Kid-Friendly Breakfasts, Lunches and Snacks

With so much press and attention on school lunches right now, I have a feeling that more parents will opt for their kids to bring lunch this school year rather than leave it to chance. But as much emphasis as there is on the mid-day meal, we can't forget the breakfast before and the snack after are just as important for your kid's nutrition. Here are nine easy and healthy ideas for back-to-school.

ON BON APPETIT: Spiced Applesauce

Change up your oatmeal routine with a hearty breakfast couscous by cooking the grain in milk instead of water. Top with dried cranberries, slivered almonds and swirl in a bit of honey. Package in a to-go container with a spoon.

ON BON APPETIT: "Pizza" Sandwiches

Spread light cream cheese on multi-grain flatbread crackers and top with thinly sliced cucumbers, mangoes, tomatoes or stud with blueberries. It's healthier than a dense bagel!

ON BON APPETIT: Outside-in Cheddar Sliders on Mini Buns

Many years ago, when I was an exchange student in Japan, my host-mother served a bowl of miso soup for breakfast every morning as part of a traditional Japanese breakfast. These days, for my own kids, I'll pour the warm miso soup into lidded travel mugs for coffee, and they'll sip on the way to school.

Frozen potstickers only take seven minutes to cook; they go directly from freezer to pan. I pack several pan-fried potstickers along with boiled corn that I've basted with teriyaki sauce and finished in the broiler for a nutty, sweet flavor.

Transform leftovers into homemade hot pocket sandwiches with puff pastry dough. Cut the puff pastry into four squares, spoon filling in the middle of each square, fold over, crimp and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. I've stuffed puff pastry with leftovers from stir-fries, shredded pork from tacos, grilled vegetables, and even pot roast. Make sure you wrap the sandwiches in parchment paper or brown paper bag to prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Make miniature bite-sized sandwich skewers: Use miniature cocktail bread cut into quarters and skewer cherry tomatoes, lettuce, squares of cheese, and thin deli-sliced ham.

For a healthy crunchy, crispy snack, try roasted chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans. And yes, they come from a can. Drain a can of garbanzo beans, rinse and dry very well with paper towels. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Season with chaat masala or any spice blend that your kids enjoy.

One of the fastest snacks to make is Indian pappadum, which takes about 15 seconds in the microwave to puff and crisp up. Pappadum is a paper-thin flatbread cracker, made from lentil, chickpea or rice flour. Just pop one or two of them in the microwave for 15 seconds and watch them puff up. Serve with sweet mango chutney to dip.

Did you know you can make your own microwave popcorn? Toss 1/4 cup of popcorn kernals with 1 teaspoon olive oil in a brown paper lunch bag. Fold over twice and tape shut. Microwave until the pops are about 4 seconds apart. It's cheaper (pennies!), healthier, and each kid can have his own bag.