Beans Boost Nutrition in
Children’s Lunch Boxes and
After-School Snacks

By Liz Weiss, MS, RD and Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD

All dry beans – pinto, navy, garbanzo, black, Great Northern — are good sources of protein, excellent sources of fiber, and they’re packed with health-enhancing antioxidants. As dietitians, we give beans an A-plus for their nutritional merits and mealtime versatility. They are a natural at the dinner table in tacos, chili, and soups, and as we recently discovered, many moms are turning to beans as a nutrient-rich addition to their children’s school lunch boxes.

Ham and cheese and bologna sandwiches may be two of the most popular and familiar lunch box staples, but beans offer a welcome change to the mid-day meal with their interesting colors, flavors, and textures. Eating fiber-filled beans increases satiety too, a bonus for students whose undivided attention should be on their ABCs and not their grumbling stomachs.

At MealMakeoverMoms.com, we have a dynamic online community of moms eager to share their success stories at the dinner table (and school cafeteria). Recently, on Facebook, we asked them for their best tips for getting beans into their kid’s lunch boxes and onto their after-school snack tables. Here are some of their most creative ideas … and some of ours too:

  • Christina:  I make black bean and chicken burritos for dinner and then pack leftovers in the lunch box the next day. They’re easy to make: mix black beans, diced chicken, corn kernels, chopped tomatoes and onion, and reduced-fat cheese with low-fat Italian dressing. Put on a tortilla, fold up, and grill until crispy.*
  • Sarah: I make roasted red pepper hummus for dipping into. I also use it on a thin crust pizza topped with roasted garlic, Italian-seasoned chicken, kalamata olives, baby spinach, and fresh cilantro.
  • Vicky: For after-school snacks, my kids go for beans in a bowl and a toothpick!
  • Marie: I drain and rinse canned garbanzo beans. Then I sprinkle them with salt and roast them in the oven. They’re the perfect snack food.
  • Liz & Janice, The Meal Makeover Moms: For a satisfying school lunch, create a cold pasta salad by tossing together cooked pasta (use your child’s favorite shape), diced red bell peppers, small chunks of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese or crumbled feta, garbanzo or navy beans, and an oil and vinegar dressing.  When the kids get home, spread shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and refried beans (or mashed pinto beans) on a flour tortilla. Microwave for 45 seconds, roll up, and serve with a side of salsa for dipping.

* The burritos should be packed in a cold lunch box until lunch time.

About the Authors

Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD are The Meal Makeover Moms who help busy families eat a healthy and delicious diet. Their latest cookbook, No Whine with Dinner (M3 Press, 2011) features 150 healthy recipes and 50 secrets for getting picky eaters to try new foods, especially vegetables. For credible nutrition advice and easy, affordable family recipes, visit their blog, Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen or listen to their weekly radio podcast, Cooking with the Moms.