Ask A Baltimore Expert: School Lunches To Prepare In 10 Minutes Or Less

Barbara Taylor is "passionate about working with her clients to achieve their highest potential." Taylor, a 25-year speech-language pathologist who founded Help Me Speak, LLC, in 1998 to "provide comprehensive evaluations for speech, oral swallowing, language, and fluency issues, as well as for individualized therapy sessions." Taylor has enjoyed making a difference for her clients, who range from infants to toddlers to children to teens to adults. From helping a young client say her first words -- "momma" or "dada" -- to teaching a young patient to say full sentences, Taylor is proud to know she has had an impact for her clients and their families. Another part of her practice is helping young patients with feeding challenges. Because Barbara Taylor's daughter is "selective" about her food choices, Taylor learned to use orofacial myology techniques to help picky eaters to expand their food selections through therapeutic sessions at Help Me Speak, LLC.

Barbara A. Taylor, M.S., CCC-SLP
Help Me Speak, LLC
2500 Wallington Way, Suite 103
Marriottsville, MD 21104
(410) 442-9791
helpmespeak.com

Barbara Taylor is nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association with a Certificate of Clinical Competence and also is licensed in the state of Maryland. A past Vice President of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA), Taylor is currently its Publicity Co-Chair. Taylor earned her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Loyola University, where she also earned her undergraduate degree. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, Barbara Taylor has worked in a variety of settings, including the Kennedy Krieger Lower School, Kennedy Krieger Middle School, and the Kennedy Krieger Extended Day School, as well as adult settings, outpatient centers, the homes of medically fragile infants and children, and the Howard County Public Schools.

Cheese 'N' Crackers

Taylor recommends including a variety of types of food in your child's school lunch. Taylor suggests separating food into single containers or bags or using a partitioned food storage container. Taylor always packs school lunches with one of the following types of food items: fruit, carbohydrate, fat/dairy, vegetable, protein, drink, and a treat or fun food item. The cheese 'n' crackers school lunch includes: green or black seedless grapes, whole or halved to not change texture; crackers; cheese stick or cubes -- cheddar, Colby Jack, Muenster -- skewered on toothpicks; snap peas, crunchy & slightly sweet with Ranch dressing as it helps mask the veggie flavor); sunflower seeds; milk with a cookie straw to add flavor, and vanilla cookies.

Fruit, Yogurt And Nuts

Taylor knows that packing school lunches can be a daunting task for moms and dads. According to Taylor, many kids, especially kids who are picky eaters, prefer a hot lunch. Since sending a hot lunch to school is not possible and a picky eater will often reject school cafeteria food, Taylor suggests packing foods that your child enjoys in their lunch. The Fruit, Yogurt, and Nuts School Lunch includes: stemmed strawberries, washed and placed on a paper towel in the container with a packet of powdered Stevia, a cereal bar , yogurt, flavored but without mixed fruit bits, red pepper slices -- slightly sweet & crunchy, almonds -- plain, cinnamon, or chocolate powdered, milk with vanilla Stevia drops and Fig Newtons.

Breadsticks With Nut Butter

Picky or selective eaters often want to eat a school lunch with their favorite foods as long as the foods don't change texture. For instance, crunchy foods should not be soggy, etc. The breadsticks with nut butter school lunch includes: pitted cherries, bread sticks or rolls, nut butter -- peanut, almond, etc., cucumber slices or sticks with ranch dressing, pumpkin seeds, milk with a flavored straw and M&Ms.

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Dry Cereal With A Side Of Pudding And Veggies

Taylor suggests packing crunchy foods, like dry cereal, green pepper slices, etc., in your child's school lunch. Kids usually especially enjoy crunchy food, she says. The dry cereal with a side of pudding and veggies school lunch includes: firm pear slices so they don't turn brown quickly, dry cereal (like Chex or Cheerios), pudding, green pepper slices, Colby cheese, water (plain or flavored), and sour candies like Sour Patch kids.

Greek Yogurt And Watermelon Cubes

Always remember to pack an ice pack in your child's school lunch to keep the school lunch cold. The greek yogurt and watermelon cubes school lunch includes: watermelon cubes, a muffin, Greek yogurt, cauliflower (plain taste, masked by ranch dressing dip),  pistachios, milk, and dried fruit, like cherries.

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Jill Berry @MusingsfromMe is a writer who stays at home or a SAHM who writesit depends on the day and her mood. While playing a writer on the internet, Jill has the gray hair AND blogposts from raising a kid, a preteen, and a teen. When not blogging at Musings from Me, Jill seizes family time whenever she candinner as a family, movie night, marathon family game sessions, travelingyou name it she wants to do it.