Back-to-School Meals That You Can Barbecue

School may be back in session for students across the country, but that doesn’t mean barbecue season is over. And since back-to-school days are especially hectic, easy-to-make and easy-to-clean-up barbecue meals are always a good thing. Plus, there’s the fun factor—kids enjoy a barbecue and to eat outdoors. And if the temperatures are still warm outside, turning on an oven is unnecessary,

We put our thinking caps on to offer these unique and creative grill recipes (translation: no hot dogs).

Pizza

Pizza on the grill is a healthy option that beats delivery any day. It’s a high-fiver for hungry kids and is also an easy meal for time-crunched parents. Play with topping by adding meat and vegetables to get a complete a complete meal. Get the Grilled Pizza recipe.

Burgers and Meatloaf

Unbound Wellness

Of course, burgers are a no-brainer, but a new school year calls for a new perspective. Why not switch things up and graduate from beef burgers? These avocado chicken burgers are an excellent alternative. They’ve got hidden vegetables for the finicky eater and healthy fats from an avocado mayonnaise—a filling and healthy dinner to cap off the end of a busy day and usher in a night of homework. Get the Spinach Avocado Chicken burger recipe. 

Turkey meatloaf is a healthy alternative to beef and mini loaves are ideal for the younger kids in the family. And yes, you can make these mini turkey meatloaves right on the grill. This recipe is intended to be an appetizer for a dinner party but they work flawlessly as kid-friendly dinner. The best part—there are even vegetables in the loaf (peppers and corn). Get the Grilled Turkey Mini Meatloaf recipe.

Chicken and Vegetable Skewers

Go Dairy Free

No matter how you skew it, chicken, shrimp, or vegetable skewers are kid-pleasers. A skewer makes mealtime interactive and, as a result, more entertaining (though the littlest of eaters probably shouldn’t be messing with skewers). For mom and dad, dinner is easy as dicing and threading the skewer and throwing it on the grill. You can also kill two birds with one skewer—alternate the meat or fish with a vegetable and you’ll have a colorful eye candy that packs a lot of nutrients. Looking for leftovers? Repurpose the dish by using the cubes of meat and veggies over a bed of rice or quinoa.

Check out these recipes, skewed just for kids.

Fruit

Skip a sugary dessert and go for grilled fruit. “My favorite thing to grill for kids is fruit,” says Lara Lyn Carter, Emmy award-winning TV host, chef, and cookbook author. “It is a great alternative to a high-sugar dessert. Peaches, pineapple, plums, bananas—there are so many fruits that are perfect for grilling.”

Check out Carter’s recipe for Grilled Peaches here. 

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Broiled Clams With Tomatoes, Butter, and Tarragon

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10 Healthy Recipes for Back to School

Summer’s easy, but also kind of hard. Easy because you don’t have to think about packing up school lunches, hard because—well—you have to think about keeping the kids busy all day. Tradeoffs. Fortunately, you won’t have to trade off nutrition or flavor in these ten school-lunch faves.

1. Crumbly Oat and Apricot Bars

Chowhound

Dried apricots, honey, and apricot jam form the filling for these tender, sweet (but not too sweet), and whole grain–bolstered lunchbox bars. The recipe makes 16 bars—perfect if you’ve got a bunch of little scholars to pack for, otherwise they freeze extremely well. Get our Crumbly Oat and Apricot Bars recipe.

2. Basic Hard-Boiled Eggs

Chowhound

Hard-cooked eggs are some of the simplest things to make. Sadly, they’re also some of the easiest things to mess up. Here’s a simple technique for ensuring that the yolks will be cooked through, but far from turning the dry, green-edged, sulfury-tasting things a lot if us grew up with. Get our Basic Hard-Boiled Eggs recipe.

3. Honey-Mustard Snack Mix

Chowhound

Snacks are a major part of any kid’s food life, and the hard truth is, if you’re not making good snacks for your family, they’ll find less innocent ones to fill up with. This crunchy mix has the appeal of premade ones, but it’s filled with honest ingredients, so you can let your little ones snack away without stressing. Get our Honey-Mustard Snack Mix recipe.

4. Basic Hummus

Chowhound

Hummus is a great thing for school lunches. It’s full of fiber, has a decent amount of protein, and—best of all—it doesn’t taste one little bit like health food. Make up a batch, pack it lunch boxes along with baked pita chips and mini carrots, and you can be sure it’ll all be eaten. Get our Basic Hummus recipe.

