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# Square with flair
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/square-with-flair/
- Published: 2008-09-06T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:56:00.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Elizabeth Brown Kitchen Vixen*

MY MOM REMINDS ME THAT I USE TO EAT half a cheese sandwich with mayo, bologna with ketchup or tuna salad. She finds this amusing because I eat so differently these days.

I don’t remember lacking energy as a child, either. When report cards where given, I often got this remark: “Elizabeth is a pleasure to have in class, but she talks too much.” I think by today’s standards I’d be given a diagnosis and meds for being so verbose.

Some theories about hyperactivity in children relate to their diet of processed foods in conjunction with an over-stimulating environment. When you’re young, everything is new to you. Children get excited about the simplest things, such as an unusual cloud formation.

Children are dealing with the “newness” of life and “information” coming at them through various formats. We have more TV channels than ever before with more commercial breaks squeezed into each show. We see pop-ups while surfing the net and billboards with barrages of messages. It’s a wonder we aren’t all being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

But first things first, I’m here to help you make better food choices for you and your family.

When planning the perfect lunch for your little one, first find out what they like. Take them shopping and have them point out their favorite foods.

Focus on the perimeter of the grocery store where most of the “fresh” foods live. They will inherently be drawn to the bright colors of the produce world. Find fresh fruits and veggies that are portable such as grapes, clementines, carrots and celery. Cut up foods which do not already come in bite size portions.

Add lemon or orange juice to sliced apples. The citric acid (Vitamin C) prevents browning. Place dips and sauces in small containers to make foods more fun to eat. To keep foods cold, pack an ice pack or freeze a 100 percent juice box as an ice pack option. Wrap the ice pack in an unbleached paper towel and place in a plastic baggy. This will keep condensation from making the lunch bag soggy while also serving as a pre-lunch handy wipe. Of course proper hand washing is always prudent.

Show your children how to pack a healthy lunch or give them options to assemble one as they eat.

Lunch meats are typically filled with preservatives, but while visiting the beautiful new Whole Foods market at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Rose Avenue, I found some great lunch meats by Applegate Farms. Their organic chicken breasts boast no antibiotics, no nitrites and is gluten free — perfect for anyone with any form of food sensitivity.

Wild salmon or tuna salad recipe: 1 (6 ounce can) salmon or tuna 1 tbs. canola mayo 1 tbs. nutritional yeast flakes Ground black pepper 1 stalk celery, minced 1/4 carrot, shredded 1/8 red onion, minced Accompany with: Sliced apples dipped in orange juice or lemon juice to prevent browning. 2 tbs. tahini honey dip or millet puff bar Tahini Honey Dip: combine 1/4 cup tahini 2 tbs. honey 1/8 tsp. cinnamon Veritable Veggies: Organic carrots, celery, cucumbers and grape tomatoes (Children must choose the veggies they will eat) 2 tbs. yogurt dressing Yogurt Dressing: 1 cup organic yogurt 1/4 cup red pepper, minced 1 scallion, minced (only if your children like onion) 1 tbs. fresh dill, minced Juice of half a lemon (other half for the apple) Millet Puff Bar 2 cups millet puffs (found in the cereal isle at Whole Foods or Co-op) 2 tbs. walnuts, ground 2 tbs. flax seeds, ground 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 tbs. honey 1 tbs. butter or coconut oil 2 tbs. almond butter 1/2 tbs. vanilla extract 2 tbs. sesame seeds 1/2 cup unsulfured dried fruit In a bowl, combine millet puffs, nuts and flax seeds. In a sauce pot, set on medium-low heat, combine butter, honey and syrup. Melt butter, stir and add vanilla. Remove from heat. Add almond butter and mix to combine liquid ingredients. Pour over millet mixture and add cranberries. Mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Place mixture in a 9-by-9 inch pan. Use a piece of wax paper or clean oiled hands to press mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and press again. Place in the fridge to cool until solid. Cut into two inch squares.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 6, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090608.pdf?ref=smdp.com)