With school starting this week, we have been so busy shaking the lint (and crayons, key chains and other odds and ends) out of Solomon and Celia's backpacks and finishing summer projects that I haven't had much time to make elaborate dinners -- but who needs much time to cook?  Not we Scramblers!  To help you get back in the swing of school this week, I have compiled an extra-easy menu of recipes that can all be made in less than 30 minutes.  Let's all try to remember to breathe deeply and stay calm as we transition to our Fall schedules -- and let me do the menu planning for you so you can take at least one item off of your extensive to do list! 

Dear Aviva:  We have a laptop lunch bento system (http://www.laptoplunches.com/) that the girls will use for their school. Can you give some simple healthy school lunch options that can stay cool with an ice pack and still be yummy at lunch?
D.K., Little Rock, Arkansas

Dear D.K.  Here are some of our favorite lunch (or snack) ideas.  I hope these suggestions will help you fill your children's lunchboxes with food that will power their brains and bodies. 

• Leftovers like pasta, pizza, cooked chicken, turkey sausage or steak, soup, or whatever you have left from dinner (use a thermos to keep food warm, if desired).
• Whole grain bagel or rice cakes with peanut butter or cream cheese for extra protein.
• Sandwiches or wraps (whole grain) filled with varying combinations such as turkey and Cheddar cheese with sliced cucumbers, sprouts or lettuce; hummus and cucumbers; peanut butter and banana or apple; cream cheese and veggies.  Or, try a wrap made with pesto, turkey, Havarti cheese and fresh spinach.  For wraps, consider rolling them tightly and cutting them up like sushi rolls!
• Baby carrots, celery, red bell pepper strips, and/or sliced cucumbers with ranch dressing or hummus.
• All varieties of fresh fruit (preferably in season and locally grown).  Cut the apples, mango, oranges and other hard to eat fruit.
• Popcorn (a kid-friendly whole grain), alone or with raisins and nuts; whole grain tortilla chips and salsa or black bean dip, whole grain pretzels.
• Low fat yogurt with fresh or dried fruit and granola or other cereal (keep them separate and let your child combine them at lunch); drinkable yogurt or kefir; or naturally sweetened applesauce.
• Proteins like cheese sticks or cubes, hard-boiled eggs, diced tofu drizzled with teriyaki sauce, nuts or chickpeas. 
• Homemade muffins (make a big batch and freeze them) made with whole grain flour and fruit. 
• Sliced apple, baby carrots and/or celery with a container of peanut butter (or other nut butter).
• Steamed edamame with a little kosher salt.
• Tossed salad with lettuce, diced cucumbers, grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and your child's favorite dressing on the side. 
• Homemade trail mix with dried fruit, nuts and sesame sticks or chocolate chips (make a big batch and fill lunch containers when needed).
• Homemade cereal mix made from a variety of crunchy, healthy, cereals (look for cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber and no more than 5 grams of sugar per serving)

Perishable food only lasts two hours so pack those healthy lunches in an insulated lunch bag with a freezer pack to keep them fresh and safe.  For suggestions for packing waste-free lunches, check out this week's Scramblog.