Pack Your Lunch
By Kelly Furr, NIU STEAM Instructor
Every culture around the world has a different idea of what makes a meal, from the hearty platters of bread and cold cuts of German breakfasts to the peanuts, beans and maize that comprise the Mutakura supper dish in Zimbabwe. The common threads of most meals, at least in my experience, are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Those building blocks transcend humanmade borders and connect all of our eating habits.
March 10 is National Pack Your Lunch Day! It’s the perfect opportunity to wrangle your children into talking about nutrition — by having them help you make lunch. If you’re looking for ideas on what to bring with you, try starting with those three foundational components: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Even the common sandwich can become an interesting meal with the right approach.
Start with your carbohydrate. In a good sandwich, you have at least two layers of some sort of bread. What kinds of bread do you have available? Instead of white bread, could you use pita or a croissant? How about naan? What about using a tortilla? Whichever you choose, set it out on the counter.
Next, let’s talk proteins. Many people immediately think of meat, but proteins are actually a pretty broad category in nutrition. Do you have access to peanut butter or eggs? What about tuna or beans? There are, of course, cold cuts, but I encourage you to try a type you haven’t had before.
Finally, fats are often the most fun part to choose because they’re often very tasty. A lot of us have been taught that fats are bad, but that’s not the case! Everyone needs fats to survive, and your sandwich will only improve with their inclusion. The most common fat to put on a sandwich is mayonnaise, but not everyone likes it. Butter is a fat you can usually find in every fridge, and smearing a little on one side of your sandwich is a possibility. If you want to get fancy, try adding a slice or two of avocado, depending on the seasonal availability.
Try to be as adventurous as possible and see what your children want to try putting together! There is no wrong answer in building your own sandwich, and you can share a good laugh if something gets messy or doesn’t taste the way you expect. Don’t worry if your sandwich isn’t Instagram ready. Food doesn’t have to look like Guy Fieri presided over your kitchen to fuel your body. That said, if you want to snap a picture and send it our way @niusteam, we’d love to see your culinary inventions.
I also encourage the young people out there to join me this summer to experiment with a variety of food as we explore the science of food with FoodMASTER. In this half-day camp, campers in grades 2-5 will have lots of fun in the kitchen as we dig deeper into why nutrition matters in the foods we eat. We’ll learn about what makes foods taste the way they do and investigate how foods change when exposed to heat or other ingredients. Register today!
