Back-to-School Lunch Box Ideas & Healthy Snacks!

August 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

It’s that favorite time of year … BACK TO SCHOOL!

So in the hustle-bustle of getting our kiddos all set for school,  I thought it would be helpful to put together a post highlighting some of The Nourishing Home’s favorite lunch box ideas and healthy snack options perfect for the school year and all year long!

(P.S. I’ve also included a terrific guest post from my sweet friend Laura at MOMables, as well as some of my favorite tips and strategies to encourage you in your quest to provide nourishing lunches with greater ease and less stress!)

Back-to-School
Lunch Box Ideas & Healthy Snacks!


Six Strategies for Super Healthy Lunches Kids Love!

Special Guest Post: 5 Tips to Make Lunch Packing Simpler!

Which Lunch Box Storage Containers are Right for You?

Special Guest Post: 5 Tips for Back-to-School Meal Planning


Healthy Homemade Lunchables


Sweet & Savory Wraps & Roll-Ups

 
Top 10 Healthy Snacks for Kids (& Adults)

I hope these inspire you to start the school year off right with some healthy, delicious lunches and snacks that fuel those little bodies for successful learning and continued well-being!

Happy back-to-school prepping!

Joyfully Serving Him, Kelly

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Filed Under: Kid Friendly Recipes, Lunch · Tagged:

Six Strategies for Super Healthy Lunches Kids Love!

August 21, 2012 by · 5 Comments

Most parents strive to provide their kids with solid nutrition, but it can be a real challenge to come up with healthy lunchbox ideas day after day. And let’s face it, as adults, we (often times, more so than our kids) get tired of the “same-old same-old” for lunch.

That’s where having a collection of tasty, fun and nourishing recipes can help you break free from lunchbox boredom. I hope these “Six Strategies for Super Healthy Lunches” provide you with some inspiration for a delicious change of pace as you continue to strive to provide the best nutrition to fuel your children’s growing bodies.

1) Just Wrap It!
Wraps (a.k.a. Roll-Ups) are a tasty, fun and attractive alternative to the traditional sandwich. We love the wrap – they make a great lunchbox option. In fact, my kids have eaten foods they normally turn down, when I roll it up in a tortilla wrap! Apparently, the cute little roll-up makes everything look and taste yummier! Check out “Sweet & Savory Roll-Ups” for a few of our favorite wrap-recipes, as well as a lot more ideas for real food wrapping.

2) Variety is the Spice of Life (especially when it comes to sandwiches)
Beat the boredom of the same sandwich syndrome by mixin’ it up with a variety of wholesome baked goods to book-end your favorite fillings. Here are a few of our favorite options:
• Whole grain or GF bagels
• Sourdough rolls
• Whole grain pitas
• Whole grain or GF tortilla wraps (see #1 for some delicious wrap ideas)

And while we’re at it, here are a variety of healthy sandwich fillings to keep your sandwich creativity flowing …
• Grilled Chicken Salad
• Carrot & Cheddar
• Avocado Egg Salad
• BBQ Chicken – Mix leftover shredded chicken with some BBQ sauce
• Nut Butter & Raw Honey w/Banana – Mix two parts of your favorite nut butter with one part raw honey and top with sliced banana
• BLAT – Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich
• Philly Cheese Steak – Thinly sliced leftover steak and top with leftover sautéed onion, raw cheese and spicy mustard

3) Healthy Homemade “Lunchables”
Why purchase a lunch that not only has zero nutritional value, but actually contains ingredients that are detrimental to your child’s health? Of course, the lure of this product is its convenience, but that’s the whole problem with processed foods – you trade convenience for quality nutrition.

Believe me, I’m not trying to be a lunchbox killjoy here – in fact, the more fun lunch is, the more likely it is that your child will eat it. So that’s what inspired me to create a few Healthy Homemade Lunchables ideas that are as nutritious as they are fun to create and eat.

4) Leftovers for Lunch
Talk about convenient! Packing dinner leftovers for lunch is one of the easiest methods for ensuring a delicious healthy lunch. Here are some of our favorite leftovers that taste great cold the next day …
• Caprese Pasta
• Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks or Herbed Chicken Drumsticks
• Grilled Chicken or Turkey
• Taco Salad
• Turkey Meatballs (w/ketchup for dipping)
• Turkey-Veggie Burgers
• Chicken-n-Veggies Quesadilla Sandwiches

5) Go for a Dip!
Looking for a change of pace? Nutritious dips and spreads make a great light lunch, or add several satisfying sides for a heartier meal.
• Veggie Confetti Spread w/Wholesome Crackers
• Layered Bean Dip w/Chips – In a reusable container, layer refried beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and shredded raw cheese. Serve w/homemade tortilla chips.
• Hummus w/Whole Grain Pita Triangles & Raw Veggies – Check out my friend Laura at MOMables yummy greek hummus recipe.

