3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

Some days, it can be hard enough to figure out what you want for lunch, never mind your kids. And, let’s face it, sometimes healthy and exciting lunch box ideas can be hard to come by. You know you need to pack a nutritious lunch for your kids in order to keep them sharp and help them power through their day. But whatever you put into their lunch box better also be tasty, or they won’t give it a second look and will gladly munch on their friends’ extra cookies and crackers instead. So, what’s a time-pinched, busy mom with school-aged kids who need to eat healthy, delicious meals to do? Check out our three simple lunch box ideas, of course! 3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids Peanut Butter & Jelly Old school processed peanut butter and sugary jelly squished between white bread is a nutrition nightmare. However, this lunchtime staple can be transformed into a nutrition powerhouse before you can say YUM! Here’s how to make over this old standby:  Upgrade the sugar-heavy processed peanut butter with a natural peanut butter or other nut or seed butter (think almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter).  Swap ultra-processed white bread for whole grain bread, Ezekial bread, or high-fiber crackers.  While you’re swapping, why not switch out a store-bought, sugar-filled jelly with freshly sliced strawberries, an all-fruit spread, or even dehydrated fruit for a little crunch? Dehydrated fruit pulls out a bunch of the sugar and takes nutrition up a notch with vitamin C and fiber. Just be sure to watch for added sugars in store-bought varieties—if you can dehydrate the fruit at home, that’s even better. Rice & Beans It’s challenging to improve on rice and beans, but even the most devoted legume and whole grain lover has to admit that cooking time is a factor in making this perfect pair. Not only that, but white rice and your same ole beans deserve to be leveled up a notch.  If your modern self doesn’t have hours to labor over those beans, whip up some quinoa in the 20 minutes it takes to help your daughter decide on her outfit du jour and pair it with faster-cooking legumes, like lentils or peas, for a delicious balance of fiber-rich, nutrient-dense flavor. In a real time crunch? Lean on BPA-free canned lentils. They’re just as delish, and it doesn’t get much faster than opening up a can. Top your concoction with avocado, salsa, sriracha (if you have a daring kid!) or sour cream to turn it into a meal. While this speedy-prep option is a time saver, it also offers all the fiber, B vitamins, and nutritional benefits of the classic version, so you’re not losing a thing by taking a shortcut.  RELATED: Try These 5 Healthy Snack Ideas that Require NO Skills Milk & Cookies While nothing could possibly replace the taste and comfort of this yummy duo, nutritional improvements are easy to sneak in with no loss of flavor. Small swaps and substitutions go a long way, and your kiddos will never notice the difference. At the very least, make your cookies at home versus leaning on store-bought varieties. This small trick alone is a major healthiness upgrade.  Halve the sugar in your cookie recipe. Spoon in some flax meal and replace all-purpose flour with almond flour.  Upgrade your milk by making it organic or switching to unsweetened almond milk.  Ready to take things a step further? See if you can get your kiddos on board with Three-Seed Energy Balls and a beautiful green Iced Almond Matcha Latte for a combo full of plant-based protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Sweet, satisfying, and healthy—sounds like a win to us!  If you’re looking for a smarter, faster swap for traditional packaged snacks, Sunnie Snacks is a game-changer. These on-the-go snack kits bring together real, wholesome ingredients with kid-approved flavors (think pizza dippers and hummus plates). They skip the refined sugar, seed oils, and mystery ingredients you don’t want in your child’s lunchbox while still delivering the convenience every parent needs.  While not every lunch box idea will be a home run, we bet these three options will end up on regular rotation. Here’s to happy, healthy kiddos… and happy, healthy mamas!

