My husband and I started the zone officially a month ago and accordingly we began feeding our daughter these meals as well,we have always eaten well so it wasnt much of a jump. Our little girl after two weeks had done an about face at school,at home and asked me to make her sack lunches because the food at school made her feel "icky"! She can tell you whats on her plate and why. This kid sleeps better,is more polite and friendly and has taken time off of her 5k runs.Anyone looking for the root of any problem with behavior or motivation needs to start with nutrition. Her teachers are always interested in her lunchbox and have a million q's for me about how to get their kids to eat better. I can honestly say that she has never been so happy or joyful seeming and our quality of family is at an all time high! Thanks to the zone my daughter can see her own potential and is going for the stars!

Meredith, that is wonderful!

Please share what you are putting into the lunch boxes. I think it could help a lot of zoners (including my family), always looking for ideas on what to pack in a lunch.

meredith.
Congratulation... great success...
Please share with us the lunch box info... I have 2 kids.. I try to have them on the zone and also have good results, but I have problems choosing what to put on the lunch box. It will be great to have fresh ideas.

I will share some of mines:
1/2 cup cranberry juice + 1/2 cup water (miixed) to drink.
deli ham rolls -- (filled with cheese, rolled) (2)
1/2 apple

another...
-10 cherries -- plain water -- spinach with mayonoise salad. -- left over chicken with mole (she love's it)

- 1 orange, -- plain water -- tuna in water (an I miss the fat, since she does not eat almonds....)

thank you.

Bernie, see if she'll eat the tuna mixed with mayo or a little olive oil.

meredith, that's great!

I need some fresh ideas, too.

My kids won't eat canned tuna, so the tuna ideas are out. I am a bit leary of using deli meats too often, due to nitrates and nitrites, but I am pretty sure they would like the meat rolls with some cheese or hummus (my oldest daughter likes the turkey rolls with hummus).

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Cranberrycat on 07/02/2009 10:07 PM

I need some fresh ideas, too.

My kids won't eat canned tuna, so the tuna ideas are out. I am a bit leary of using deli meats too often, due to nitrates and nitrites, but I am pretty sure they would like the meat rolls with some cheese or hummus (my oldest daughter likes the turkey rolls with hummus).

</div>


Cranberry, you should try to find some of the better choices as far as lunchmeats go. Here are some brands that don't contain nitrates/nitrites.

Applegate Farms
Hormel Natural Choice
Oscar Meyer Natural

I eat these brands all the time and they taste fine. They are actually less salty. They go bad faster though, so they have to be eaten quickly, like 3 or 4 days after you open them. Otherwise, they start tasting funky. Not rotten, just funky. Since they don't have as many preservatives. These brands come in turkey, chicken, ham, etc... Appletgate Farms also has Organic options. They have this really good one called Herbed Chicken. Its downright heavenly. It tastes like it came off a rotisserie chicken, with hints of rosemary and sage.

Becky, we eat Applegate at our house and love it! Also buy Hormel Natural choice, the carved grilled chicken breast, and the deli-style rurkey; both are very good.

I will take a look, but I have never seen these in our stores before.

We do have Hormel and Oscar Mayer, but not those specific varieties. I have seen other brands whose labels claim to be "natural", but taking a closer look, I still find the nitrates/nitrites. We don't have a store around me that has a really good natural foods section, and this really has to be an item that is convenient enough, or it just won't work.

Cran, maybe keep your eye out for it and you might find them. The Hormel Natural Choice selections don't contain hormones, no nitrites or nitrates, no artificial ingredients, no MSG, are Gluten free and are minimally processed (I'm copying this right off the package I have here, lol!). They're right there in the regular grocery store in the same shelf space with the rest of the regular Hormel pre-packaged deli meats, not in a special section.

Another tip, Cranberry, is that the Hormel Natural Choice are in a brown and burgandy cardboard packaging. And Sue's right, they are right there in with the other deli meats.

Meredith... we are still waiting for your lunch box ideas..
my kid is out of school now, but she is attending summer course.. ( I need to keep her bussy) and still need to prepare lunch box everyday...
Please,.. need ideas...

SueK... she preferes tuna right out of the can... she likes mayonoise only on spinach or over lettuce... I will try to mix tuna with olive oil... hope she will not notice it...

Cranberrrycat... I am also concern of using deli all week... I tryed milk with protein blends, but she may not drink it, preferes plain water.... so I keep looking...

Thank you.

Maybe give her some peanuts in her lunch (or other nuts).

Still waiting for meredith suggestions.. but in the mean time, I will we posting Pau's lunch box:
- 1 cup pineapple in cubes (2 C)
- 3 oz canned tuna (2 P +)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (5ml = 5 grs fat) (2 F +) [took all water out, and mix the oil with tuna, she didn't noticed] so... a little not so good balance 2 block lunch. (She got a 2 block breakfast at home)

Hi Bernie! That's good. And, if she likes apples, an apple will be an even better choice than pineapple.

