Serves 1 – 2

Ingredients

1 cup soba noodles, cooked and chilled

2 oz. (1/4 cup) cooked edamame

3 oz. pulled, cooked chicken (can be grilled or poached)

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 small cucumber, sliced into strips

Preparation

1. Boil the soba noodles according to package directions, then rinse well with cold water after draining.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the noodles, edamame, and chicken.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. Whisk in the olive oil.
4. Dress the noodle mixture with the vinaigrette and pack in an airtight container. Place the cucumber strips on top of the salad, cover with a lid and refrigerate until ready to pack the lunch box. This can be done in advance and stored in the refrigerator overnight. 

*Chef’s Note: You can use leftover chicken from a meal or a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this dish. Also, add in any other vegetables your child may like! 

Fruit Fish

Ingredients

Seasonal fruit – anything that is easy to cut with a cookie cutter, such as melons, pineapple, kiwis, etc.

Pretzel sticks

Butchers twine

Candy eyes

Preparation 

1. Cut fruit into ¼ inch slices and using a fish-shaped cookie cutter; punch out the fish.
2. Cut butchers twine about an inch longer than the pretzel stick and tie a single knot at the top of the pretzel.
3. Lay the pretzel sticks with the twine (fishing poles) on a plate or inside a lunchbox. Place the fruit fish on top of the strings and stick on the candy eyes on each fish.