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Lunchbox ideas, dinner recipes and food tips for when kids go back to school

 
Tampa Bay Times
Published Aug. 9, 2017

Get ready. Summer officially comes to an end this week as kids in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties head back to school Thursday, Aug. 10 (and those in Pasco and Hernando go back Monday, Aug. 14).

Click here for everything you need to know about back-to-school calendars, news and more by county. But there is also a lot to think about when it comes to feeding the school-aged folks in your life.

Let's start with the lunchbox. When it comes to sending your kid to school with a packed lunch, think less about preparing a full, complete meal and more about preparing individual snack-like components that keep lunch nutritious and whimsical. 6 IDEAS HERE

Food safety is also on our minds this time of year. We talked to Museum of Science and Industry communications director Grayson Kamm, who offered tips on making sure your kid's lunch isn't teeming with bacteria by the time they eat it. READ MORE HERE

The biggie is the after-school snack, considering that many students eat lunch before noon and have a long break until dinner. Registered dietician Nan Jensen says after-school snacking can go a long way toward impacting the health of students. MORE THAN A DOZEN IDEAS HERE

By the end of the school day, it's helpful to have some standbys in your back pocket, easy dinner recipes that will nourish the whole family — and satisfy any especially picky eaters. 10 CASSEROLE RECIPES

Chicken is a good backbone for quick dinners. Skinless, boneless chicken breast tends to be the easiest cut to prepare, if not always the most alluring. So we came up with some recipes that aren't boring. 10 IDEAS FOR CHICKEN BREAST

And if you're looking for an easy, indulgent, kid-friendly dish, you can't go wrong with tater tots. 5 IDEAS FOR COOKING WITH TOTS