Lunches

[dutchgirl]

I'm in desparate need of ideas for interesting low-carb lunches for my kids. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[doreen T]

Glad you found us! Lowcarbing has lots of potential for fast, nutritious meals and snacks, once we get past the notion of bread and sandwiches.

Karen Barnaby, our resident master Chef, has posted some delicious and quick menu ideas in our Tips column. At the top of this page, click on Tips in the red menu bar. Look for "Jazz up your Induction" by Karen. Or, to open a new window, click here http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips/tips001.html. Karen's latest recipe for soup is delicious and fast(I just made it the other day). Have a looky in her column http://www.lowcarb.ca/karen.html for this and more ideas ... :)

Try making a batch of lowcarb Revolution Rolls, from our Recipe column, again at the top of this page or http://www.lowcarb.ca/recipes/bread108.html if you're hankering for sandwich or hamburger type buns. This recipe makes a half dozen rolls, that are a little less soggy and don't fall apart quite as readily as Atkins original rolls. While you're in the recipe section, check out some of the other ideas, there's lots of other recipes for breads and muffins that kids would enjoy. Wa'il's "Shepherd's Loaf" only SOUNDS complicated; it's not really, and makes a very delicious whole grain lowcarb bread that slices easily and makes great toast.

On the subject of lunch and deli meats, here is a case of quality really makes a difference. Most of the less expensive, economy family-style lunch meats, weiners etc are full of dextrose, cornsyrup solids, starch and cereal fillers. The average national-branded weiner only has 10 or fewer grams of protein, the rest being fat, salt and filler. Although more costly, a slice of lean black forest ham or roast turkey breast might be a better choice.

Enjoy, and happy lowcarbing

Doreen

[Sharon]

I got these off another egroup..(I just copied and pasted them). I'm not sure about some of them, some aren't really for kids, but maybe you can get some ideas from them.

1. HARD BOILED EGGS
2. DEVILED EGGS
3. EGG SALAD HEAPED ON WASA CRACKERS
4. TUNA SALAD HEAPED ON WASA CRACKERS
5. EGG OR TUNA OR CHICKEN SALAD WRAPPED UP IN BUTTER LETTUCE LEAVES
6. BLT ROLLED UP INSIDE A SLICE OF TURKEY BREAST
7. MEATBALLS (COLD)
8. COLD ROAST CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS OR WINGS
9. SLICED ROAST BEEF WRAPPED AROUND STRING CHEESE STICKS
10. BEEF JERKY, SLIM JIMS, OTHER CURED DRIED MEAT PRODUCTS (I MAKE MY OWN JERKY!)
11. SUGAR FREE JELLO (BUY IN 6-PACKS IN THE DAIRY SECTION OR MAKE YOURSELF)
12. CHEESE, CUT IN CUBES
13. CELERY STICKS, BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER FLORETS, WITH DIP
14. SUGAR-FREE GUMMI WORMS
15. WASA CRACKERS SPREAD WITH SOFT CHEESES
16. WASA CRACKER SPREAD WITH CHEESE AND TOPPED WITH PEPPERONI SLICES (MAKE
YOUR OWN PIZZA LUNCHABLES!)
17. PEPPERONI SPREAD WITH CREAM CHEESE AND ROLLED UP
18.DITTO TURKEY OR ROAST BEEF SLICES
19. CHEF'S SALAD
20. LEFTOVERS IN ANY FORM! (COLD RIBS ARE GREAT THE NEXT DAY!)
21. LC SOUP IN A THERMOS
22. SUGAR-FREE LC PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
23. CHEESE STRAWS/CHEESE CRACKERS (RECIPE TO FOLLOW)
24. LOW-CARB MUFFINS
25. QUICHE SQUARES (DELICIOUS COLD)
26. SALAD STREWN WITH LEFTOVER MEAT FROM LAST NIGHT'S DINNER, TOP WITH RANCH
OR BLEU CHEESE DRESSING.
27. PORK RINDS, TRY THE BBQ OR HOT FLAVOR!
28. PLAIN PORK RINDS WITH PIMENTO CHEESE
29. SUNFLOWER SEEDS, ALSO TRY THE SALSA FLAVOR.
30. LC DONUTS
Di's Brown Bag Suggestions

