Due to a large school population and loads of classes that must eat lunch, my kids' school features lunchtimes beginning in the wee hours of the morning. My kindergarten boy eats at 9:35 AM; my second-grader at 10:30 AM. At first, this caused me some distress, until I started viewing these time slots as opportunities for healthy morning snacks. My guys are home by 2:00 PM so I just feed them again then. Plus, they get an in-class snack before dismissal so they are not starving when they land in our kitchen.

I'm often at a loss for what to pack for these early meals. Today, my young one got low-fat cottage cheese, peanut butter on crackers, watermelon, and some flavored water. His big brother got virtually the same package, but with yogurt instead of cottage cheese. I'm always on the hunt for variety, though, especially since my boys don't love sandwiches. Parade magazine offers up some help with an article called Lunchbox Eats Worth Bragging About. Check out this healthy brown bag menu.

• Honey-Glazed Turkey, Apple and Cheese Sandwich on Whole-Grain Bread
• Carrot, Raisin and Pineapple Salad
• Seedless Green Grapes
• Sun Chips (2.8-ounce bag)
  
  

There are more here, complete with recipes for nutritious noshing.

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Southern cooking is famous for being not only delicious, satisfying, and filling, but also high in fat and calories. As good as fried might taste it doesn't do much for our bodies other than pack on the pounds. But a new trend, called by some the South Eats Diet, is taking all that goodness and modifying it in a way that helps it do less damage to waistlines without losing flavor.

By switching up the cooking method and adding in some new innovative ingredients meals can have that rich southern flavor without the guilt. Sounds good to me!

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