5. Baked Tortilla Chips

Chowhound

What parent can say no to chips? You can, however, insist that chips be relatively healthy—like these baked tortilla chips. They’re easy to make, not greasy, and perfect for scooping. Make a bunch and keep them stored in an airtight container for several days. Get our Baked Tortilla Chips recipe.

6. Cinnamon and Pear Fruit Leather

Chowhound

Back-to-school season coincides with the end of the summer pear season and the beginning of the fall one, so it only makes sense to make this perennially popular treat for packing into lunch boxes. Here, blended cooked pears are spread onto silicone mats to dry out in the oven (it’s a great Saturday project). Get our Cinnamon and Pear Fruit Leather recipe.

7. Baked Pita Chips

Chowhound

Pita chips are really good at not breaking, even when little hands scoop them hard through a stiff container full of hummus. They’re also a lot more economical than buying premade ones, and a great way to use up day-old (or longer!) pitas. Get our Baked Pita Chips recipe.

8. Chicken Parmesan Mac and Cheese Bites

Chowhound

A really tasty macaroni and cheese mixture bakes in muffin tins for single-serving portions perfect for packing up in school lunch. This particular mac and cheese mix is designed for maximum flavor and protein. Shredded Mozzarella and grated Parm combine with shredded cooked chicken and a white sauce made with whole milk. Healthy bonus: Use whole wheat pasta. Get our Chicken Parmesan Mac and Cheese Bites recipe.

9. Beef with Broccoli “Takeout” Noodles

Chowhound

Inspired by a Chinese-American restaurant dish we love, this mix of wok-fried skirt steak, broccoli florets, and fresh egg noodles gets a healthy boost from carrots and red bell peppers. Your kids will love it warm or cold, scooped up in chopsticks. They’ll also love the crunchy toasted cashews sprinkled on top. Get our Beef with Broccoli “Takeout” Noodles recipe.

10.  Nutty Trail Mix

Dried fruit, nuts and a hint of chocolate make for a perfect after-school snack. Get our Nutty Trail Mix recipe.

Related Video: A Veggie-Filled Kid Lunch

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What Exactly Is a Back-to-School Cocktail?

For many moms and dads, it’s the happiest time of the year. The first day of school is just around the corner. Long gone are the days of complaints about boredom, messy living rooms, and being forced to cook lunch for multiple mouths. That is now entirely a teacher and his or her administration’s responsibility. (Kidding, kind of.)

As a way to celebrate, the folks at MyRecipes have concocted a Back-to-School cocktail that is both painfully simple and hilariously thematic. In fact, they encourage you to sip it in the AM as you send your children to the bus stop. All you need is an apple juice box (certainly something you’ll have on hand), cognac, ice, and champagne.

First, squeeze the juice box into a shaker filled with ice. Add one shot of cognac and shake until the liquids are mixed and chilled. Pour into your favorite “World’s Best Mom” or “#1 Dad” mug and top with a champagne floater. Feel free to garnish with a sprig of oregano, because you’re classy like that. Not a fan of apple juice? Try some orange juice instead. Hoping to tone down the sugar content? Grapefruit also makes an ideal option. Either way, you’ve got the cognac and a little bubbly. It’s a hard thing to mess up.

The drink pairs excellently with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and the action of pushing your kids out the door. We’d tell you to drink in moderation, but you have a good seven hours to get your party on, nap, and then sober up for when they’re back. Because let’s be completely honest: The first day of school should be just as exciting for parents as it is for students. And if it isn’t, you must not have been taught well.

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15 Ways to Cook with Zucchini This Summer

Got zucchini? It's that time again, when we have more zucchini than we know what to do with. Never fear! We have solutions to this problem—15 of them to be exact! Zucchini Fritters, Cheesy Zucchini Bites, Chocolate Zucchini Bread, and more!

Continue reading "15 Ways to Cook with Zucchini This Summer" »

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Allergy Friendly Snacks to Pack for School Lunch

Making a packed school lunch used to be as easy as schmearing peanut butter and jelly on bread, but the rising incidence and severity of food allergies means it’s no longer so simple, and many schools are now completey nut-free. Even once you remove nuts from the equation, there are still other sensitivities and allergies to contend with—but there are plenty of snacks that are safe for pretty much anyone, and that kids (and grown-ups) will actually want to eat.

