Back-to-School!

Back to school...

It’s time to settle into a new routine of waking up early and getting the kids adjusted to a new schedule. One of my top priorities is to send them out the door with a healthy lunch! 

While working as a monitor for lunch duty the past few years, I have seen children eat unwholesome processed food for lunch, and then top it off with a sugary drink. Often times it also includes a variety of candy and a vending machine treat too! 

Sadly, due a to lack of nutritional value in these foods, our children are not able to properly focus on their school subjects and make the most of their learning. Instead of feeding them nutrient starved foods, there is a better way! 

Your children probably will not be too excited over a complete overhaul with lunch box goodies however, if you simply add one healthy option, and skip one of the sugary treats, at least it is a change for the good. For their sandwich, find the least processed bread possible- and use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. Chicken salad and tuna salad are good options too. Deli meat contains nitrites, so better to use an organic brand. 

Here are a few good ideas to get your kids excited about better options: 

• Kids love homemade snacks- perhaps a recipe that you make at home together would be much healthier more appealing than a Hostess treat. 
• Also, homemade granola, or making cookies made from scratch using real-food ingredients, chocolate covered pretzels made with coconut oil and dark chocolate chips. 

Feel free to check out our Pinterest page for more school snack ideas! 

I am thankful that my teenagers are making lunch on their own. My job is to just keep healthy ingredients in the house- peppers, celery, carrots, einkorn pasta, lettuce, and organic bagged salads, and hard boiled eggs. And I am blessed because they usually throw a few of those ingredients together and make a dish of their own. 

Make a commitment to do better this year, even a slight change will be worth it in the long run.