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Noodle & Bean: Lunchbox Ideas

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What Noodle & Bean is All About--Lunch!

This lens is about making lunch for yourself and your family. Here you will find resources on how to pack a healthy lunch for your school age children or what to take in a brown bag lunch to the office for yourself.

I've included links to various resources for nutrition information, school lunch programs and recipe sites. I recommend cookbooks and books on food politics as well as some cool places to shop for lunchboxes for adults and children.

By the way, in case you're wondering about the name of this lens: "noodle" is my daughter's nickname and "bean" is my son's. 

The History of Lunch

Definition and history of lunch
What lunch is all about according to Wikipedia.
The Lunchbox
A history of the lunch box

School Lunch Information

Online resources on school lunch programs

If you want to become and activist for healthier cafeteria food in your local school district or just want some information and tips these sites will be helpful.
Kids Health
Some tips on helping your child choose healthier foods from the cafeteria as well as suggestions on what to pack in a brown bag lunch.
National School Lunch Program
The USDA site's National School Lunch Program page.
School Nutrition Association
The School Nutrition Association (formerly American School Food Service Association) is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country.
Rethinking School Lunch
A program from ecoliteracy.org
Healthy School Lunches
A campaign sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
School Lunch Inititative
"The School Lunch Initiative envisions revolutionizing school lunch by making food a central part of the academic curriculum. The Initiative includes gardens, kitchen classrooms, and lunchrooms as contexts for learning."

This a joint venture between Alice Waters' Chez Panisse and the Berkeley Unified School District.

A wonderful and inspiring site with links to The Edible Schoolyard and more.
NutritionExplorations.org
Very good site on kids nutrition with sections for parents, educators, and school lunch service.
Ann Douglas's Lunch box dos and don'ts
Some quick tips and reminders
Feed me better
This is Jamie Oliver's campaign/site to ban junkfood and get more nutritious homemade food back on school lunch/dinner menus in the UK. Very well done, looks like he has made a big difference, campaigning for more money for the school cafeterias etc. We could use him over here in the US.
A success story in San Francisco schools
Home of the San Francisco Unified School District's Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee. If you need some ideas, some ammunition to persuade your school board to improve lunches, or just some inspiration, check out this site.
Sustainable Table
Working to educate consumers and increase demand for sustainable food. Wow. This is a great site! There are tons of resources and tips for parents who want to improve their school cafeteria's food under the "Sustainable Schools" section. There are also recipes and links to cooking schools that offer specifically sustainable cooking classes.
Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
"The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is the leading national organization working to improve public policies in order to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States." This site is very good for keeping track of current legislation regarding nutrition and also for finding stats in schools across the country.
The FOOD Museum : School Lunch Reform
A GREAT site!!! Valuable information on the history of the school lunch program including old photos and advertisements, blogs, photos, and much more.
Netmums lunchbox ideas
Healthy lunchbox ideas for school children, featuring a handy chart with five categories: choose one from each column for a well-balanced meal.
Slow Food USA in Schools
"Slow Food in Schools is a unique national program of garden
to table projects with children that cultivates the senses
and teaches an ecological approach to food."
Healthy Schools Network, Inc.
Besides having nutrition information this site deals with environmental issues as well.

Obento!

Recipes and places to buy Bento boxes and other supplies.

Here are some very inspiring websites for making lunchboxes based on the Japanese obento box. Perfect for the little ones!
ILoveObento
Gel-cool boxes have lids you store in the cooler.
Japanistic
This site has a lot of great Japanese products--I could spend hours looking at all the cuteness! There are really nice bags fro carrying bento boxes as well as the boxes themselves.
Lunch in a Box
This SF mom has got the bento box thing goin' on! Lots of great recipes and resources.
Just Bento
This site contains recipes and tutorials based on the wonderful cookbook "Just Bento" .

Bento boxes and supplies

Adult and kid-friendly boxes available from Amazon.com

Amazon now has lots of different types of bento boxes to choose.
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Fed Up With Lunch

An educator eats what kids eat in the cafeteria and blogs about it.

This blog was a real eye-opener on the state of cafeteria food. The anonymous educator goes by Mrs.Q and she is a great American!
Fed Up With Lunch
The website has lots of useful information and links. The author has also written a book about her experiences.

