What's for Dinner & School Lunch: week of 1/18/26
Happy Sunday! Tomorrow, Monday, is MLK day so no school ( one less school lunch this week: wohoo!)
As always, these recipes are mostly gluten-free ( 2 of us are gluten-free at home, if any changes have to be made to make the recipe gluten-free, I do specify in the recipe.) and designed for two adults and three kids ages 15,12 and 4.
Scroll down and you will find what I send for lunch for two of my three kids. School lunch is yet another source of harmful chemicals for most kids so, while it can be a pain to prep lunch in the morning, it is an important way to reduce overall toxic burden in kiddos, especially the youngest ones! I often send leftovers to make my life easier.
Without further ado: let’s meal plan prep!
DINNER
Monday: apricot & pomegranate chicken
I will make some changes like not adding molasses ( no need for extra sugar)
i'm sure the pickiest of my kids will not add pomegaranate nor even the apricots on top of this chicken, however, I love exposing them to lots of spices like those found in this recipe because without them, realizing it, it opens their pallet to liking and being a little bit more adventurous and eating
Tuesday: chicken fried rice
My kids love fried rice and we honestly don't eat it very often. What I love about it, in addition to it being yummy and its a way to give them veggies, is that it makes a great school lunch the next day.
Rice can grow harmful bacteria if not properly stored. To avoid dangerous bacteria in leftover rice make sure you follow the steps.
Key Steps to Prevent Bacillus cereus:
Cool Quickly: Spread hot rice in a thin layer on a tray or divide into shallow containers to cool fast.
Refrigerate Promptly: Get it into the fridge (40°F or below) within one to two hours of cooking.
Store Properly: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 3-4 days.
Reheat Thoroughly: Ensure it's steaming hot (165°F) all the way through when reheating, stirring halfway.
If you're making this in a wok, make sure your wok is stainless steel or carbon steel as many are made out of aluminum, which is a neurotoxin. if you need a recommendation, leave me a comment below!
Wednesday: burger bowls
My boys could eat burgers four times a week so this is me meeting them halfway and giving them the burger without the bun and with more veggies . Will make the patties and offer shredded lettuce, tomatos, cheese, oven roasted sweet potatoes and quinoa
Thursday: turkey chili
Bonus: can be made in slow cooker or without! Slow cooker Thursday is back! This turkey chili is great for cooler temps ( although not sure if we will be graced with that in LA this week) : yummy and hearty. Will serve with a simple salad on the side ( toddler will likely just eat tomatoes)
Friday: healthier gluten free diary free chicken marsala
We are having some friends over on Friday and this is an easy recipe that different ages can enjoy
SCHOOL LUNCH
We use bento style school lunch containers for my preschooler and larger containers made out of stainless steel for my sixth grader ( like this large ss salad bowl that I really like because you can separate any moist ingredients so that your salad doesn't get soggy ) For the preschooler, items I usually send her with include: berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, kiwi, grapes, carrots and hummus, edamame, organic corn, green bean ( with some butter)... These are usually snack foods that we find travel well.
Monday: no school so one less school lunch to pack!
Cobb salad ( hard boiled egg, lettuce, tomato, sharp cheddar cheese, cucumbers) and deconstructed cobb salad for preschooler
Left over fried rice
Pasta with green beans and butter ( for gluten free pasta we skip chickpea based pasta because they have been known to contain high levels of glyphosate and instead choose rice based pasta. Cheese can have small levels of arsenic, so it's important to take into consideration your overall conception of rice based products in a week.)
Organic bagel pizzas ( for gluten free we love Pops bagels or those from Modern Kitchen in Santa Monica)
Here is to a great week! xx Aida