From 1st grade on, our kids have always prepared their own lunches. They have a lot of freedom as long as there is a fruit
and a vegetable, very little junk, and a
very infrequent treat. Infrequent meaning
maybe once a month.
I still occasional surprise them
with the treat of a
note on a napkin, but the lunch (and breakfast on week-days) is their responsibility.
They microwave ravioli and scoop them into thermoses. All. By. Themselves.
They prepare pastrami sandwiches, spread mustard and mayo, and yes, rinse and slice tomato, onion, and lettuce to go on it. Avocados, fresh pre-washed spinach, and onions often make the cut as well.
Every once in a while, if they are in a rut, I make a "menu" of lunches for the week. They choose one for each day.
It reminds them that cottage cheese and peaches works.
They remember that whole wheat wraps and hummus are just as good as peanut butter and jelly.
They grow bold with the freedom to make their own tuna salad with nuts and dried cranberries being a favorite.
They grab handfuls of smoked almonds or grape tomatoes as a snack.
Lox on a bagel sandwich? Why not!
They are chided to bring a drink--usually a water bottle from home or sometimes a water bottle with milk and chocolate syrup--all three of them somehow always forget hydration.
CG and I have always felt we are setting them up for independence and good eating habits. They don't eat the froot snacks and rice crispy treats and chips and cookies and fake cheesy crackers--the pre-packed crap of their generation. There is little to no artificial colors or preservatives. Mostly whole foods. Always whole grain/100% whole wheat breads. The closest we get to pre-packed are the bags of pre-sliced apples and string cheeses which make preparation faster.
Yes, an occasional slice of leftover birthday cake makes it into the boxes, but so does fresh salsa (PB's favorite) replete with tomato, cilantro, lime and onions as salad dressing over a tupper of pre-washed spring greens mix and slices of yellow peppers
(Yes, from Costco: Hee!). No go-gurts here. They instead peel the whole carrot, find the plain yogurt and add granola, throw the handful of dried blueberries in a Ziploc, and yes, even spread peanut butter on crackers if they want something that looks like the pre-packaged junk of their peers.
And, when given choices?
Those choices make them less picky-not that they ever were allowed to be in this family.
They still end up eating all of the choices offered, but on their time line and in the meanwhile they realize Trader Joe's curried naan tastes delicious as a substitute for sandwich bread.
They also get the thrill of choice since we rarely let them choose the junk offered in the school hot lunch menu.
Don't get me wrong. We are
no food nazis. They are allowed candy. We go back and forth with organic foods. We have pizza once a week from Papa Murphy's. Annie's Macaroni is a staple. Ice cream
(Only the Good Stuff) is a staple in this house.
However, I think our kids have also developed quite a mature palate that can only do them well once they hit college years and adulthood.
They fight over the left overs from dinner the night before of
Tikka Masala with huge chunks of onion, broccoli, red peppers, and carrots with basmati rice to be put in their thermoses.
They gladly eat whatever is put in front of them when they are guests at friends' homes as opposed to the wrinkled noses we often have over here.
However, there is yet one thing they have still yet to learn.
CG walked by the kitchen today whilst little mouths chatted and little fingers prepared.
There was a pungent odor.
A fetid, most foul odor.
Have I mentioned my sense of smell has been compromised decades ago? I raised my eyebrow over at the kitchen table as a he made gagging noises.
Time to investigate, me thinks...
Well, turns out cleaning out the washable insert/liner in their lunch box had been a duty
neglected.
Turns out PB had spilled some peach juice on the removable zip out liner of her lunchbox
weeks ago.
Turns out there was orange, green, and
yes, our old friend BLACK mold growing in the fabric portion of the zipper.
Nasty!
Bleach, soap, scrub, and repeat and it was all better.
On a whim, I checked out Li'l Man's lunch box. Ahh...seems he was growing a colony of his own.
Bleach, soap, scrub, and repeat...Okay, okay, I get down off my high horse. Perhaps they have some learning to do when it comes to cleanliness and food preparation:
Mainly? Mold where one's
Nutella goes is not a best practice.
Note to Myself: Pack bleach spray in kid's suitcase when they go off to university.Sigh.
Did you know in the Canadian Health care system, you can be raped?
In my opinion, this is rape. Pure and simple.
Sickening.
It must stop now.
Furthermore, it is yet one more reason I do not want governmental bureaucracies involved in the U.S. health care system. Canada is often cited as an example as it is and lauded by President Obama supporters.
If this is what it means, NO THANK YOU!
Feeling paranoid now because as a logical woman, I never would have thought this would be possible in a Western, 1st world government in modern society.
Please go tell the Canadian health care system this is not okay. Please?
Please.