Category Archives: Lunch Box

Jazz Up Your Kids’ PB&J Sandwich ~ Spotlight Vitamin K

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From the Editors of Live Right Live Well


One bite of this fruit-filled sandwich and you may never go back to plain ol’ PBJ! Bananas have always been popular on peanut butter sandwiches, but adding kiwifruit provides an additional nutrient-rich fruit along with vibrant color and sweetness. Kiwis are a nutrition powerhouse because just one kiwi contains nearly twice the amount of antioxidant vitamin C compared to an orange. Plus, kiwis contain Vitamin K and numerous phytonutrients to keep your eyes and heart healthy.

Makes 1 serving (1 sandwich per serving)

Ingredients
2 slices whole-wheat or whole-grain bread
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
½ small banana, cut into slices
1 small kiwifruit, cut into slices

Directions
1.  Spread peanut butter over both bread slices.

2.  Place banana and kiwifruit slices over one slice. Top with remaining slice.

3.  Cut in half and enjoy!

Nutrition information (per serving)
Calories: 510
Protein: 17g
Carbohydrate: 65g
Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 705mg
Calcium: 85mg
Iron: 3.5mg
Vitamin A: 108 IU
Vitamin C: 65mg
Fiber: 10g

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Put Some Pizazz In Your LunchBox!

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How often does lunch time become boring that same old sandwich time after time. Here are some nutritious and easy lunch suggestions to put the pizazz back in your lunch!

  • Pasta, vegetables and smoked salmon – simply boil pasta till, al dente with some mixed frozen veggies, mix in mayonnaise and some smoked salmon!

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  • Baba Ganoush and Pita bread - baba ganoush is actually very easy to make simply roast eggplant in the oven then blend with tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, cumin and salt. Its a wonderful Middle Eastern dip.
  • A Ham Pesto and cheese panini
  • Cous Cous – this wonderful North African pasta literally takes minutes to cook and can be eaten hot and cold.
  • Artisan crackers, with Brie and fresh fruit
  • Beans on Toast – this is a staple snack meal in the UK, you can even find British Heinz baked beans in many American Grocery stores, high in protein and satisfying.
  • Ham, Cheese and Spinach Crepes or Galette a crepe made with buckwheat flour from Brittany in France

  • Tuna and a baked potato
  • Homemade carrot and coriander soup
  • Fried rice
  • Homemade Guacamole
  • Chapati and channa dal
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Keeping It Healthy While Traveling For The Holidays

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1105898_vacationThis time of the year, many people spend a lot of time traveling on road trips to see extended family. I know from my own experience that traveling can really throw a monkey wrench into a family’s healthy eating habits. I implement a few simple ideas in our household which helps to keep us away from junk and fast food as well as keeping the anxiety of traveling with children to a minimum.

Get small insulated cooler to travel with. I have a small, soft sided cooler similar to this that I keep right next to me in the front seat. That way I can easily access a snack when little tummies begin to rumble. It is also a great idea to invest in a water bottle for each child to carry a healthy drink along. Our girls’ drink of choice is milk, so I also choose insulated water bottles to keep the milk fresh for a couple of hours.

Pack a selection of snacks for the children to choose from. We pack a variety of healthy food:

Cut vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, celery, etc.)
Small bowl of a dip (hummus work great as it is thick enough not to spill in the car.)
Small cut up sandwiches (can be peanut butter, ham & cheese or some other favorite) It is a good idea to cut into quarters to make easy for little fingers to handle.
Wraps work well for this too. Make some roll ups and cut into child sized pieces.
Granola bars.
Fruit: grapes, apples, orange slices (pre-peel to save a mess in the car).
Crackers, rice cakes, popcorn, pretzels, etc.
Cut cheese

I try to avoid any snack that takes a spoon (yogurt, applesauce, etc) or that might be messy or crumby (muffins, etc.) However, if you will be eating in the car, make sure to keep a large tub of wipes handy for cleanup.

Prepare and pack the cooler a day or 2 ahead of time. All of the foods I listed can be assembled a day ahead to alleviate stress on the actual day of the trip. And, if your children are anything like ours, you will want to make enough of each snack for each child, since what one wants- all others will too.