6) Satisfying Sides
Wholesome sides add an extra boost of nutrition and help to satisfy a hearty appetite. Here are some ideas to get you started …
• Fresh Organic Fruit – Apple slices, melon, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, etc.
• Fresh Organic Veggies – Carrots, zucchini sticks, cucumber slices, bell peppers, broccoli florets, etc. For an extra treat, serve raw veggies w/Homemade Ranch Dressing.
• Lacto-Fermented/Cultured Veggies – Full of beneficial probiotics, cultured veggies make delicious sides. Two of my boys’ favorites are Bubbies brand cultured dill pickles and my Busy Moms’ Homemade Lacto-Fermented Salsa. My friend Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS has a wonderful book on easy fermenting and culturing that I highly recommend!
• Whole Milk Yogurt – A creamy nutritious treat, whole milk yogurt provides a wealth of good nutrition and important probiotics. We love to make our own Fruit-On-The-Bottom Yogurt, Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits and Yogurt Banana Splits.
• Raw Cheese – Made from wholesome raw milk, raw milk cheese provides all the benefits of a living food. Raw cheese is perfect on sandwiches, salads and makes a creamy, delicious addition to fresh fruit kabobs. For more about the benefits of raw milk and raw milk cheese, check out this post.
• Side Salads – I love to add a side salad when packing leftovers like grilled chicken or chicken drumsticks. Salads also make a great main dish too. And you can further increase good nutrition by making your own homemade salad dressings.
• Crispy Nut Mixes – Simply combine your favorite crispy nuts (like almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) with your favorite crispy seeds (like sunflower, pumpkin, etc.). Then add your favorite dried fruits, carob chips, and other healthy add-ins and voilà, you’ve got yourself a delicious and nutritious side.
• Homemade Granola Bars – Made from homemade soaked granola, these crunchy, yet chewy granola bars are not only delicious, but very nutritious too!

• Wholesome Muffins – Naturally-sweetened soaked whole grain muffins make a great lunchbox side. And if you’re grain-free, there are some highly nutritious grain-free flours, such as coconut flour and blanched almond flour, that can be used to create delicious, healthy muffins as well. Here are a few of our favorites:
–Power Muffins
–Lemonberry Fruit Muffins (GF)
–Favorite Fruit Muffins (GF)
–Pineapple-Coconut Muffins(GF)

• Healthy Cookies? Really?? – Yes, you can make a variety of delicious, healthy cookies to satisfy your little one’s sweet tooth. Here are a few of our favorites …
–Cinnamon Walnut Buttons (GF)
–Raw Cookie Dough Bites (GF)
–Raw Cacao-Coconut Cookie Bites (GF)

I hope these six strategies for super healthy lunches help inspire you to create a wide variety of nutritious lunches for you and your children! And if you have some healthy ideas to share, I would love to hear them. We’re always looking for new ways to spice up our lunch at The Nourishing Home!

Joyfully Serving HIM, Kelly

 

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Filed Under: Lunch ·

Test Kitchen Showdown: Which Lunch Box Food Storage System is Right for Your Family?

August 19, 2012 by · 10 Comments

Today, there are so many more options for healthy lunch packing than the traditional brown bag. The question is, which one is right for you? (image courtesy of eHow.com)

Packing a lunch that’s healthy, and holds up by the time your kids are ready to eat it, doesn’t have to be a challenge. There are so many great products on the market that provide a safe, efficient and eco-friendly way to make healthy lunch-packing fun!

Below are just a few of the reusable lunch storage systems that I’ve tried with my personal opinions about their benefits and drawbacks. So if you’ve been searching for the right lunch storage system for your family, I hope this helps make it a bit easier.

Why reusable? I admit that there are times I do use disposable baggies, plastic wrap and the like, but I believe it’s important to do our part in being good stewards. And the great thing is, reusable lunch containers not only accomplish this goal, but are also much better for keeping your family’s food fresh and delicious!

Again, there’s lot of options out there – some more eco-friendly and easier-to-use than others. Just remember to look for reusable food storage products that are BPA free and preferably dishwasher and freezer safe. Additionally, lunch boxes, totes and bags should also be free of harmful toxins, as well as easy to clean, either in the sink or via the washing machine.

And before you purchase a lunch box system, it’s super important to be sure it’s the right fit for your child! As my friend Laura at MOMables points out, many schools require that children be able to open their own lunch containers. So depending on your child’s age, some of the systems I’ve commented on, as well as others out there, may be more difficult for little hands to open and close properly.

Battle of the Lunch Box Food Storage Containers

This test kitchen showdown isn’t so much of a battle, as it is a *review of some of the popular lunch food storage systems on the market.

As mentioned, each of the products reviewed below are ones that my family has personally used. I’ve outlined my thoughts and experiences with each of these systems in an effort to help you better determine which system(s) might work best for your family’s needs. And if you’d like to share your thoughts about these, or other reusable lunch storage systems, please do in the comments below.

 Versatile Food Storage Products

Bento Lunch Box / Lunch Box Kit / Bento Buddies
Overview: Laptop Lunches provides a variety of safe, efficient and fun Bento-Ware options for packing healthy lunches. The Bento Lunch Box requires a special tote (or an equivalent style tote) in order to fit the system. However, Bento Buddies can be used in virtually any lunch box/bag.

