The Lunchbox

Is it just me or did the summer just fly by! School started yesterday for alot of the surrounding area. That means.....school lunches. hhmm....it seems to be hit and miss, I loved school lunches when I was a kid, but, I look at some of the things they serve now and think, "no wonder childhood obesity is crazy in this country." When I worked at an elementary a few years ago, I was shocked at some of the things they served.....but here is the real kicker.....I was even more shocked at what the parents sent with the kids!!!! I remember one kid brought two containers of chocolate milk, a PB & J, and a swiss miss EVERYDAY! Another child....a lunchable, two bags of chips, a little debbie, and a soda!!! What is it going to take for us to wake up and stop feeding our precious children junk! (I'm a sucker for junk food too.....but moderation and self control is the key) Ok....taking a breather and stepping down now.....now to the good part. Here are some great ideas for the lunchbox:

Kids love to dip!

How about packing a lunchbox with dips and dippable foods.
*apple slices with almond butter or yogurt.
*carrots, celery, crackers with hummus or a seseme dressing

Bite sized items
*cheese cubes
*cherry tomatoes
*melon
*snap peas
*grapes

Toppings
*top yogurt or cottage cheese with
toasted coconut
seeds
nuts
granola
fruit

Fruits/sweets
*cut a kiwi in half, wrap with plastic wrap and let them scoop out the center with a spoon
*smoothies
*granola
*healthy chocolate chip cookies
*dried fruit

Main dish
*Sandwiches
try using multigrain bagel, flatbread, tortillas, pita
*Pinwheels
roll filling in a tortilla and cut every 1-2 in. secure with a toothpick if needed
*Mini meatballs with rice or pasta

For more ideas:
The Visual
The Healthy Lunchbox
Laptop Lunches