Healthy School Lunches: Sneaky Items That Seem Sinful (continued)

Bossa Nova Acai Juice A few steps up on the sugar scale, these drinks ring in at about 90 calories each, but their main ingredient is wild acai berries, which contain more antioxidants than any other fruit on the planet. Antioxidants are all the rage in the health community because they reduce free-radicals, which have been shown to cause everything from cancer to aging, and the acai berry sports a knockout punch five times more powerful than blueberries, and a third stronger than the previous antioxidant darling, pomegranate. While this drink is "lightly sweetened" according to the package, we found it very sweet, so you might consider watering it down a bit in a thermos. All the flavors were mighty tasty, but raspberry and passion fruit were particularly popular with our taste-testers. The Bossa Nova has too many calories to make it a daily lunchbox staple, but for those times you're planning on packing juice, this Brazilian bottle is sure to add a little samba to your kid's step. (www.bossanovausa.com)

Metromint Everyone knows you're supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day. But for most kids, that can get, well... boring. Curb their whining by tucking one of these bottles into their lunch. From peppermint and spearmint, to citrus-y flavors that incorporate lemon or orange, to a new chocolate addition sure to be a hit with Junior Mints fanatics, there are lots of minty incarnations to keep H2O interesting. Our favorite by far was the peppermint version, but all the flavors, except cherry, had their fans. Whatever bottle you choose, this stuff has no artificial flavorings and not a hint of sugar or sweeteners, just purified water and pesticide-free essential oils steamed out of the leaves in question, in a mysterious double-distillation process. How do they do it? Who cares! This is a drink you can feel good about. And research shows that mint may even increase motivation. So beyond better breath, your kid may just put in a few more hours hitting the books... (www.metromint.com)

Mains

Tired of packing the same old thing? Want to say goodbye to the PB&J, or shake up the cheese and crackers routine? Here's three great recipes from our own Sneaky Chef, Missy Chase Lapine, that transform kid favorites into lunchtime vitamin boosts.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Got a thermos? Fill it to the brim with this comfort classic, updated to be both delicious and nutritious. In this chicken noodle recipe, the creamy taste comes from evaporated low-fat milk, so there's some extra protein underneath all that chicken-y goodness. Plus, the soup will warm tummies with its blend of vitamins, fiber, and vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon white flour
• 2 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned/boxed (no MSG)
• 1/4 White Bean Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
• 1/4 cup cooked egg noodles or macaroni
• 1 cup diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1/4 cup evaporated low-fat milk
• Salt to taste
• Optional extra boost: diced celery, carrots, and/or parsnips

Directions:

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir constantly for a minute with a wooden spoon (this is a roux, a fancy name for a thickener). Pour in the broth and mix in the White Bean Puree and pasta. If you are adding any optional vegetables, do so at this point. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the cooked chicken, cooked pasta, and evaporated milk, mixing for a minute. Remove from heat and serve. (Makes about 4 servings.)

White Puree Recipe:

• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary

Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender. While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower. Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree. This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree. Double it if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Creative Cream of Tomato Soup

This low-fat version of an old classic is packed with vitamins, protein, and calcium. Ingredients:

• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) tomato soup, condensed
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated skim milk (tastes like cream and packs twice the amount of calcium and protein of regular milk!)
• 1/4 cup Orange Puree (recipe below)

Orange Puree recipe:

• 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3-4 T water

In a medium pot, cover carrots and sweet potatoes with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes until all is tender. If the carrots aren’t thoroughly cooked, they’ll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables, which will reveal their presence (a gigantic no-no for the sneaky chef). Drain and put in a food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth, no chunks should remain. If necessary, add the rest of the water to make a smooth puree, but the less water the better.