Lunch and Learn With Young Chefs

As backpacks sit by the door and lunchboxes lie empty five mornings a week, it’s easy to think of making school lunches as just another task to check off before 8 a.m. But it can be much more than that—it can become one of the best opportunities all week to teach confidence, independence, and real-life skills to kids.

Ask a 9 year old to level a cup of flour or carefully spread cream cheese on a slice of bread and watch how seriously they take the job. Measuring, washing, slicing, and assembling ingredients to make a sandwich all become opportunities to practice focus, responsibility, and problem-solving. Best of all, kids don’t realize they’re building these skills—they’re simply making their own lunch.

Unlike many activities, cooking also offers kids an immediate reward for their effort. By preparing a meal, they create something that nourishes themselves and their family, building confidence one recipe at a time.

Mistakes will be made, but that’s just part of the lesson. Nobody gets it right immediately—including adults. But learning how to fix a mistake instead of giving up builds resilience that reaches far beyond the kitchen.

If you want to get your kids involved in their own lunch-making, try out these two Young Chefs Academy recipes that are easy and delicious.

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ON THE TRAIL GRANOLA BARS

Makes 12 bars

Oats, nuts, honey, and a little chocolate come together in this bar that’s chewy enough to pass for a treat but packed with nutrients. Most of the mixing can happen with kids’ hands, not a stand mixer. Tip: Don’t skimp on pressing the mixture into the pan; loose packing is the typical reason bars fall apart.

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 cups mixed nuts and/or seeds, whole (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and/or sunflower seeds)

• 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1 cup crispy rice cereal

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup honey

• ⅔ cup natural creamy peanut butter or sunflower butter

• ½ cup apple butter or apple sauce

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• ½ cup raisins

• 1 ounce (about ¼ cup) mini chocolate chips

Topping:

• 1½ ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 tablespoon natural creamy peanut butter or sunflower butter

Directions

1. Roughly chop the nuts and/or seeds. Pulse the oats in a food processor to break them up (some pieces left whole).

2. Combine the nuts and/or seeds, oats, rice cereal, and salt in bowl.

3. In another bowl, stir together the honey, peanut butter or sunflower butter, apple butter or apple sauce, vanilla, and coconut oil.

4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined, then fold in the raisins and chocolate chips. Taste and adjust the saltiness and sweetness.

5. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with wax paper and press the mixture firmly into the dish. Chill one hour.

6. Cut into 12 bars. Melt the chocolate with the peanut butter and drizzle over the bars. Chill briefly to set. Store in the refrigerator up to 10 days.

FRUIT SANDOS

Makes 8 triangles (4 whole sandwiches)

Strawberry, kiwi, and orange get tucked between soft white bread and a barely sweet cream filling for this lunchbox-sized spin on a Japanese bakery favorite. Tip: To avoid messy slices, give the sandwiches a full hour (or chill overnight) in the fridge before cutting.

Ingredients

• 12 fresh strawberries

• 2 kiwis

• 1 medium naval orange

• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

• 4 ounces cream cheese

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• ¼ cup jam (strawberry, peach, or apricot)

• 8 slices soft, sturdy white sandwich bread (Japanese shokupan) or brioche

Directions

1. Rinse, dry, and hull the strawberries; peel the kiwis and cut them in half; peel the orange and remove the segment membranes (leave the outer membrane intact). Pat dry and set aside.

2. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then chill. Cream together the cream cheese and the sugar, then fold in the whipped cream. Chill.

3. Spread the jam on each bread slice, then spread the cream filling on both slices. Arrange the fruit in an X pattern on one slice, then top with the other piece of bread.

4. Wrap the sandwiches tightly and mark the cut line diagonally on the wrapper. Stack them on a sheet pan, weigh them down with another pan, and chill one hour.

5. Unwrap the sandwiches, trim the crusts with a serrated knife, and cut them in half diagonally.

Anne Moyer is an enthusiastic home cook who brings her love of food and teaching to Young Chefs Academy of Yardley, a local cooking school that empowers children and teens through hands-on culinary experiences including weekly classes, summer camps, and parties. For more information, visit YardleyPA.YoungChefsAcademy.com.

Photograph courtesy of Young Chefs Academy of Yardley