Keep back-to-school lunches clean and nutritious with these dehydrated treats

It seems that he arrives earlier each year, that is, the first day of school.

There was a time when Labor Day marked the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. Day-long celebrations in various city parks would culminate in spectacular fireworks at night. And when the last glimmer faded, all good schoolchildren knew that they had to hurry to bed: school would start in the morning.

Back to school was buying new clothes, new “school shoes” and a new lunch box. It was catching up with your old friends and making new ones. They were mothers packing nutritious meals for their children to eat at school. They were hungry youngsters eagerly opening new lunchboxes to find…

… that the apple had crushed the sandwich; pear powdered potato chips; the peach had turned to puree.

Sounds familiar?

You’ve packed a good lunch: a healthy sandwich made on whole-grain bread; carrot sticks; Fruit; a couple of cookies; a packet of potato chips. Add a carton of milk from the cafeteria and your child will have a fairly balanced meal.

But then there is the problem of keeping everything intact. There really isn’t enough room for all the fruit, but it will turn brown if you cut into it. And you’re not sure that cookies and chips qualify as “nutritious” foods. Aside from leaving out half your lunch, what do you do?

Say it with me, class: “Dehydrate!”

Dehydration is a great way to reduce the size of the fruit and prevent it from spoiling. Dehydrated foods are easy to pack, light and not messy to eat. A little goes a long way, too: each bite is so packed with flavor and concentrated nutrients that a large piece of fruit is enough for two or three days. It’s easy to make: just slice the fruit, pretreat as needed, load the trays, and turn on the dehydrator. In just a few hours, you’ll have tasty and convenient snacks for your young ones to enjoy!

Instead of the regular candy you would put in your lunchbox:

• Make healthier cookies with dried fruit and fruit powder.
• Puree the fruit and pour it onto a lined tray to dry in the form of fruit skins or rolls. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or other spices for a variety of flavors.
• Pour the yogurt into a lined tray, dehydrate, then roll and cut into small pieces to make a yogurt candy.

As for those greasy fries, substitute veggie fries! Zucchini, squash, and kale are some of the vegetables that taste great when seasoned and dried. Give new meaning to the term “potato chips” by dehydrating your own.

Lunch boxes, buckets, bags, or buckets don’t have to be disaster areas. You can keep them nutritious and clean with dehydrated treats.