Checking the ingredients

Here are some resources on things to look for and avoid in packaged foods

Ban Trans Fats: The Campaign to Ban Partially Hydrogenated Oils
This is a very useful site that explains how bad trans fats are and why you should avoid them like the plague.
LOHAS Tip of the Week
The Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods
High fructose corn syrup
A quite thorough explanation of high fructose corn syrup and what various studies say about it. Apparently, the word is still out on it, but personally, I would avoid it. If you use a lot of ketchup buy it from Trader Joes if you can, unlike all the major brands, it doesn't have HFCS and it's also organic (and it tastes good).

Featured Item: Laptop Lunch System

I love this idea so much I thought I'd make this a featured item.

Having the nest of little containers encourages you to eat a variety of different foods in each lunch and also makes it easy to provide portion control.

There are kid-friendly versions and elegant office options, as well as mix and match accesories like beverage containers. They've thought of everything!

The website is also very useful and has lots of information and ideas.

http://www.laptoplunches.com

New Item: Custom Photo Lunchbox

"Your favorite photo featured on both sides of this classic metal lunchbox. Any photo whether a digital image, print, slide or even artwork can be used! It makes for the perfect gift or a creative treasure chest for your child."

What a cool idea!

http://www.oggstudio.com

Stylish Lunchboxes for Your Significant Other

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From Archie McPhee for Laughs

Great for people who work in Manhattan!

What's for Lunch? Decision Spinner
"It's lunch break again and you're too tired to think. Your body is screaming for caffeine and nicotine, but your stomach insists on some sort of sustenance. Fortunately, you have this handy 8-1/2" square spinner device to consult. Just flick the plastic spinner and it will point you towards one of sixteen different lunch options including "3 Martinis," "Teriyaki" and "Vending Machine." Features a fold out stand and hanger so you can prop it on your desk or hang it in your cube."

Hipster Lunch boxes

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Kid-Oriented Sites

Great sites for budding chefs and gardeners

KidsReGen.org
This is a fabulous site for kids sponsored by the Rodale Institute. Recipes, gardening, things to do. Lots of fun.
NutritionExplorations/Kids
Games, recipes, activities and nutrition information for kids. The interactive food pyramid is cool.
FamilyFun
There isn't a strong emphasis on healthy food here. There are lots of cakes and cupcakes etc, but its sure to interest kids, and there are lots of good party ideas. Check out the "Snail Snack" it is too cute!
MyPyramid.gov
PDFs of the current food pyramid for kids and adults

The Latest Books on Lunch

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Books on Lunch

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New Books on Food and Nutrition

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Five Books Every Eater Should Read

Because knowledge is power

These are the five books that have influenced how I think about eating and cooking.
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Rethinking the Way You Eat

Here are some books that will "educate" your diet

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What I'll be reading next

These books are on my "to be read" pile

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Lunch cookbooks

Specializing in healthy lunches for kids

I own and use all of these.
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More Lunch cookbooks

Books with ideas for your office brownbag lunches and picnics

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Children's Books

Picture books on the subject of lunch, food and eating for the little ones.

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Just for Inspiration

There's nothing like a foodie-memoir to remind you how important the memory of meals shared can be. Here are a few I have thoroughly enjoyed.
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Lunchbox Recipes Part I

Cold noodle recipes

Cold noodles are a great idea for kids lunches. They can be Asian-inspired or more traditional pasta salads
Cold Sesame Noodles
A classic Chinese take-out dish that kids really love.
Pasta salad with tomatoes and corn
A quick pasta salad that with also be good with peas instead of corn.
Thai-style Cold Soba
"A zesty treat--Goes great with bbq'd chicken and a beer."
Zaru
Very simple and clean-tasting.

Lunch Blogs

People who blog about what they eat for lunch.

Lunch with Front studio
Two architects blog about what they eat for lunch every day.

Recipes Part II -- Salads

Salads that travel well

Potato Salad with Toasted Cumin
A nice Indian twist.

Lentil Salad with Tomatoes and Cucumber

A very nice late summer lunch with some crusty french bread

1 cup French green lentils (you can also use the regular ones)
2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 or two garlic cloves, minced

Cook lentils in boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Combine vinegar and mustard in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in warm lentils and let stand until cool.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, onion, chives, parsley and garlic to lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for about an hour before serving.

