The new school year is here whether you are ready or not! Most of our local schools have gone back and the rest are getting ready to start. Both of my kids are in college. They commute, so they take a packed lunch. Molly has always taken her lunch, but Kyle always bought lunch at school. Last year, he stopped for fast food a lot as it was his first year of college, and he was working. I think he’s caught on to the fact that that is expensive! Now he wants to take his lunch. And yes, he wants me to pack it. Boys.
Raise your hand if you love packing lunches? When you’ve got little ones, it’s hard coming up with new and tasty ways to entice your kids into eating their lunch! I’ve got some ideas you can use for creative lunches, and an environmentally friendly lunch box to send your child’s lunch in. I’m also sharing some healthy foods that you can either find online or in your local stores, so be sure to bookmark this post for future reference.
I received these products free to review thanks to the various sponsors.
D’Eco Collapsible Lunch Box
This lunchbox is great for both kids and adults. On average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That’s 18,760 pounds of waste for just one average-size elementary school. These disposable products are extremely convenient, but what is the environmental cost to a country that relies so heavily on them?
Many schools are pushing waste-free lunches, where everything must be either compostable or reusable, to reduce garbage and the cost of hauling it away. Think paper bags are better? Think again. The U.S. cuts down 14 million trees a year to supply the raw material to make paper lunch bags. D’Eco lunch boxes meet the needs of everyone in your family from elementary school to college and even mom and dad.
This lunchbox collapses to ⅓ its original size for easy storage and is equipped with two compartments. On-the-go and forgot your utensils? Don’t worry…a matching fork and spoon snaps right into the lid! D’Eco Lunch Boxes are BPA and Phthalate FREE, as well as dishwasher and microwave safe. You can purchase D’Eco Lunch Boxes on sale on Amazon for $11.99 for an adult sized box.
Packing healthy lunches with D’Eco
Healthy school lunches start with healthy ingredients. Here’s an easy lunch that I made for my son to take to work. The sandwich is made with Rudi’s organic soft wheat kids bread, turkey and cheese. Kids need protein to keep going through the day, and Laura’s beef jerky has it. popcorn. Dessert is a HappyKid Blueberry + Raspberry fruit and oat bar. Update: AquaBall and Little Kernel popcorn are no longer available.
Rudi’s Organic Bakery
I’m sure you remember your school lunches that were packed on white bread. Kids like it because it is soft, and it makes a yummy sandwich. But what about nutrition? You want your kids fueled by whole grains, and they want soft, yummy bread. That’s where Rudi’s comes in.
You may be familiar with Rudi’s products, but did you know that they’ve got new kids bread now? In fact, Rudi’s Organic Bakery makes the only nationally-available organic Kids Bread on the market. It is packed with 9g of whole grains in the wheat variety, and it is soft unlike some whole grain breads. Little kids and big kids will love it, and you’ll feel good about giving it to them. Rudi’s Kids Bread is non-GMO, has no high-fructose corn syrup and no artificial preservatives.
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Laura’s Lean Beef Jerky
Laura’s sources naturally lean beef without the use of antibiotics or hormones, providing flavorful beef products. This makes a great addition to lunch! It’s a lower calorie, lower sugar option that will give your child that extra protein they need to keep going. Laura’s is available in Original, Teriyaki and Peppered. Which do you think your kids would like best? You can buy Laura’s beef jerky on Amazon or in their online store. They sell more than just jerky. Follow them on Pinterest to get some great recipes.
Happy Kid Fruit & Oat Bars
Happy Family’s Fruit & Oat Bars satisfy kid’s (and mom’s) sweet tooth without any added sugar. They combine oats and milled flaxseed with real organic fruits for a satisfying bite, and they are available in three flavors, Banana + Chocolate, Blueberry + Raspberry, and Apple + Cinnamon. These are gluten free, non-GMO, have no preservatives and are made from real organic fruits. They are so tasty and such a great “dessert” option for school or snack. You can purchase these online or use the store locator on their site to find them near you.
Happy Family Brands has a lot of products for little ones too, so if you’re buying for the “big kids” you can satisfy the “little ones'” cravings too! You need to go to their website to see all of the amazing information available there. They’ve got allergy charts, recipes, a resource center and more. This is a site you’ve got to visit! I love their philanthropic spirit too.
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How about allergies?
Did you know that there are 5.9 million children living with food allergies? When you send your child to school and they’ve got allergies, you’ve got to be extra vigilant. If your children are babies, toddlers, pre-kindergarteners or even kindergarteners, they might not be able to tell their teachers about their allergies. Even if your child’s allergies are on their enrollment forms, mistakes can happen.
Here is where AllerWare can help. AllerWare is a mom owned company that provides peace of mind for parents of children living with food allergies.
Parents and teachers of children age 6 months to 6 years love AllerWare’s products like these:
Stickers – use them on clothing, water bottles, lunch boxes, snack containers, or other surfaces as a tangible reminder of a serious allergy.
Bracelets – customizable, one-time-use paper bracelets won’t come off, so teachers and caregivers will always know what to avoid. They are safe, comfortable, and designed to stay on for the day.
Zipper tags – which can be used on backpacks, lunch bags, jackets and more
Temporary tattoos – which are a vibrant and visible way to tell others about a child’s specific allergy.
Each of these products is a great way to remind new teachers, classmates and cafeteria workers about a child’s life threatening allergy.
Parents of tweens and teens love our stickers and zipper pulls, perfect for cell phones and backpacks or lunch bags. You can purchase AllerWare products from their website by allergy and by product.
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Great idea about the hand stickers. Fortunately my kids don’t have any allergies.
Yes, especially if there is a substitute teacher!