Joey, 2002

My fabulous Facebook friends answered my plea for healthy lunch and snack ideas for picky kids. Well, kid, in my case — Danny is an adventurous eater. Joey is not. And the boy reports he’s “starving” every day after school, which tells me his growing body needs more.

Armed with a new list of yummy eats (see below), I’ve been to the grocery store, shelled out $110 on nutritious grub, stocked my fridge and shelves,  and now I eagerly await a thumbs-up or down when I pick up my choosey child today after class lets out. Fingers crossed he’s happy. Fully expecting he’s not.

• Hummus/cream cheese tortilla roll-up with thinly-sliced cucumber, apple or deli meat.
• Hummus with pita bread triangles.
• Tuna or chicken salad in a pita pocket.
• Hard-boiled eggs, either peeled or chopped into a lettuce salad.
• Frozen yogurt tubes.
• Grapes and cubes of cheese threaded on a small juice-box straw, like a skewer.
• Mashed/seasoned cooked beans with spread on tortilla with cheese.
• Black bean brownies.
• Trail mix with nuts, sunflower seeds and some peanut M&Ms for a little sweetness.
• Laptop Lunches has lots of great ideas, too.

Some of the other stuff I picked up:

• Light, low-sugar yogurt.
• Low-fat cottage cheese.
• Sargento light string cheese.
• 100-percent whole wheat wraps.
• Shaved, smoked turkey breast.
• Smart Taste pasta.
• Black beans.
• Carrots, celery, cucumber.
• And we always have loads of fresh fruit.

Umm, Umm.