Kids Cuisine

It seems like one day you’re picking out a Spiderman lunch box, and the next your newly minted teen is asserting his preference for starvation over your homemade lunch. He’d rather eat something awash in radioactive-orange cheez-flavored pixie dust than something you lovingly prepared with your own hands.

Don’t believe me? I’m guessing you either don’t have children over 12 or you homeschool. But if you have tweens or teens, you know that suddenly, for many (most?) kids this age, bringing lunch from home is the new definition of dorkishness. It’s simply not done. Why? Who knows? Maybe for the same reason kids refuse to wear a coat to the bus stop in subzero weather or to pull up their hood when it’s raining - but will happily do either inside the school building, in a climate-controlled atmosphere that would readily foster hibiscus in January.

But as stubbornly independent as children of this age can be, the secret that we parents know, having been there, is that they still like to be treated to special lunches. To have Mom or Dad fuss (a little) over their meals. So, to wrest a compromise, I channeled my inner rebellious teen and got down on their level. What could I pack my kids that they would actually eat? Something unobtrusive but kind of cool . . . kids this age like fitting in but not necessary blending in.

And then I came across my answer: Peanut Butter & Co. Peanut Butter & Co. is a sandwich shop in NYC. What they also are is a purveyor of some of the most interesting peanut butter products I’ve ever seen. Now it’s been a long, long time since my teen and tween have willingly taken a standard pb and j for lunch, but a sandwich made with Dark Chocolate Dreams or White Chocolate Wonderful? That’s another story. An interesting story. A story that might just make a kid want to bring a sandwich from home.

Sampling a handful of their offerings was inspiring. Suddenly, I realized that peanut butter - this peanut butter, anyway - can be pretty awesome. I sweetened the pot a bit by thinking outside the breadbox. I sandwiched The Bees Knees between cinnamon graham crackers, spread a granola bagel with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, and created my magnum opus: leftover banana-walnut pancake foldovers slathered with Mighty Maple.

Now, lest you look at these decadent-sounding peanut butter flavors and think the kids would be better off with snack cakes, get ready for the best part: these peanut butters contain no trans fats and no cholesterol. They’re sweetened with things like cane juice, honey, and maple syrup - not refined sugar. They are gluten-free and have natural flavorings.

If your kids just aren’t into sandwiches or cracker spreads, try these peanut butters stirred into oatmeal, spooned over ice cream or frozen yogurt, or as dippers for apple slices. And trust me, it’s not just your kids who will like these. My husband almost single-handedly polished off our sample jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams.

Sure, my son leaves his lunch bag behind in his locker and stuffs his sandwiches into his pockets to carry them to the cafeteria, but that’s okay. And if any of his friends are reading this: Just say the word and I’ll send an extra sandwich in for you the next time. You know you want one!

Buy Peanut Butter & Co. products online or use the Store Locator on the Web site to find a retailer near you. I was delighted (and somewhat amazed) to find several of these flavors at my local WalMart Supercenter. So get out there and get some peanut butter! Your kids will thank you (but probably not out loud).