Benefits: All of their products are made in the USA from recycled products, and are free of lead, BPA and phthalates/PVC. Their lunch totes are machine washable and their storage containers are dishwasher/freezer safe. And, their containers are leak-proof when properly sealed – an important feature when packing liquid ingredients such as yogurt, dips and condiments. In addition, if you opt for their lunch box/kit, the box and tote are specially designed to keep all of the containers in place – creating less opportunity for mess or a dismantled lunch.

Drawbacks: The only potential drawback may be the price. However, we’ve owned and used our Bento Lunch Boxes and Bento-Ware Containers for several years now and they’re still just as reliable, as the day they arrived. So the quality of these highly durable products is excellent and over time they do pay for themselves by saving you from the expense and waste associated with disposable food storage products.

Rubbermaid LunchBlox Kits
Overview: Relatively new on the market, this system provides the convenience of individual storage containers with the added benefit of a unique locking system that keeps them all in place.

Benefits: Rubbermaid’s LunchBlox containers can be purchased individually or in kits. The LunchBox Sandwich and Salad Kits come with a custom-designed ice pack that works specifically with the system. The containers are BPA free and dishwasher/freezer safe. They’re also leak-proof when properly sealed – an important feature when packing liquid ingredients such as yogurt, dips and condiments. In addition, LunchBlox containers have a uniquely designed locking system that allows the flexibility of multiple configurations to keep the containers securely in place – creating less opportunity for mess or a dismantled lunch.

Drawbacks: The LunchBlox kits and accompanying ice pack are designed to lock to together and if used as such, may not fit some lunch box styles. However, there are many square-style lunch bags on the market that will work with this system. And of course, Rubbermaid provides a custom LunchBlox Lunch Bag that is free of PVC, BPA and lead, and is specifically designed to work with their lunch kit/ice pack systems.

Fixed Food Storage Products


EasyLunchboxes Bento Lunch Box with Insulated Cooler Bag
Overview: The EasyLunchbox System comes with four 3-compartment bento-style containers and a coordinating insulated cooler bag is also available separately.

Benefits: All of EasyLunchboxes products are free of lead, BPA and phthalates/PVC. Their lunch totes are machine washable and their storage containers are dishwasher/freezer safe. The containers are designed to be stackable for easy storage in the frig and they also conveniently nest for space-saving storage, when not in use. EasyLunchboxes containers are much more durable than the typical reusable containers sold in department and grocery stores, which is just one reason why they’re one of the most popular bento-style containers on the market.

Drawbacks: EasyLunchbox containers are not leak-proof, and it’s recommended by the manufacturer that these containers be carried upright (not sideways) in their specially-designed cooler bag. However, if you carry the EasyLunchbox container upright as directed, and follow their leak-proof tip, you can include certain liquidy-foods such as yogurt. Another option is to simply add a couple of leak-proof side containers to store any liquid sides. (Note: Their insulated cooler provides ample space to accommodate a couple of small leak-proof containers, as well as a water bottle and ice pack.)

Ziplock Divided Container
Overview: Ziplock’s divided rectangle kit comes in a set of two 3-compartment bento-style containers that are designed with a special lid-locking system that helps to keep food in its place.

Benefits: Ziplock’s containers are readily available at most major department and grocery stores. They’re BPA free, as well as freezer and dishwasher safe (although, I recommend hand washing so they’ll last a bit longer). Additionally, due to the lid’s special locking technology, the individual compartments are leak-proof when properly sealed – an important feature when packing liquid ingredients such as yogurt, dips and condiments.

Drawbacks: As with most fixed storage designs, there isn’t a lot of flexibility. You’re limited to just three compartments, which may result in the need for additional types of containers, if you’re packing larger or multiple side-dish lunches. The large rectangular size of this container requires finding just the right size tote.  In addition, durability in my opinion is low, and with consistent use, as well as dishwasher exposure, these containers need to be replaced more frequently than other high durability products. So the lower price may not really be worth it if you’re having to constantly replace them.

Other Eco-friendly Reusable Lunch Packing Options

Graze Organic Reusable Lunch Baggies

LunchSkins Reusable Lunch Baggies

Although I haven’t personally used the two products shown above, I am impressed with both the concept and design of reusable food storage bags. So I’m including these as examples of the various types of eco-friendly reusable bags that are available, since some families may prefer bags to containers, or want to use a mix of both. (If you’ve had experiencing using reusable food bags such as these, we’d love to hear your thoughts!)

Let the healthy lunch-packing begin …

Joyfully Serving Him, Kelly

*Please note: This is a completely unbiased review. I did not receive free or discounted product or compensation from any brand mentioned. This post represents my personal opinion after using these products. Your opinion may vary, so I encourage you to decide for yourself which product(s) you prefer. Also note: Most of these brands sell their products via their websites and through other retailers and online sources. I recommend shopping around to find the best price. Wishing you a very blessed back-to-school season!

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Filed Under: Lunch, Resources ·