Here are a few ideas for what to send to school without having to worry too much about it.

Hummus and Dips

Hummus is traditionally made with tahini, which is sesame paste, and some people are allergic to that. Thankfully, hummus is also flexible, and you can switch up the ingredients as needed. Simply replace the tahini with sunflower seed butter for an allergy friendly version, but feel free to go farther and forgo chickpeas too. You can find hummus based on lentils, cauliflower, black beans, or cannellini beans instead, just to name a few alternatives. If the thicker texture of these dips is likely to be off-putting to your offspring, try an egg- and dairy-free ranch dressing instead. Or if your kids are fans of guacamole but won’t eat it once it browns, try this salt water avocado-soaking trick to keep it green even in a packed lunch.

Pair any of the above with a rainbow of crunchy raw vegetables for dipping. If you have pickier eaters, try making homemade vegetable chips (you can also buy them, of course, but always check the labels for hidden allergens). You don’t need a dehydrator, either; your oven will do just fine. Pretzels also work.

Seeds and Seed Butters

Like nuts, most seeds are great brain food, and when turned into a spread, they have a similar consistency and flavor to nut butters. Sun butter, made from sunflower seeds, is perhaps the most common (and easy to make at home), but you can find other versions too, or make them yourself. Use them anywhere you would use peanut butter or other nut butters—in sandwiches, as a dip for apples, or in baked goods, for instance. You can also send pumpkin seeds as a snack; coat them with nacho cheese powder and no kid can resist, yet they’re still way healthier than Doritos.

Popcorn

It’s crunchy, it’s healthy (at least if you start with plain, unbuttered and unsalted kernels), relatively few people are allergic to it, and it’s wildly adaptable to any seasonings you want to add, whether sweet or savory. It’s a good alternative to greasy potato chips for sure. Even better, if you buy kernels in bulk and pop them in paper bags, they’re just as easy as the microwaveable stuff sold in stores, but way cheaper (and again, far better for you).

Fresh and Dried Fruit

If your kids are old enough to safely handle skewers but still young enough to be especially enticed by food on sticks, spear some grapes and cubes of melon and pineapple instead of just dumping them into cups. Or pack whole berries, bananas, or sliced apples and pears with small containers of seed butter, vegan chocolate dip, or cinnamon yogurt dip (or a coconut-based dip if dairy is out); even if your kids don’t need to be cajoled into eating their fruit, it still helps make it more exciting.

Dried fruit is great too, from raisins to apple chips to chewy mango slices, but if you doubt they’ll eat it on its own, try mixing it into no-bake cookies, or stir it into homemade granola that’s nut- and grain-free. And applesauce is always a safe bet.

Non-Dairy Pudding

Pudding is a fairly universally beloved snack, but the foil-lidded cups from the store are usually filled with preservatives, and often not allergy friendly either. Luckily, making a safer, healthier version at home is easy, and it’s definitely one of those double-duty dishes that’s great to pack for work and school lunches. Look around and you’ll find recipes based on different ingredients (avocados, silken tofu, and coconut cream are all popular dairy alternatives), and in lots of flavors beyond traditional chocolate and vanilla, so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs and that your kids will like. Encourage them to top it off with fruit or granola.

Gluten-Free (and Egg-Free) Baked Goods

It’s always nice to include a sweet treat in a packed lunch, but ideally, it’ll be healthier than, say, Oreos or Dunkaroos (RIP). Happily, the internet abounds with paleo, vegan, and nut-free desserts of all kinds, as well as tips for substituting ingredients in standard recipes, like using flax eggs or replacing butter with coconut oil. Just be on the lookout for hidden allergens in other common baking ingredients—for example, many brands of baking powder contain gluten, and some chocolate (not just milk chocolate) contains dairy, so always check the label.

Here are some specific allergy friendly recipes to kickstart back-to-school season.

White Bean and Edamame Hummus

Chowhound

Put an Asian-inspired spin on the usual hummus with edamame, and use white beans to better let their flavor shine. The sesame oil adds a nice nutty depth, but you can skip it if allergies necessitate. Get our White Bean and Edamame Hummus recipe.

Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

Comfy Belly

This vegan ranch dressing relies on soaked cashews for creaminess, but if tree nuts are an issue, try a version based on vegan mayo and dairy-free milk instead. Either way, plenty of dill, onion powder, garlic, and parsley factor in. If you want more tang, add a little apple cider vinegar to taste. Get the recipe.

