Liven up your lunch box!

When it comes to packing lunches, get the kids involved and think outside the (lunch) box!  For more great recipes and lunch ideas, visit meijerhealthyliving.com.

Beyond Bread: 

Bumble Bee Tuna Pasta Salad:  Mix 8 oz. cooked Barilla Plus Pasta (Penne, Rotini, or Elbow) with 1 (5 oz.) can Bumble Tuna, 1/2 cup Hellmann’s reduced fat mayo, 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, 1/2 cup diced carrots, and season with 1/2 tsp. McCormick Lemon Pepper.

Simple Chicken Salad: Mix 1 (4 oz) can Bumble Bee Chicken Breast, 1/3 cup red grapes halved, 1/4 cup walnut pieces, and 2-3 Tbls. Poppy seed salad dressing. Scoop into Meijer Pita halves lined with washed Leaf or Romaine lettuce.

Peanut Butter Grahams: Use Honey Maid Graham Crackers and Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter to make grahamwiches.  Make it even more fun by adding a banana slice or a few Meijer mini marshmallows!

Use a Thermos:

          Blend a smoothie for warm fall days:  1 Cup Meijer frozen berries, 1/2 cup Northland light cranberry juice, 1 cup Dannon® light vanilla yogurt, and a dash of McCormick ground cinnamon.

          Soup it up on cooler days:  warm up Meijer reduced sodium Tomato or Chicken Noodle soup.

Easy Add-ins with a health bonus: 

Mott’s Plus Harvest Apple Sauce with Calcium, SouthBeach cereal bars, or use snack size zipper-lock bags to pack Baby carrots, cucumber slices and red bell pepper strips (1/8 of a red bell pepper provides 100% of the DV for vitamin C!)

Satisfying snacks for after school: 

          Fresh Fruit always get high NuVal marks!

          Cereal and low fat Milk

          Moderate portions of sweets:

1 cup Breyer’s vanilla ice cream topped with Planters Dry Roasted Nuts, and a touch of Meijer chocolate syrup

Popsicles are a sweet treat that are relatively low in calories and naturally fat free

                     100 Calorie cookie packs such as Oreo Thin Crisps

Learning Begins with Breakfast

Did you know that children who skip breakfast are more likely to have lower math scores, and experience more behavioral problems and school absenteeism?  A simple and nutritious breakfast can be the key to your child’s school success.  Alternatives to cold cereal:

1.    Quick cooking oats prepared with milk (to increase protein) topped with a touch of brown sugar and fresh berries or dried fruit

2.    A breakfast parfait with fresh or frozen (thawed) berries, Meijer light Vanilla yogurt, and topped with granola or crushed graham crackers.  Sprinkle lightly with McCormick ground cinnamon.

3.    Skippy Natural Peanut Butter and banana sandwich with a glass of Simply Orange Juice

4.    Out the door trail mix:  Kellogg mini wheat cereal mixed Planters Lightly Salted Nuts and Meijer Raisins.  Wash down with a cold glass of milk or Lipton decaf green tea.

5.    Keep hard-cooked eggs on hand and serve sliced on a piece of whole grain toast with Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise.  Add low fat milk or Northland juice.

Lunch Box Tips:

·       Most children have 15 to 20 minutes to eat lunch.  Pack foods that are easy to eat, easy to open, and include foods that don't require peeling or special tools.

·       Keep food safety in mind: include an ice pack, a frozen Meijer yogurt tube, or a frozen Vitamin Water to keep foods cold

·       Include hand wipes or a mini-bottle of hand sanitizer

·       Think food groups when packing: Include protein, fruit and / or vegetable, grain and dairy for a balanced lunch