Soup for lunch

Grab a thermos container or spin your tupperware in the microwave

Nantucket Cheddar Soup
This recipe is from Annie's Eat Well Naturally site. I must say I think I would use real bacon and maybe chicken stock instead of veggie stock, but you be the judge. Anything with a 1/2 pound of cheese in can't be bad!

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well-washed and finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
1 flavorful apple, such as a Pippin, cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 cups good-quality vegetable stock
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/2 pound sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 chipotle pepper, or a few drops of smoke flavoring, or 1/2 cup diced soy bacon
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste

Optional garnishes:
Diced apple, lightly sautéed in butter
Diced fire-roasted tomato
Grated sharp cheddar
Diced soy bacon, cooked until crisp

1. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, and apple, and saute about 3 minutes, or until tender. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes to lightly toast the flour.

2. Add the vegetable stock, whisking briskly to combine. Bring to a boil, add chipotle, if using, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, uncovered, until soup has thickened slightly.

3. Remove chipotle and, using a handheld immersion blender, or a blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Return to saucepan and bring back to a simmer.

4. Add the cream, cheese, smoke flavoring or soy bacon, if using, and mustard. Cook, stirring, until cheese has melted. Taste and add salt, freshly-ground pepper, and cayenne to taste.

5. Serve hot, topped with one of the garnishes, if desired.

Sandwich ingredients

Things to put between two slices of bread

Here are some great combos to try
  • Smoked turkey, swiss, and honey mustard
  • Roast beef, horse radish, and arugula
  • Prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil
  • Sopressata, provolone, arugula
  • Ham, swiss and honey mustard
  • Roast Chicken, mayonnaise and lettuce
  • Hummus, cucumbers, and harissa
  • Turkey, cheddar and cranberry sauce
  • radishes, butter and lettuce
  • cream cheese, smoked salmon, and chives
  • Tuna, capers, mayonnaise and chives
  • Cream cheese, chives, and green olives

The Outside

What to put on the outside of your sandwich

  • Baguette
  • pita
  • tortilla
  • wrap
  • hotdog bun
  • biscuit
  • kaiser bun
  • sliced wholewheat
  • english muffin
  • rye bread
  • focaccia

Tabbouleh

This will keep in the refrigerator for three days and makes a good side dish for almost anything.

Ingredients:
1 cup bulgur or cracked wheat (uncooked)
1-1/2 cups minced parsley
1 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Soak bulgur in two cups of boiling water for twenty minutes. Combine bulgur, parsley, tomato, and scallions in a bowl. In a jar shake together the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Drizzle over bulgur mixture and toss to combine.

Asian Cucumber salad

Will last in refrigerator about three days

Ingredients:

1 english cucumber, unpeeled
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Thinly slice cucumbers, place in colander and sprinkle with salt, making sure all the slices get salted. Set the colander in the sink and let drain for about twenty minutes.

Rinse the cucumbers with cold water and squeeze as much moisture out with a dish towel as you can.

In a jar shake vinegar, ginger, oil and sugar. Pour over cucumbers and toss to combine.

Asian Confetti Rice

Something to do with leftover rice of any kind

Ingredients:
2 cups brown or white rice, cooked
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup soybeans (edamame), shelled and frozen
1 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped

Dressing:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ginger, powdered

Method:

Brown rice cooking instructions: Rinse 1 cup uncooked, brown jasmine rice. Add rinsed rice to 2 1/4 cups water, bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes until water is absorbed.

* In skillet, saute onions, garlic, bell peppers and sesame oil on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until tender.
* Add in water, soy sauce, soybeans, corn, and mushroom cook till tender.
* To make dressing, in separate bowl mix soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice and ginger.
* Remove vegetables from heat. Toss in rice and mix well.
* Add dressing to rice and vegetables. Mix together. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes 4 Servings

Options for Asian Confetti Rice:
Give this recipe a Thai flavor by adding in 1/4 cup roasted peanuts and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint. Chicken, shrimp, or pan-fried firm tofu cubes also make delicious additions.