Healthy Lunchbox Ideas For Summer Camp

Summer has barely begun and I’m already  hearing grumbling about healthy lunchbox ideas for day campers. I get it.  I empathize.  I make lunches all year too and it can get daunting.  My kids are old enough now that they are away at camp, so I get a pass with breakfast, lunch and dinners but I’ve been there. Camp lunches are harder than school lunches because sometimes they sit out in the heat if the program has no refrigerator or cooler.  And the kids are often much hungrier than usual because they have been burning through their breakfast fuel racing from one activity to the next. Of course there is hydration to cause worry as well. There are allergy rules that need to be respected. One of your kids is a vegetarian and the other only eats steak. One kid has a snack time and the other doesn’t. Really, it is a blur of baggies, water bottles and smashed sandwiches. Allow me to help set you up for success as you set your camper up for the summer. Healthy Lunchbox Rule #1 Boy Scout Motto: The first rule is for you to BE PREPARED. Set yourself up for success by calling the camp and finding out if there is a refrigerator or cooler to put your child’s lunchbox in. This is important, because you may be able to send your picky eater off with his favorite yogurt for lunch, or you may need to be more creative. Also, ask if there is a snack time and where the snack is stored.  If you know the rules (ask about allergy protocols) you are more likely to have a happy camper. Healthy Lunchbox Checklist Set yourself up with: Labeled water bottles. While disposable water bottles are tempting, a reusable BPA free, water bottle that keeps the water cold and can serve as a cold pack is a great tool.  You may also want to freeze a water bottle to use as an ice pack, but know that it may or may not defrost in time if your child actually wants to use the melted ice to drink. Insulated lunch box.  (2 per kid).  The Wonder Woman metal lunch box of your childhood days deserves a spot in a museum.  There are amazing advances in lunch boxes out there – many come with cooler packs that perfectly fit in to keep contents cool.  Buy an extra set of the cold packs if possible, so you always have a spare on hand. Labels. Lots of kids gear looks alike.  Buy dishwasher safe stickers with your child’s name so it can be easily identified. Worst case, pull out the sharpie and hand write on disposables. Ziploc bags in sandwich and snack sizes. Look for environmentally friendly options that are available at many markets. Non disposables that double as placemats are a fave, too! Water bottles Tupperware in 4 ounce size, sandwich size and 8 ounce size (2 per kid) Napkins Forks and spoons Hand sanitizer or antibacterial wipes (send in lunchbox daily) — Check here or here. A sense of humor Healthy Lunchbox Ideas Figure out, based on what you know about yourself and your child, what should go in that lunchbox. Do you want your kid to have a fruit or vegetables, a snack, a sandwich and a beverage? Is it important to you that there is always something that feels like a ‘treat’ to your son? Does your daughter get a granola bar and fruit every day for snack because that is guaranteed to be wolfed down? If you have a family philosophy (I like to say food culture) then it makes it easier to establish a routine. The more routine your lunchbox, the easier it is to pack. Do not put foods and goodies in that lunchbox if they are not what you want your child to eat.  Lots of parents fall into a trap of packing a lunchbox that they know their child will eat, even if they are not the foods the parent wants them to be eating.  Aim to have at least two or three go-to’s that hit both of these marks. Conventional Sandwich:deli meat such as carageenan free Applegate roast beef and uncured ham, Nuna turkey or chicken, or chunk or canned light tuna on whole wheat Ezekiel bread with favorite toppings such as thinly sliced cucumbers, radish, broccoli sprouts, thinly sliced peppers and shredded carrots. Mini Bagel:choose a whole wheat and high fiber (3 grams or more) mini bagel or bagel thin.  Spread with cream cheese or hummus and load up with tomato or broccoli sprouts, or peanut/almond butter and mashed berries. While bagels are no nutritional powerhouse, they have a place in a well constructed lunch box as a vehicle for healthy fillings.  Of course, if you’ve got a kid who enjoys healthy crackers like Finn Crisps and Mary’s Gone Crackers, swap them out for this hole in the middle idea.  Those options will bump this lunch up a notch. Leftovers:grill some extra chicken, steak, fish or veggie burgers and pack in a Tupperware with your Junior’s favorite raw vegetables. You can wrap this up in a tortilla (I like Maria and Ricardo’s) and re-invent it with a spoonful of guac.  Campers love a no fuss one handed lunch so they can get back to their hiking, archery and crafts. Deconstructed Yogurt Parfait:choose a 6 ounce Greek yogurt, and pack a little Tupperware or baggie with 2 tablespoons granola/pumpkin seeds/chia seed/raisins. They can assemble and eat at lunchtime so the granola doesn’t get soggy. Spread and Serve:there are these amazing little inventions out there, such as nut butter tubes (Justin’s Nut Butter or Barney Butter), hummus cups (Tribe hummus snackers are everywhere!) and super spreadable cheeses like Laughing Cow Pair any of these with carrot or celery sticks, cucumber slices, and high fiber crackers. Pasta Perfection:If you make whole grain pasta during the week, make a little extra to turn into a cold pasta salad. You know your child best – toss with tuna canned in water and diced carrots with a vinaigrette, or add