What did you pack us for lunch today Mom?

March Break is over and its back to the morning grind of packing lunches! Arghhhhh!!!! Coming up with creative ideas all the time can be a pain.  Do I ALWAYS make things from scratch? Heck no! I’ll often pack left overs from the night before. I also keep a good supply of quick and healthy ready made options. Having a deep freezer for this reason alone is great! Many of my vegetarian friends or parents of vegetarian or vegan kids will ask me for ideas for lunches, so this is why I thought I should post what I packed for my kids today! I made my own version of what some might call a Falafal.  My kids love this! Its not a difficult lunch to pack, but I sure don’t wake up early to make chick pea balls from scratch.  I invest in Yves Broccoli Bites, Falafal Balls, and their yummy Kale & Quinoa Bites. You can find these at any grocery store and if you are looking for the bulk multipacks, I buy those at Costco. To save time in the morning, because I am either rushing back from chauffeuring my kids to swim practice, or I just want to sleep more, I usually prep my toppings the night before. This way the only thing I have to do in the morning is pop the bites in the oven.

Some nights are pure madness at our place with all three kids being in activities at the same time on the same night, so I find this dish to be also be great as a quick dinner. Serve with a salad on the side.

 

 

Prep Time : 10 minutes  (try to do this the night before if you’re packing for kids lunches in the morning)                                                Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • Any version of Yves Bites (Broccoli, Falafal or Kale & Quinoa)
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Grated cheese (optional)
  • Chopped Pickles (optional, my gang are “Dill Pickle-aholics”!)
  • Chopped or sliced onions
  • Tatziki,  Ranch dressing or Siracha Mayo (depending on your preference)
  • Tortillas (whole wheat or corn)
  • Hummus (store bought or home made, I do either or, depending on what I have in the fridge)

 

Preparation

  1. Heat Bites in the oven/toaster oven or microwave.
  2. Spread hummus on tortilla.
  3. Place 2-3 Bites on tortilla shell and flatten or mash with a fork.
  4. Add toppings and dressings.
  5. Close tortilla and heat in nonstick frypan without any oil. Heating the wrap will allow it to stay closed so the ingredients don’t fall out.
  6. Wrap in parchment paper and foil and pack.