Curried Chicken Pitas

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 lb. boneless, skinned chicken breast meat, cut into 1/3 inch wide strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 jalapenos seeded and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

for garnish:
cucumber
lettuce
tomato

In a bowl combine one tablespoon of the yogurt, the garlic, garam masala and curry powder. Add the chicken strips and stir to coat ( I like to use my hands).

Heat the oil in a skillet and then add the jalapenos, onion and chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium high heat for about five minutes, just until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the mixture from the pan and after it's cooled slightly add as much of the remaining yogurt to suit your taste. (If it's travelling a while use less yogurt for a drier mixture).

Line a pita with lettuce leaves, add some thinly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and stuff with the curried chicken mixture.

Alton Brown's Tuna Pan Bagnat

This sandwich actually needs to sit for a couple of hours--perfect for a picnic

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 baguette, approximately 16 to 18 inches long
12 ounces canned tuna packed in oil or water, drained and crumbled
1 small green pepper, sliced into rings
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tomato, thinly sliced

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. While continuing to whisk, gradually add the olive oil. Whisk until an emulsion forms. Set aside.

Slice the baguette horizontally into 2 pieces. Tear out some of the soft bread in the center of each side, making a slight well in the bread. Place the tuna, green pepper, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tomato on the bottom side of the bread in that order. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables, top with the second piece of bread, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

Cut into 4 sandwiches and serve.

Recipes that work as leftovers

Italian-American Meatloaf
This is a great dish, it doesn't resemble the tasteless dry stuff at all. With some crusty bread and a pickle it makes a great sandwich the next day.

Lunch box sites

Cool ways to carry your lunch

Lunchboxes.com
This site has lunchboxes for kids and adults from tin to plastic and beyond.
Builtny.com
Very chic urban lunch carriers for the stylin' types.
Melamine Bentobox from Plastica
Beauty, style and practicality all in one.
Tin stacked carrier from Pearl River
The more masculine version of the melamine bento box.
Thermos
Stainless steel vacuum food jars and beverage containers. The FunTainer is great for kids
LaptopLunches.com
This is a great system for kids, teens, and adults. The box comes with a fork and spoon and different sized containers that fit snuggly in the box. Also included is a guide with recipes and ideas.
Lunchbox Collector
You can order tin lunchboxes with your custom design or company logo.
Fit-Fresh.com
They're changing the world one meal at a time! Seriously, I haven't tried these products but they do look like an improvement on the standard containers.
Filexec Universal Carry Cases
This is a great idea courtesy of Rachel Ray Magazine. These plastic cases come in two lunchbox-shaped sizes and a bunch of different colors. They're cheap (3.99) and kids can personalize them. However, they are not insulated, so keep that in mind when you're packing them.
Pylones - Lunch box - cat
Cute plastic animal lunchboxes.
pottery barn kids | fairfax lunch bags
Nice selection of colors.
This insulated bag has clips for attaching to larger bags, a zippered mesh pocket on the inside, and an elastic strap that secures a thermos. 8 x 4 x 9" h.
Lunch Boxes at Giftapolis
Huge selection of kids lunchboxes from Elvis and Betty boop to SpongeBob and Dr Pepper
Lunch Box Pad - The World is Our Lunch Box!
A virtual lunch box community. Featuring history, pictures, discussion boards, price guides, news articles, trading post, lunch box care, and much more.

The Lunchbox Museum

While visiting Columbus, Georgia...

Why not drop in and view the collection of 3,500 vintage metal lunchboxes at the Lunchbox Museum? For directions and more information click on the link below.

The Lunchbox Museum

Office Supply Gifts

Encourage coworkers to bring in their lunch! Here are some gift ideas for your office mates.

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Play with your food

Here are some foodie toys for the little ones

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Collectible lunchboxes

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Lunch cookbooks

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Containers for food to go

Handy containers to put in your lunchbox

These can all be found at The Container Store, a great source for the lunchbox accessory.
Salad blaster
Keeps salad fresh on the go. Has a seperate small container for the dressing.
Salad blaster bowl
The bowl version of the above.
Snack and dip
Kids really love to dip their veggies in dressing.
Thermal snack jar
This is great for donburi (Japanese rice with toppings of veggies, chicken or eggs. Keeps the rice warm. also can be used to keep things cool, like gazpacho.
Sandwich stay fresh conatiner
Shaped like a sliced bread sandwich. Makes sense.
The Isotherm Bottle from Pylones
Anyone who can resist these cute thermos bottles is clearly a better man than I!

