If your child's school has a full-service cafeteria, experts design the menu and professionals do the cooking. If not, "Tag! You're it!".
Anna Florio runs La Cucina , of the coking school at Reading Terminal Market, is also a mom facing the many challenges of packing a lunch.
One of her secrets: visual appeal. People tend to think food that looks good will also taste good.
Also, don't ignore your child's likes and dislikes. No amount of culinary cleverness will make a child eat something he or she genuinely dislikes. But the good news is that you know those tastes better than anyone. "My kid likes to eat..." "...whole-grain rice cracker" That creation packs perfectly on a piece of waxed paper inside a one-pint soup container.
Other creative choices
- kids like pasta, so try a pasta salad
- You can roll chicken Caesar salad in a tortilla for a tasty wrap. Tuck in a few croutons for a crunchy surprise.
- A brownie makes a great dessert.
- Kids will eat fresh fruit, but nothing too large.
A creative lunch keeps them interested.
For more about La Cucina cooking classes, call Reading terminal Market at 215-922-2317, or visit their website, http://www.readingterminalmarket.org