1) Always have bottled water. Sipping on it is great for keeping the sleepies away.
2) I portion out nuts in 1/4-cup servings in those snack-size Zip Lock bags and always have a few bags in the car.
3) Ham crisps or pepperoni crisps. I nuke smoked ham (gotta be smoked - boiled doesn't work) or pepperoni slices in paper towels in the microwave until they're crisp and put them in a zip lock bag.
4) I also nuke a whole pound of bacon at a time and package it in aluminum foil, 4 strips to the package. Easy to grab, and since I sort of like it cold, too, easy to eat in the car.
5) Protein bars. Not the best choice, but I always have a couple in the glove compartment for emergencies. You can also bring your own home made ones.
6) Deviled eggs. I put them in those new Glad plastic containers. If you smoosh the two halves back together after you've filled them with the yolk
mixture, they travel pretty well.
7) Jerky, store bought or homemade. I like homemade better because I can control the amount of salt. All the commercial brands are too salty for me.
8) Baked chicken legs (for the car) or thighs (for the car or work) or broiled, boneless chicken breasts.
9) Plain hard-boiled eggs.
10) Premade tuna with mayo and a plastic fork or spoon or some WASA crackers to pile it on.
11) Lettuce wraps. Take some nice big lettuce leaves, spread them lightly with mayo, put some sliced deli meat on top, and roll them up. Voila! Lettucewiches!
12) Slices of leftover steak, meatloaf, pork roast, etc., in zip lock bags.
13) Low carb muffins.
14) Any low carb breakfast casserole baked in muffin cups or cut up into individual serving sizes and popped in a Zip Lock bag.
15) Slices of cheese.
16) Cooked and peeled shrimp sprinkled with a little lemon juice and salt.
17) Low carb cookies packed 3 or 4 to a Zip Lock bag.
18) Home made yogurt in a cup with a lid. Don't forget a plastic spoon!
19) Chipped beef spread, WASA crackers, and a plastic knife to spread it with. (Cream cheese, packed chipped beef like Buddig's, shredded,green onions,and a little Worcestershire sauce all mixed together.)
20) Cut up low carb veggies and your favorite dip. Put the dip in an old margarine tub.
21) Low carb cheesecake put in small plastic containers instead of made as a whole "pie."
22) Rumaki packaged 3-4 to a Zip Lock bag.
23) Some of Rani's low carb cheese straws in a Zip Lock bag.
24) Cheese crisps.
25) Sliced leftover quiche (only if you like it cold).
26) Celery stuffed with cream cheese or sugar free peanut butter.
27) Those pre-packaged sugar free Jell-O cups.
28) Chips Chips another low carb chip, pork rinds, psyllie snacks, Just The Cheese crisps and some dip.
29) Turkey (or other deli meat), chopped tomatoes, and cooked crumbled bacon rolled up on mayonnaise-smeared Romaine lettuce leaves.
30) Sugar free gum.
31) Deli ham, roast beef, or turkey rolled up with slices of cheese.
32) A salad in a plastic container. Put anything you like on it, but be sure to include meat! Bring a bottle of your favorite salad dressing.
33) Any LC soup in a thermos. LC chili and clam chowder always hit the spot for me.
34) Cucumber bull's eyes. Use an apple corer to hollow out a cucumber and fill it with your favorite cheese ball recipe. Wrap and refrigerate and then
slice. (It's easier of you slice the cucumber in half first so you don't have to dig so deeply.
35) Any cold LC appetizer.

[Tikerberi]

I've been having the same problem for myself, since I take my lunch to work. One day, I was in a hurry, and looked to see what I had in my refrigerator....mostly ham and cheese slices and koscher pickles. I didn't want to use bread, so what I did was spread out slices of ham, covered them with slices of cheese, and rolled each one up with a pickle inside. I took about 5 of these to work, and they were great!

The same could be done with beef or any cold cuts...

Something else that is really good, is to take some relatively spicey cold cuts, like hard salami, spread slices with cream cheese, and roll them up with a small pickle inside.

Instead of pickles, lengthwise slices of cucumer or other low carb veggies work well too....

[Schwarz]

Something I tried this weekend that seemed to fit my need for pizza was making a 'pizza' out of my my hamburger patti.

1 precooked 0-carb hamburger patti (nuke until hot before adding toppings)
-spread a little low-carb pizza sauce on it
-sprinkle a little extra garlic powder on it, even some Italian spices
-sprinkle some grated mozzerella cheese on it
-sprinkle assortment of low-carb toppings
-sprinkle a little more mozzerella on top if you like
Then nuke again until cheese is melted.

I even tried a mexican form:
on top of the hamburger patti I put
-grated old cheddar cheese
-sprinkle on some garlic powder, cumin pwd & chili pwd
-sprinkle with chopped red / green peppers and chopped onion
-little more grated cheddar
Then nuke

I don't know how you kids will find it, but it sure filled my need for a pizza fix.

[mom2cullen]

:daze:
Doreen, Last year you made a refrence to Wa'li's Shepherd's Loaf and I can't find it anywhere. I'm new and that's probalby why, I may not be looking in the right section.
Thanks
Debbie

[beejereeno]

2 LC tortilla wraps

-8 oz albacore tuna
-3/4 C mayo
-1/2 small green or red bell pepper
-2 slices of onion
-lemon juice
-dill weed
-black pepper
-Mrs. Dash Table Blend (or your favorite seasoned salt)

Chop the onion coarsley and sliced the pepper into strips. Drain the tuna and dump into a small-med mixing bow. Add the mayo, lemon juice, dill weed, pepper, & seasoning salt or your other seasoning blend into the bowl on top of the tuna. Take a pastry blender (the funny round thing w/the handle that bakers use for cutting shortening into butter) and cut the tuna while mashing it in with the mayo and seasonings. Add the chopped onion and stir.

-OR-

If you have no pastry blender a sharp seive-style potato masher might do the trick.

Spread 2 wraps onto a work surface or clean plate. Scoop as much of the tuna mixture as you like, onto the botom half of the wrap and add some strips of the bell pepper and roll up the wraps. One is probably plenty if you are going to have salad or something with it ( I was stuffed ). You can wrap the other in plastic for later. :yum:

PS - I' back to say that although I thought it might, the wrap I ate later for dinner didn't come out 'gummy' like you would expect, after having sat for a few hours in the fridge. I buy the Mission LC tortillas because to me they taste most like the originals!

[beejereeno]

You can use regular tuna too, I just prefer the albacore (white tuna) because it's less 'fishy' tasting to me, if you do use regular tuna instead, there will be almost no need to cut it up with the mayo using the pastry blender, since it flakes wonderfuly. Albacore is more solid and--like white chicken meat--is very dry & more difficult to flake, in comparison to its darker siblings.

[PilotGal]

Something else that is really good, is to take some relatively spicey cold cuts, like hard salami, spread slices with cream cheese, and roll them up with a small pickle inside.

Instead of pickles, lengthwise slices of cucumer or other low carb veggies work well too....

They almost sound like sushi rolls!!!!!