Lunch boxes and carriers from Amazon

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For beverages

These new aluminum bottles are really nifty

This is the best new product I've heard of recently. They're cute (for the little ones), stylish and sleek (for adults), and they're practically indestructible.
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Bring Your Own Water

Tap water to go is the best option for the environment and your wallet

First, read this article:

Message in a Bottle

You'll never buy bottled water again (or at least only in an emergency).

Then check out some of the cool new ways to carry your own with you.

Target's HipSips will please the tween set.

HipSips

Lunchbox stuffers

Amazon now has snack sizes of a lot of foods you don't usually see in the grocery store. You can buy in bulk--it's a good deal. Here's a selection of healthy snacks to pack in your lunchbox. Some are organic and none have the dreaded trans fats.
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International Lunch

Links to interesting ways of doing lunch from around the world

Tiffinwallas of Mumbai
Everyday thousands of people get their lunches delivered to them at work by one of 5000 Tiffinwallas in Mumbai.
Korean food blog
This is a great description with photos of a number of very popular Korean dishes.

By Ji Young Park
Japanese lunchbox
A cool diagram of a typical japanese lunch box on kidsregen.org
GlobalGiving lunch program
You can contribute to this charity effort to provide lunches for school girls in Burkina Faso.
Lunchisfun.com
People all over the world say what they had for lunch and rate its "fun" level.
German kids' favorites
Not lowfat...but there are some classic yummy recipes here.
Hawaiian "fast food"
I just love collecting these regional specialities! This is the Hawaiian version of the burger.
Chopstix.com
A Chinese food blog.
Aussie Kids' lunches and snacks
Information provided by the Australian Consumer's Association.
Tokyo Food Page - Japanese Cuisines
Japanese Recipe Collection and guide to Japanese cuisines, part of the
Tokyo Food Page, including recipes especially formulated for ingredients available outside Japan.
School Lunch Around the World
A cute little item from child.com. Children in other countries pick up civilized habits in the lunch line.

Other Food and Recipe sites

Vegan Lunch Box
Nice links, recipes, etc for those of the vegan persuasion.
Nora's Kitchen - The home of Nora Sands from Jamie's School Dinners
Nora's Kitchen is the home of Nora Sands, the dinner lady who was at the frontline with Jamie Oliver to improve the food our kids eat. Nora's Dinners, her latest book, is full of recipes that children and everyone else can enjoy.
Lunch Box Recipes - Back to School Lunch Ideas
From The Visual Guide. There's also a DVD available with hundreds of recipes and ideas.
Head of the Class Sandwiches
From child.com: Nutritious lunchbox meals that are a cut above the rest.
Chef Ann Cooper : Renegade Lunch Lady
Chef Ann Cooper is a renegade lunch lady who works to transform cafeterias into culinary classrooms for students - one school lunch at a time. She brings you information to learn about the importance of changing the way America feeds its children
Meerilinga
This is an Australian site with lots of great lunch ideas. See especially the sandwich filling section for some different ideas.
Parenting Blog » The Five Ingredients For The Perfect Lunchbox
Protein, complex carbs, calcium, fruit and veg and... The Treat (optional). Read all about it!
Ten Best Lunchbox Ideas
Some simple no-cook lunchbox ideas
Five Picnic Sandwiches and Inspirations
Very tasty and original.
King Arthur Flour
Everything I have tried has been delicious! I especially like the muffin recipes.
PowerfulFoods.com
Healthy Eating By Choosing The Right Foods For Your Diet And Nutrition
25 Tips for Better Brown Bags
Global Gourmet's tips for making a better lunch to take to work.
Easy School Lunch Recipes - Quick and Simple Recipes for Wraps, Sandwiches, and Brown Bag Lunches
From Kaboose.com, a nice parenting site.

Laptop lunches on Flickr

So inspiring!

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Lisa_Kelsey

I'm a working mother who enjoys cooking with and for my family. I love finding new and healthy recipes for lunches and picnics.

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