Today's Pau's lunch box:
- 1 quesadilla c/jamon = 1 corn tortilla (1C) + 1oz cheese (1P+ 1F) + 1 oz turkey deli (1P)
- 1/2 granny smith apple
- 3 almonds.. (that I am sure I will see back in the box, since she does not like them)
- plain water
2B worth lunch + She only got a 1B breakfast this morning...

I found the Hormel Natural Choice, but they don't carry it in our local stores. I had to go 35 miles to the larger stores in order to find it. That is not going to be an easy solution, if I have to drive that far to get it. So, I think it would be great to hear other ideas on what other parents put in the lunches of their kids.

I am so glad to see I had so many responses! Thanks! Lunchbox ideas are hard to come by at first but get easier. One lunch is 1/3 banana mashed and mixed with 1 tspn peanut or almond butter and 2 tbspns any flavor protien powder spread into a pita. Olives are awesome fats and fun finger food. 8 olives and 2 oz turkey breast rolled up with some cream cheese and lettuce with pear or apple slices. My daughter loves marinated tofu pillows so thats easy, 4 pillows, 1/2 cup pineapple or grape tomatoes and 2 macadamia nuts. 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 tbspn raisins and 1/4 cup bleberries ( add cinnamon and vanilla or maple extract) and 20 peanuts.......I greatly appreciate all of you ideas, keep them coming!We also encourage her to drink water with her meals and because juice upsets her tummy she loves those flavored calistoga waters.

String cheese! Horizon organic string cheese is a huge snack and lunch help!Tonight we made for dinner a lasagna with tofu and instead of noodles we used thick cut zuccini strips. This recipe makes 5 blocks. 2 zuccinis sliced lengthwise, 1/2 c chopped bell pepper,11/2 c mushrooms,3/4c chopped spinach, 1 c onion diced and fresh diced basil and rosemary, 1/2 c chopped celery, 1/2 c organic tomatoe sauce = 5 1/4C. 16 olives and 1/3 tspn olive oil=5F. 1/4 c fat free ricotta, 5 oz firm tofu, 1 1/2 oz cheese=5P. 1/2 c vegetable broth ( free). Slice zuc's lengthwise and set aside. In a skillet heat oil and add tofu and all chopped veggies. Saute for a few minutes and add broth and tom sauce to simmer until tender,remove heat and stir in rocotta and any seasonings including herbs and layer with zuc's in a dish.Sprinkle cheese on top cover with foil and bake for 20 min at 350f. Letting it cool is very helpful in helping it set up as it is a little juicy but a also sometimes bake it 10 min longer with no foil to reduce moisture. Enjoy!

Thank you for posting the lasagna recipe Meredith....it sounds great!!

Thank you Meredith for the ideas... please keep sharing...
Pau's lunch box
- 2 slice of deli turkey ham -rolled- fillet with nutella (creamy chocolate hazelnut spread) (taquitos)
- 1 nectarine
- plain water.
I challenge my daughter to eat almonds.. (to taste them)... and she liked them... (I had to double her weekly income... ja, but now she eats almonds...)
also, I made a blend with protein powder and avocado.. without her looking.. and put some ice.. I told her I've put ice cream and it was a icecream - chocolate - shake... she loved it.. and never noticed the avocado taste.. It's a nice idea... thank you.. bye now,

I'm loving this discussion on zone for kids...I'm excited to change my sons lunch experience at school. So thanks for sharing the lunch ideas. One idea for a kid who may not like almonds: try soaking 1/2 cup almonds in filtered water in the frige overnight. They puff up and are very delicious. Its considered to be sprouting and they become "live" food and easy to chew.
Once they've soaked, rinse them well and store in air-tight container.

Depending on your store, you may ask the store manager to specifically order what you want. They usually are happy to comply.

We have found a new love for the grill, fruit! My daughter is crazy for grilled peaches and pears. We cook them over a low heat so they stay moist and only use a shot of spray canola oil, they are fabulous. Anyone who knows and loves fried green tomatoes ( obviously not a zone food!) can appreciate that after all this time grilling green toms is still treating me right and I think I like them better this way. So in my girls lunch box for tomorrow she has 1/2 pita, 2 slices turkey bacon wrapped in romaine heart leaves and 1 tspn each leaf light olive oil mayo and a kiwi. I have also been expirimenting with egg whites, I poach the egg whites in water and after straining them dry I mix them with fruit and vanilla and cinnamon with plain yogurt and my kid gobbles it for breakfast. For the fat I mix mac nut butter in also and it is very creamy. A good trick the kid treat we discovered was thawed friut from the freezer ( still very cold) 1/2 cup usually with 1 tspn dark chocolate baking powder ( unsweetened) and add a nut butter and 1/4 tspn stevia powder. They swear they are getting an ice creanm of some sort!

Great tips meredith!