Many traditional healthy foods aren’t necessarily kid-friendly, which leaves moms and dads wondering how to pack a wholesome lunch that will actually get eaten. Fortunately, a little creative thinking and a few simple lunchbox tricks can help you create tasty meals that will fuel your kids throughout the school day. Consider these seven smart ideas and be inspired to create your own kid-approved combinations.

Think outside the loaf: Sandwiches are a lunchbox staple, but that doesn’t mean you’re limited to two pieces of bread. To add variety and boost nutrient intake, incorporate fun variations. For example, use whole-grain tortillas to create wraps, or, go one step further and cut up the rolls for bite-size “sushi” that makes it fun for lunching. Another idea: use whole-wheat waffles as the sandwich ends and fill with peanut butter and banana or cream cheese and apples.

Colorful creations: Ever notice how everything associated with kids has tons of color? Children are attracted to vivid hues and you can use this to your advantage when you pack lunches. Put a rainbow in every lunch by packing colorful produce such as green cucumber, cherry tomatoes, purple plums, orange carrots and yellow peppers. You’ll keep things visually stimulating and the various colors of fresh foods mean they are getting a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Fantastic freeze-dried fruit: Fresh fruit isn’t always an option and that’s when delicious Crispy Fruit freeze-dried snacks from Crispy Green can save the day. The perfect complement to any healthy lunch or the ideal lightweight portable snack, Crispy Fruit comes in many single-serving varieties to keep lunchboxes interesting, including banana, apple, pineapple and pear. You can feel good about giving your kids a snack that is 100 percent fruit, non-GMO and allergen-free with no additives or sugar added.

Breakfast for lunch: Is it backwards day? No, but you can get a little crazy by shaking things up when you pack breakfast foods for lunch. Kids will grin with joy as they open their pack to see their favorite whole grain cereal with a side of milk, or muffins with secret healthy ingredients like fruit or shredded veggies. You might even consider your child’s favorite breakfast sandwich or a yogurt parfait as a wholesome lunch option.

Slurp up soup: Cold lunch doesn’t necessarily need to be cold. Get a reusable insulated container and get ready to delight those kid’s taste buds with vitamin-rich soup. Whether you choose a hearty alphabet soup bought from the store or decide to make a batch at home, look for options packed with different vegetables and limited salt. Simply heat up in the morning and it will be ready and waiting come lunch time. Warm soup satisfies the stomach while warming the heart.

Dip and munch: If you have a hesitant kid who is known to snub their nose at fruits and veggies, consider making eating more fun by packing a side of dip. Children adore the act of dipping and it makes eating a fun, interactive activity. A little yogurt will encourage kids to gobble up fruits like orange wedges, apple slices or halved strawberries. Low-fat salad dressing or hummus is the perfect pairing for veggie straws including carrots, celery or sweet peppers.

Protein pick-me-up: Protein helps kids feel fuller for longer, getting them through those lengthy school days. It’s important to pack a protein source in lunch, but meats aren’t your only option. Eggs are high in protein, so try hard-boiled or scrambled and pack in an insulated container. Other kid-friendly foods high in protein include cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, beans and many nuts or nut butters.

You are what you eat, so it’s important to choose your children’s foods wisely. For more tips about packing wholesome lunches and living a healthy family lifestyle, visit www.produceforkids.com/poweryourlunchbox or smartlifebites.com.

*BPT

The post 7 healthy, kid-approved lunchbox ideas appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

If all of this sounds familiar, you’ll be relieved to know that it is possible to create a delicious lunch for yourself and your children in no time flat during the school year. Included below are recipes for a delightful roasted turkey kale salad sandwich to make the most of your next lunch break and a pizza sandwich with fresh mozzarella your kids are sure to love — and will make them the envy of the school lunchroom.

Roasted Turkey Kale Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 Arnold Multigrain Sandwich Thins Roll
• 1/3 cup kale, chopped
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan, shaved or grated
• 4 thin slices roasted turkey
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Add chopped kale to a small bowl and squeeze lemon juice over it. Add a sprinkle of salt and mix kale mixture for 1 minute to soften.

2. Add Caesar dressing and Parmesan to bowl and toss until everything is evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Open Arnold’s Multigrain Sandwich Thins Roll and place the sliced turkey on the bottom followed by the dressed kale Caesar salad. Place the top on the sandwich and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Caprese Pizza Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 Arnold Honey Wheat Sandwich Thins Roll
• 2 tablespoons pizza sauce
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella
• 8-10 pepperoni slices
• 5 basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Open Arnold Sandwich Thins Roll and smear the pizza sauce onto the bottom half.

2. Top with fresh mozzarella and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

3. Add pepperoni and basil and place the top on the sandwich. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Both of these recipes are easy and fun to make and they will have you rethinking what’s possible during your busy school year schedule. So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your own sandwich favorites today. For more great ideas, visit www.arnoldbread.com.

*BPT

The post Recipes to make your school year lunches fast and delicious appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

From an early age, children can roll up their sleeves and get involved in helping reduce the amount of trash they produce by participating in recycling programs. Across the country, children will celebrate Earth Day April 22 with science fairs and environmental educational seminars about the importance of recycling. When children start recycling early in life, they’re more likely to continue that behavior as they get older – and pass the practice on to their own kids.

Recycling is a growing program in households, cities and schools across the country. In fact, Americans recycled 82 million tons of materials in 2009 – the most recent year for reported data, and that number keeps increasing, according to Keep America Beautiful.

School programs are a great way to not only promote recycling in younger generations, but also to create a fundraiser for the schools. This year, as Earth Day approaches April 22, schools can organize aluminum can drives and participate in cash-for-schools programs based on recycling lunch packaging. One such program is The Recycle…Reuse…Replenish Earth Day Campaign which encourages school children to recycle their Entenmann’s Little Bites Pouches with TerraCycle, resulting in cash back to the school.

In addition, here are some more recycling, reusing and replenishing tips, perfect for school children to promote every lunch day at the school.

Recycle:

• Know your numbers – Teach your children to look for numbers and recycling symbols on plastic containers to know which containers can be reused through a recycling program.

• Sign up for cash back programs – Sign up your school for the TerraCycle program – if it’s not already registered – and have your children recycle their Little Bites pouches each lunch hour. Visit www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades.html to find a listing of other lunch items TerraCycle collects.

Reuse:

• Keep the container – Send your children to school with their daily sandwich packaged in a reusable container they can bring home and use again the next day. Let them decorate the container to make it a personal item to show off at lunch.

• Craft material supplies – Before throwing anything away, teach your children to think about how the material might be reused in a crafting project. TerraCycle provides several do-it-yourself project ideas at www.terracycle.com/en-US/do-it-yourself-projects.html.

Replenish:

• Have leftovers? – Set up a compost pile at home, and give your children a lesson in biodegradable foods. Ask them to bring leftovers that are biodegradable home in their sandwich container to add to the compost pile.

• Grow new lunch materials – Give your children a small garden to plant and tend that contains their favorite vegetables. Show them how beneficial their lunch compost is for growing those plants they can eat at future lunches.

Entenmann’s will be giving away weekly prizes, including Little Bites coupons home improvement gift cards for starting an Earth Day garden, and a $5,000 cash grand prize through a sweepstakes link at www.facebook.com/Entenmanns. Register your school now for a chance to win the prize and build a beautiful Earth Day garden.

Help teach your children the importance of the three R’s: recycle, reuse and replenish. The earlier they start, the more likely they’ll be to participate the rest of their lives.

*BPT

The post School lunches are gold mines for recycling, reusing and replenishing appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.