These tips really aid us in keeping the peace during our long road trips and also keeping us out of convenience stores and fast food restaurants. There are many studies linking convenience store foods to the pediatric obesity epidemic and we all know the downfalls of eating calorie and fat laden fast food. Most people are already lax on their nutrition during the holidays with snacks and desserts, so following these tips will help keep some semblance of a wholesome diet while on the road.

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Friday’s Show ~ The Healthy Lunch Box

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nuts

On Friday we will be talking to Jen from SavorTheThyme about yummy healthy foods for Back-to-School lunch boxes. My hubby and I have recently launched a campaign against incessant snacking in our home. We emptied our pantry of all the pre-packaged snacks and my children are irate! They’ve tried every guilt tactic there is. We are horrible horrible parents. Their friends tell them that their house is a horrible place to live and that it is no longer fun. Their friends will never come over because not only do we not allow them to watch TV or play Wii during playdates, we only eat fruits and vegetables and healthy snacks. THE HORROR!

Yes my friends, I have staged my own Crappy Snack Boycott. My kids would eat one 100 calorie bag of cookies after the other all afternoon if I let them. Their friends’ lunch box may look sweeter, but I’m making an effort to keep the crap out. Now, I should note that my son has informed me that his BFF is incredibly generous and always shares a few of his cookies because he can’t eat ALL SIX of them. Nice. Not much I can do, but I’m sending a message and setting an example and guess what? When they come home STARVING and the only thing available is a healthy wholesome snack… well, you’d never guess it but, they actually eat it! Go Figure!

So what do I put in their lunch boxes? Ok, it takes a bit more effort than just heading to the pantry and throwing an individually wrapped bag of crap in, but this morning I smiled to myself because I really truly feel good about this boycott! I cut up veggies ahead of time and put them into individual snack bags. I did the same with popcorn, nuts, and fruits, dried cereal, and whole wheat crackers (which they love) – I could use a few ideas so I’m glad that Jen will be on the show Friday to help us out there!

Be sure to join us HERE on MomActive with Leah and Fiona Friday at 2pm EST and call in and let us know what your ideas for healthy lunch box are!

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Snack Yourself Silly to Boost Your Metabolism

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Healthy snack

I’m an all or nothing kind of gal and this really isn’t a great trait when it comes to trying to eat healthy. I often find myself having eaten breakfast around 8am, Lunch around 1 or 2 and then Dinner around 7. There are times that I don’t snack much and this is a big NO-NO for several reasons. First, your metabolism is like an engine and if you don’t oil it regularly it gets sorta ticked off and slows down. For best results, you should be eating something every 2-3 hours during the day to keep your metabolism happy. The second reason is that, by only eating three times a day, I tend to eat more and make different choices than I might if I were not absolutely famished by the time I slowed down enough to eat.

This is a dilemma for lots of moms, whether you stay at home or work in or out of the home, there is no denying that we mammas are a busy bunch. Taking time to feed our bodies small nutritious snacks helps fuel us both physically and emotionally. Chances are that at the very time of day when your toddler is throwing herself down in the middle of Whole Foods telling you she hates you, is most likely the same time of day that your own body and emotions are struggling stay stable. This state of being is partially due to the fact that your child has turned into a demon and partially because your body is running low on enough energy and strength to handle the situation!

I think there are periods of time in our lives when things go a little crazy and we lose our way. We take shortcuts or consciously go against what we know because it is easier. When this is the case we just need to reel ourselves in and make changes going forward. So, if you are not fueling yourself appropriately STOP and make a conscious decision to change this. Here are a list of five of my favorite healthy snacks that have a wee bit of protein for extra mileage.


1. Celery with peanut butter
2. Apple slices and a string cheese stick
3. Low fat yogurt (1/2 carton) with 1/4 cup of cottage cheese
4. Handful mixed nuts (I like the South Beach mix from Planters) and a piece of fruit
5. Turkey/Cheese roll (I just roll up slice of turkey and a slice of cheese … so gourmet!)


What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?
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