased muffin cups 3..4 full. Bake in 200C (400F) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 12.

Recipe source: Jean Pare: Company’s Coming Muffins & More.

Lunch Kit Tips

“ö If you’re filling a thermos to send beans or soup, be sure to preheat it with very hot water so that the food will still be hot at lunchtime. Sending something cold? Fill it with ice water and chill overnight in the fridge.

“ö Juice boxes can be frozen and will help to keep other items in the lunch kit chilled. The juice will thaw by lunch time.

“ö Frozen pineapple chunks in a small reusable container are a tasty alternative to apples and oranges.

“ö If fruit always seems to make its way back home instead of being eaten, it might be because it’s not cut up. A whole apple or orange can seem like an awful lot of food once you’ve eaten a whole sandwich (and messy, too) which can discourage kids from eating even a little.

“ö Pack wet things like tomato slices and cucumber slice separate from the sandwiches and let older kids add them to their sandwiches later. Younger kids can just nibble on the veggies.

“ö If you’re packing carrot and celery sticks for very young children, slice them thinly to reduce the possibility of choking. For celery, be sure to remove the “strings” from the back by easing a paring knife into the outside of the celery stick at the top. Use your thumb to press against the outside and pull straight down and peel off the thin outside strings.

“ö Wipe out the lunch kit every night with a mild bleach solution of 5 ml (1 tsp) bleach to 1 litre (4 cups) water. Let it air dry.