A few weeks ago, Tyler and I got to attend the Back-To-School Workshop event hosted by Whole Foods Market and Lunchbox Dad. It was all about tips and ideas for packing healthy lunches and how to make it fun for both parents and the kids. I feel like there is always more room for introducing healthy lunches and snacks for kids. Yes, it takes effort and little bit of planning but I think we all agree that the earlier you help your child to establish good eating habits the better off they will be as an adult. To me, it’s been about making good choices with food and changing lifestyle little by little. I can’t say that I eat healthy all the time (guilty!) but I’ve been trying to make small yet lasting changes around here. I think it was also nice for Tyler to hear from other people (other than myself) about what it means to be eating healthy. It was fun and also educational workshop and made me rethink about using lunch box ideas to introduce my kids to healthy living. Thanks Whole Foods Market Oakland for inviting us!
PBS Kids and Whole Foods Market have teamed up to bring some cute school lunchbox supplies. Tyler was excited to get ready for back-to-school with these! Goodie bag was filled with cute lunchbox sacks, a pencil case, sandwich/snack bags. There were also healthy snacks picked by Whole Foods Market like Raisins, No Oil/No Salt Added Popcorn, Quack’n Bites® cheese crakers. You can find these at your local Whole Foods Market.
It was also really cool to meet Sharon Bowen, Healthy Eating Specialists at Whole Food Market and Beau Coffron from Lunchbox Dad. They both had so many good tips and ideas to share with us. Some of the highlights from what they shared with us.
TIPS FROM SHARON
Healthy Eating Tips
- Eat more plant foods that are vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, and lentils
- Eat a variety of plant foods (especially vegetables), so that all the different phytonutrients can work together in your body
- Try to eat food that hasn’t been changed very much from the way it grew
Healthy Lunch Ideas
- Celery or apple slices with nut butter/Sunbutter, sprinkled with hemp seeds and raisins
- Roasted sweet potato circles with cinnamon or ketchup
- Homemade baked “kale chips”
- Smash beans and baked sweet potato in a whole grain tortilla
- Roll brown rice, avocado, and mango in a sheet of nori for a sushi burrito
- Whole grain pasta salad with veggies and canned beans, mixed with pizza sauce or salad dressing
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TIPS FROM BEAU
Choosing the right lunchbox gear
- Look for Duarability – Sturdy plastic or stainless steel lunch boxes last longer
- Easy Cleanup is a Must – Buy dishwasher safe pieces
- Compare Prices – Think of investment and find durable products that will last throughout the year.
- Size Matters – Smaller for younger kids, bigger for older kids. Compartmentalized pieces are great.
- Think About the Planet – Find products that are eco-friendly and designed with environment in mind.
I learned that getting kids involved in packing lunch will actually help me in the end. My main concern has been that they may not be eating enough during the day and staying hungry. On some days, they stay at school until late afternoon. I was worried and started getting their input about what to pack. I figured if they choose what they want to pack, they will most likely eat it all. I’m so bad when it comes to packing creative lunches. It’s always been whatever is convenient to pack in the morning. I never realized that you can make this into a simple creative activity you can do with your kids. It’s all about keeping it simple and practical for me as well, right? I think it would be a great way for me to get them introduce to new foods that they haven’t tried before or is resistent to try. Lunchbox Dad has so many fun ideas on his blog. I’m really gonna have to try that Minion lunch box idea with Tyler!
I decided to pick up few things at Whole Foods Market and pack something simple and yummy for their first week of school. It’s Asian inspired lunchbox with multigrain rices balls with nori, buckwheat noodle salad, potstickers and mixed fruits. Also added chocolate covered pretzels for dessert! This is the first year that I’m adding a little sweets to their lunch as I feel that their portions have gotten bigger and they actually know not to cheat and eat dessert first. Ha!
How To Make Multigrain Nori Rice Balls
- Make rice with mix of multigrain (wild rice, brown rice) with sushi rice (white short grain).
- Let the rice cool down and season lightly with soy sauce, sesame seed oil and sesame seeds.
- Crumble seasoned nori and mix it in with the rice. Make sure rice has been cooled down so nori can stay crunchy!
- Shape it into small bite size rice balls.
I also learned about this really neat lunch box Bentology Living at the workshop. As shown in picture above, this box is very durable and super easy to clean. Some pieces come with lids. I love that there is a space for utensils and it fits nicely into small size lunch bag that you can carry in your backpack.
Hope all of you are having a great start of school year and making healthy choices in your lunch boxes!
For more healthy lunch box ideas, check out Healthy Eating tips on Whole Foods Market website or sign-up for Monthly Newsletter Email with more ideas!
xo,
Selina
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This post is in partnership with Whole Foods Market. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We thank you for your interest and ongoing support!