Vegan Cheez Its

Minimalist Baker

These homemade crackers’ cheesy taste comes from nutritional yeast, and they get a color and texture boost from a little cornmeal. They’re egg-free, use vegan butter, and you can substitute a gluten free flour for the wheat and oat flours if need be—plus, they’re truly easy to make! Get the recipe.

Dairy Free Fruit Dip

The Wholesome Dish

Increase the chances of your kids finishing all their fruit by adding a fairly healthy dip to sweeten the deal. This one’s made from coconut cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla, but you can also find naturally sweetened versions if you prefer. Get the recipe.

Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites

Kristine’s Kitchen

These no-bake cookie bites are packed with fresh shredded apples and cinnamon. You can substitute a few different things for the oats if you need these to be gluten free, and can also use sunflower seed butter in place of the almond butter. Get the recipe.

Dairy Free Paleo Chocolate Pudding

Paleo Running Mama

This silky chocolate pudding will give Super Snack Packs a run for their money. They’re free of dairy, soy, and refined sugar, and easy to whip up. Get the recipe.

Nut-Free Paleo Granola

The Real Food RDs

Crunchy clusters of allergy friendly granola are great on their own, or sprinkled on top of yogurt. Instead of oats and nuts, it’s made from sunflower, pumpkin, and chia seeds, plus coconut, sun butter, and honey or maple syrup. Add in whatever dried fruits your family favors, and you’ll have a winning combination. Get the recipe.

Gluten Free, Vegan, Allergy Friendly Brownies

Allergy Awesomeness

If you’re looking for a truly fudgy brownie that’s free of eggs, dairy, and wheat, give these a shot. You’ll need to get xantham gum unless you buy a gluten free flour blend that already contains it. Coconut oil and flax eggs make these delightfully ooey-goey (but you can bake them longer if you like things a little firmer). Get the recipe.

Related Video: New, More Accurate Peanut Allergy Test May Eliminate Risky Food Challenges

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Get Inspired by These School Lunches from Around the World

With school starting up soon, the thought of cafeteria lunches might conjure up images of droopy pizza slices, pale green vegetables, or scoops of some indiscernible casserole. Whether back-to-school season means more lunch prep for the kids, more money doled out for school lunches, or neither (just more traffic on school-adjacent blocks!), we can look to school lunches around the world for meal inspiration. Take a look at how these other countries do school lunch, and check out some recipe ideas to help create those flavors at home!

Italy

No better place to start than with the Italian word for bringing leftovers from home: the Schiscetta! Also known as Schiscia, this is the notion that you can prep something comforting, flavorful, and not-at-all boring from either last night’s leftovers, or improvised with fresh ingredients. Italy Food Culture lists these examples:

• Couscous with vegetables and grilled chicken
• Salad with tomatoes, tuna, and mozzarella
• Pasta salad, served cold
• Frittata

Chowhound

Do Schiscetta the simple way with a pasta salad of artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, salami, and provolone. Easy to make, easy to transport to school or work! Get our recipe for Italian Pasta Salad.

Japan

According to The Japan Guy, “The typical Japanese school lunch consists of rice, some form of protein (fish, chicken, beef, etc.), vegetables, soup, and milk. Overall the meals are well-balanced.” With rice (or sometimes noodles) comes either a fish filet, meatballs, a chicken patty, a piece of baked fish, or some other protein. Salads might consist of spinach and corn, or potato, carrot, and sprout, or broccoli and corn, and more.

Ed Anderson

Take this idea of balance, and try a meal that combines grains, protein, and vegetables with a sauce that ties everything together perfectly. Get the recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh with Marinated Tuna, Shiitakes, and Bonito-Rosemary Aioli.

China

The Nanfang showcases different lunches Chinese children eat at school, at home, and at restaurants. At school, meal examples include “a spicy regional noodle dish with potatoes along with slices of cantaloupe,” “curried chicken, tomato and egg, seaweed soup, and watermelon,” and “steamed carrots, pork with a strong-textured reed-type vegetable, boiled vegetables, and steamed rice.”

Clare Barboza

You can channel Chinese flavors with a dish featuring eggplant and ground pork, bolstered by aromatic ginger and garlic. Serve with rice and you have a hot meal akin to these school lunches of protein, cooked vegetables, and a grain-based side. Get the recipe for Stir-Fried Garlic Eggplant with Ground Pork.

