School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat

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Health

by Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 8:45 AM EDT, Thu August 6, 2015

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (1)

Is your school serving these award-winning recipes? —

Local chefs teamed up with school nutritionists, kids, parents and other interested community members to brainstorm, create and test healthy recipes that were designed to make a better school lunch. They entered those recipes into a national Recipes for Healthy Kids competition, part of first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative. While it all happened back in 2010, those winning recipes are still just as tasty -- and nutritious -- today. Even if your local school is not including these healthy choices in their lunch menus -- and they probably should -- you can make them part of your back-to-school meal choices. We've included a link on every picture to the full recipe.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (2)

1ST PLACE VEGGIE WINNER: HARVEST BAKE —

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An unusual combo of butternut squash and granola looks good enough to eat anytime of the day. Winning first place in the green and orange veggie division, Harvest Bake is the brainchild of Chef Bryan Ehrenholm and the kids from Joshua Cowell Elementary School in Manteca, California.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (3)

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: PORCUPINE SLIDERS —

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Studies show kids like to eat food with fun names, but this grand prize winner is as nutritious as it is tasty and fun to say. The recipe for Porcupine Sliders was dreamed up by Chef Todd Bolton and students, community members and school professionals from the South Education Center Alternative School in Richfield, Minnesota.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (4)

GREEN RICE, EGGS AND HAM —

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Dr. Seuss would be thrilled to see his work applied to a tasty and nutritious choice that won a place in the top 30 recipes. Green Rice, Eggs and Ham was submitted by Chef Andrea Reusing and students,community members and school professionals from McDougle Elementary School and Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (5)

OODLES OF NOODLES —

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Kids love oodles of noodles, so this top recipe is a perfect choice for a healthy lunch or dinner. It was submitted by Chef Patsy Bentivegna and kid testers from Lincoln Junior High School in Skokie, Illinois.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (6)

TASTY TOTS —

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This nontraditional version of a kid favorite, tater tots, uses chickpeas and sweet potatoes to pack a tasty tot punch, and it's oven fried! Chef Rodney Poles from the "Chefs Move to Schools" initiative worked with students, community members and school nutritionists from Bellingham Memorial Middle School, in Bellingham, Massachusetts, to come up with this popular choice winner.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (7)

PURPLE POWER BEAN WRAP —

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The power of purple cabbage combines with beans and some great spices to create this vegetarian wrap that's sure to be a packable lunchtime hit. Chef Sue Findlay joined up with students, community members and school nutritionists from Newman Elementary School, in Needham, Massachusetts, to create this winner.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (8)

EAGLE PIZZA —

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The name might be a stretch, but if your kids find it funny and eat it, who cares? This tasty version of a personal pizza comes from Chef Ruth Burrows and the kids from Byars Elementray School in Byars, Oklahoma.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (9)

PEPPY QUINOA —

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A healthy alternative to rice, quinoa is trendy among kids and parents alike. Sartell, Minnesota, Chef Paul Ruszat, as well as kids, parents and school nutritionists from Sartell Middle School teamed up to create this peppy version.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (10)

RAINBOW RICE —

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Almost every color of the rainbow appears in this top winner, along with three different versions of grains. What could be more healthy? This top 30 recipe comes from Chef Patricia D'Alessio and the kiddos from Highland Elementary School in Cheshire, Connecticut.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (11)

SQUISH SQUASH LASAGNA —

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Another great name sure to please the kids--just don't let them try to "squish"it with their hands while it's on the way to their mouths. Chef Jeff Lindemeyer worked hard building this colorful lasagna to please the kids at Liberty Elementary School in Powell, Ohio.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (12)

IT'S SMOKIN'! POWERHOUSE CHILI —

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It could almost be called rainbow chili, there's so many colors and textures in this belly-filling hot lunch, but kids will have fun saying that 'it's smokin'!" Chef Jenny Breen worked hand in hand with kids and parents at Hopkins West Junior High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, to create this crowd pleaser.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (13)

STIR-FRY FAJITA CHICKEN, SQUASH AND CORN —

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Runner-up for best green and orange veggie recipe is this tasty treat from Chef Paul Gray and the gang at Monument Valley High School in Kayenta, Arizona.

School lunch recipes your kids will actually eat | CNN (2024)