It's back to school time and that also means back to the regular schedule of lunches and snacks for the kids. Having grandchildren, I try to get them to try different things. The 2-year old LOVES everything. The 6-year old, and I know I have told you this before, is in love with bread and butter. SO how can you get the proper nutrition into a day for kids that need the energy to stay alert in class? Our daughter is very good about providing healthy snacks and making lunches that the kids will eat. But mac and cheese is not always on the school menu and you certainly can't send it with the kids! So whenever I see something unique, I try to share it with her so she can try it out. She is creative in her own right, but sometimes things get boring so we need to kick it up. I recently saw a few ideas in a magazine that used Mission Flour Tortillas. Besides the usual burritos, enchiladas and deli turkey and lettuce roll ups that you can make with these, I felt they had some neat ideas to pass along. Plus I have included a few of my own. I think this is a good product and I use it often in place of bread. They have fewer calories and they are easy to handle.One recipe is for a TRAIL MIX TACO. You spread the flour tortilla with 2 Tbsp peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of honey. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon each of granola and raisins. Put some sliced apples and bananas on top and fold over. These are packed with good stuff!
How about a PB & J BURRITO? Spread a flour tortilla with peanut butter and your favorite jelly or jam. Place a banana in the center and roll it up like a burrito. Cut it in half and it looks so cool! Or use Marshmallow Fluff instead of PB & J. Gosh remember those marshmallow fluff sandwiches with sliced bananas on Wonder white?
Our grandkids all love QUESAILLAS. The boys are purists. I take one flour tortilla and put it in a saute pan that has been sprayed with PAM. Put some cheese on top of that and cover with another tortilla. When cheese is melting, flip the quesadilla to brown the other side, remove from the pan, into triangles and serve. Our 18 month old granddaughter likes hers with some spinach leaves in with the cheese....she is more upscale!! LOL
- Another idea is to spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the flour tortilla and place some celery sticks on top. Roll up and you have a nice crunchy snack. This also works well with apple slices and peanut butter.
- I like Muenster cheese and thinly sliced cucumbers with a little dilled mayo rolled up in a flour tortilla. I have also used some sprouts in this before, but with the bad rap about sprouts these days, I have cut back my usage of these. But if you have your own home grown sprouts and you know they are safe, they add a nice crunch and zing to this.
- Go Italian! Spread some pizza sauce on the flour tortilla and add some thinly sliced pepperoni and shredded mozzarella. Roll up like a burrito and microwave for a few seconds just to warm and melt the cheese. You can also make this quesadilla style. And for fewer calories without sacrificing flavor, use turkey pepperoni and park skim mozzarella.
- Make a tuna salad burrito. Place a nice dark green leaf of lettuce on the flour tortilla and spread with tuna salad...roll up and eat!
- Once in awhile we also like filling a flour tortilla with scrambled eggs and salsa for an eye-opener in the morning. You can also add a sausage link to the center and rollup burrito style. These are especially nice on a buffet or if you have to feed a crowd.
So my "Mission" here is finished. I hope you will try some of these out on your kids and yourself and enjoy a break from the usual sandwich routine.
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