Story by Karen Parr-Moody

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – I have an 18-month-old daughter who attends a daycare where food is provided, which is a great service. But since my husband and I choose a diet that includes mostly organic foods, limited sugar intake, healthy grains and a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, I prepare her meals.

We’re also – like most citizens of planet earth – busy. So for quick and easy food prep, I’ve devised my own healthy “lunch hacks” and have asked other parents about their ideas.

Jessica Kerwin Jenkins, who has two young daughters, said she roasts butternut squash and then purees it into the tomato sauce she uses for pasta and pizzas.

Christina Ploeckelman, who has three children, said, “I bake whole grain muffins and stick half in the freezer to pull out for school lunches.”

Amy Hogan said that her toddler, Harper, loves black beans.

“I make her a baby burrito bowl with the beans and brown rice, diced chicken, chopped veggies and a sprinkle of cheese,” she said. “Avocado chunks and watermelon are big hits, too.”

One of my favorite hacks is to improve on premade organic meals (I never use “diet” or low-fat versions; fats are critical for a toddler’s developing brain.). For example, I buy a frozen entrée called Amy’s Organic Vegetable Lasagna (sold at Wal-Mart, Publix and Kroger). I prepare it, then cut the noodles into bite-sized bits that my daughter, Stella, can easily master.

To make this organic lasagna a bit richer, I stir in a tablespoon of ricotta cheese (which also cuts down on the possibility of the marinara sauce staining Stella’s clothes). This creates two lunch entrées, to which I add organic green beans as a side dish (I order a 12-pack of canned organic Libby’s beans through Amazon.com).

Any of the Annie’s Organic boxed pasta dishes make for great lunch hacks. These come in a variety of flavors, including traditional macaroni and cheese or Alfredo pasta (sold at Wal-Mart, Publix and Kroger). I prepare these with Smart Balance buttery spread made with olive oil or with grapeseed oil; this adds omega-3 fatty acids to the dish.

I then add a tablespoon of goat cheese. This addition makes the pasta dish creamier, so that when it is warmed up at daycare later, it isn’t dry like normal leftover mac-and-cheese. When I make the Annie’s Organic Alfredo pasta shells, I also add peas.

Kashi is another great brand that makes organic entrées. At Publix, I buy the Kashi Chicken Florentine, which I don’t even have to hack; Stella loves it, as is. It includes whole grains, orzo, garlic, spinach and chicken. One box creates two lunches.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are always on the menu for Stella. I cut avocados into tiny cubes for her snacks. Parents magazine calls avocados a “super food” for toddlers because they feed toddlers’ developing brains, which are largely composed of fat, and contain a high amount of monounsaturated fat (the “good fat”). Avocados also have the highest protein content of any fruit.

Since strawberries are always on the list of the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables that contain pesticide residue, according to Good Housekeeping magazine, I buy the organic ones. I find that organic Driscoll’s strawberries at Kroger are of the best quality at the lowest price.

While it isn’t a “hack,” I usually scramble eggs for Stella in the morning. These contain choline, which is a crucial nutrient for a toddler’s developing brain, according to Parents magazine. And these eggs come from happy, healthy chickens – a flock in our backyard. That in itself is a twofer: We get organic eggs and Stella finds the fluffy, squawking chickens to be endlessly entertaining.

Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.