Tanzania

When Bill Gates visited Tanzania, he took part in lunch with some primary school students. Though the meal was simple—red beans with tomatoes and onions, served on rice—Gates noted the greater importance of school meals for kids’ attendance, learning, and overall health. Since meat can be pricey, the bean protein of this meal augments the nutrients and energy provided by the vegetables and rice.

Leah at Home

Try this recipe for Wali Na Maharage (Rice and Beans), which includes coconut milk and adds carrots, avocado, and a plantain for additional flavor complexity. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make the dish vegan!

France

If the previous school lunches were inspiring, prepare to be impressed by what these Parisian kindergartners eat for lunch. Lentil salad? Brie? Salmon lasagna? Shepherd’s pie? Ratatouille? No, this isn’t the menu for that special anniversary dinner, nor for your milestone 40th birthday party. It’s what some 5-year-old children eat in France. But, instead of feeling schlubby, take queues from these meals and try some French flavors in your own cooking.

Chowhound

With goat cheese, protein-rich lentils, and that typical (and stereotypical) baguette, refresh your weekday lunch with our recipe for Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese Crostini. You’re just as good as those kindergartners, and you deserve a fresh, bright recipe that shows it!

Brazil

According to Pulitzer Center, Brazil requires 30 percent of meal ingredients to be sourced from local farms as part of its school feeding program. A lunch menu, like that of the Brasilia International School, incorporates such local ingredients into familiar-sounding dishes like lasagna, fajitas, chicken fingers, and beef stroganoff.

Cynthia Presser

Many of these dishes, however, have a Brazilian twist, like in this recipe for Brazilian Stroganoff. Instead of the flat European noodles we might associate with stroganoff, the Brazilian version is served with a side of white rice. Stop by a farmer’s market for the mushrooms and rosemary, or even the steak if you have a local meat vendor, like Mint Creek Farm that serves Chicago markets—whichever 30 percent of the meal is easiest to locally source in the manner of Brazil!

Greece

In Greece, school lunch menus are chock-full of vegetables. OliveTomato lists some example meals:

• Green beans with tomato and feta
• Peas with feta and lentils
• Roasted chicken and vegetables
• Beef and vegetables
• Spinach pie

Chowhound

Lunches have lots of greens, and are cooked in olive oil or tomato sauce. Pizza does make an occasional appearance, but only once every several months. You can prep a hearty, vegetable-centric dish like the Greeks do with our recipe for Spinach Pie, a quicker version of authentic spanakopita. Serve for dinner, and pack a slice for lunch the next day!

Spain

We get another sliceable, portable lunch item when we take a look at children’s lunches in Spain. A Meddeas Language Assistant describes her experience with school lunch in Madrid, detailing the “salty slabs of thinly sliced pork atop lettuce and tomatoes drowning in vinegar and olive oil,” the stew of “noodles, stewed chickpeas, garlicky cabbage, [and] various meats,” and the tortilla española—all meals ending with fresh fruit.

Half Baked Harvest

If you’ve never had a Spanish tortilla, you might be surprised to find out it’s more of an omelette, filled with potatoes. This recipe for Spanish Tortilla with Burrata and Herbs enhances the simple base with basil, dill, chives, and creamy burrata. Like the spinach pie, serve in the evening and reheat for a delicious lunch (Italian Schiscetta-style!)

India

We’ll finish our trip around the world with tiffins, originating from British India. The word refers to either the light meal itself, or the stainless steel carrier of multiple compartments which houses the meal. According to Happy Tiffin, a typical meal “consists of rice, dal, curry, vegetables…or spicy meats,” and Indian workers or schoolchildren would carry lunch for the day in these containers.

The Tiffin Kitchen

The beauty of the tiffin is that you have an easy way to transport multiple parts of the meal—the wet portion can stay separate from the rice until you’re ready to eat, so that you’re not left with a soggy, mushy mess. Try this recipe for Daal-Chaawal, or Lentil Soup and Rice, and fill one tiffin compartment with the lentils and the other with rice until it’s time to combine for lunch.

If the yearly back-to-school feelings start to get you down, look to the rest of the world to refresh your meal routine. You might discover some easy, flavorful recipes that get you more excited about dinners and the subsequent leftovers for lunch—and there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a few more servings of vegetables, to boot!

Related Video: School Snacks Taste Test

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