Cold Lunch

My oldest daughter has never eaten hot lunch at school. A fifth grader now, this has meant a lot of cold lunches that I've packed. My other two girls alternate between hot and cold lunches, depending on the menu. So, what do I pack for their cold lunches?  Cold pizza, sausage, cheese and crackers, sandwiches (although these are not a favorite of theirs), pasta salads, Spaghettios in their thermos...along with a fruit and veggie and small snack. Sometimes they take Lunchables, but this is not very cost effective since one Lunchable costs the same as hot lunch.

What's For Lunch? How Schoolchildren Eat Around the World by Andrea Curtis gives a glimpse into what other kids are eating for lunch around the world.  Although this is a bit text heavy, and my girls were most intrigued by the actual photos of lunches from other countries, there is great information in this book. I love that facts are shared in short paragraphs about food in various countries. For example, one fact in the section on China shares that rice famines caused many people to starve to death. Now plumpness is a sign of health and something that health officials are trying to change.

My students love learning about other cultures and are especially interested in my non-fiction collection; What's For Lunch? will be a title that is often checked out and discussed.