Water Bottle Treats
The girls love it when I put something special in their lunches! One of their favorite surprises in their lunch box is when I make a water bottle container full goodies. The one pictured above was done on their last day of school last year as a way to celebrate the special day with them. Since they were in the same class last year I just sent one to share. This one is full of chocolate and vanilla oreos, but you could put anything in the water bottle container (fruit, veggies, crackers, etc…). I was super excited to hear they ended up sharing the cookies with their friends sitting next to them at lunch! 🙂
It is super easy to do and the kids will love it! Take two empty water bottles and cut the bottles in half (I pinched the bottle together and used scissors to cut the bottle in half). Wash out the bottles and make sure they are dry before filling with the treat. After putting the food into both halves of the bottle, push the two bottles together, and place a piece of decorative tape around the middle to hold the two bottles together. Write a note to your little one, put a hole punch in the middle, and tie it on with a ribbon. Stick it in their lunch box and wait to hear how excited they were when they opened up their lunch box!
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
The girls bento boxes we picked up for them in India are now packed and ready for lunch
The girls always love taking school lunches. Jake and I picked up these cute little bento boxes while we were visiting India. The girls love taking them in their lunches to school.
A few weeks ago Karlie told me that she loves it when I pack her lunch. Last week Brina told me she would rather take a lunch to school everyday because she likes what I put into her bag, especially when I stick in a special surprise. Taking the time to pack lunches for the kids really does mean a lot to them.
Lunch Box Meal
- Sliced Pork Roast with sauteed Apple Slices
- Cinnamon Applesauce
- Wild Rice
- Fresh Green Beans (steamed)
- Water Bottle
Bento box goodies – pork with sauteed apples, applesauce, wild rice, and fresh steamed green beans
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Packing up a lunch for the kids
The girls get out of school on today for Christmas Break! It is hard to believe that today is their last day of school of 2012. They will start back up shortly after New Years Day 2013! This year has flown by so quickly. I have so much to be thankful for this year. It has been a year packed full of amazing memories, while there were some tough moments and days, the blessings far outweigh the inconviences.
Lunch Box Meal
- Hotdog in a Bun
- Fresh Kiwi (fresh our friends Kiwi tree!)
- Fresh Carrots
- Guacamole Chips
- Small Bag Flavored Marshmallows
- Homemade Christmas Candy Pieces (with Sprinkles of course)
- Wild Cherry Juice Bag
Hot Dog in a bun
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Packing the school lunches
How is possible we are almost halfway through December! Are you ready for Christmas? I find myself rushing to get the girls lunches packed and ready the night before with all the extra activities going on this Season. While it is really busy it is very important that the kids continue to eat healthy. There are days when I think it would be easier to have them eat at school, but since I have one with food allergies and I have no idea how much they are eating or exactly what they have ate it probably would be more complicated in the long run.
Lunch Box Meal
- Homemade Roast Beef Sandwich
- Fresh Red Plums
- Fresh Green Beans
- Fresh Broccoli Straws
- Fruity Raisins or Mott’s Pomegranate Applesauce
- Peach Yogurt
- Fit & Active Blueberry Fruit Strip
- Animal Crackers or Ritz Bitz Peanut Butter Crackers
- Vanilla & Chocolate Oreos
- Sweet Tart
- Strawberry Kiwi Juice Bag
Fresh red plums, fresh green beans, and roast beef sandwich
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
A rainbow on a cloudy day always brings a smile!
I really didn’t plan to have the two rainbows match up, but it turned out pretty well. The girls always enjoy seeing the new chalkboard note or drawing. One day I had appointments all day and an event in the evening so Daddy put together the girls lunches. He left up the picture from the previous day and they definitely noticed. Although, he did put an extra “surprise” they were happy about in their lunches.
Homemade pizza, Raisins, Pistachios, Chocolate Fudge Coconut Oreos, Mixed-Berry Fruit, and more!
Lunch Box Meal
- Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
- Mixed-Berry Freeze Dried Fruit
- Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
- Pistachios
- Cheese & Peanut Butter Crackers or Animal Crackers
- Jelly Beans
- Chocolate Fudge Coconut Oreos
- Regular or White Raisins
- KoolAid Jammers Tropical Fruit Punch
Festival ziplock bags make the lunch even more fun for the kids!
I was able to pick up some Snowman bags at the Dollar store to use for the girls lunches. The first day I put them into their lunches they came home excited about the neat “Christmas” bags. Sometimes it is the little stuff that makes a big difference.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Chalkboard notes to my sweet girls!
The girls lunches are all packed up and ready to be taken to school. Today Brina’s says “Have a super day!” and Karlie’s “Have a great day!” Even though it takes an extra minute or two of my time to write a note or draw a picture it is so worth it.
Lunch box goodies!
Lunch Box Meal:
- Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Fresh Broccoli
- Fresh Carrots
- Fresh Snow Peas
- Fresh Plum Slices
- Fruit & Grain Mixed Berry
- Madagascar Fruit Snacks
- Ritz Snack Mix or Animal Crackers
- Strawberry Yogurt
- Mini Oreo’s or Chocolate Cream Cookies
- Water Bottle with 3/4 Water and 1/4 Fruit Juice
Fresh veggies, Chicken Salad Sandwich, and more!
Love hearing the girls comments to the various notes and drawings. Sometimes after an exhausting day it is hard to come up with a creative message but it’s the thought that counts more than anything else, right. What creative notes, drawings, or messages do you put in your kids lunch?
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Lunch is ready for the kids to take to school.
The girls love taking their lunch to school. I try to pack a protein, a veggie, fruit, drink, and snack. With one kid with food allergies she doesn’t have dairy, but the other chickie usually takes yogurt and cheese stick.
Lunch Box Meal:
- Tuna Fish Sandwich
- Fresh Apple Slices with Caramel
- Fresh Banana Pepper
- Dried Peaches
- Fruit Chew
- Mott’s Pomegranate Applesauce
- Animal Crackers
- Stila Blueberry Granola Bar
- Yogurt Tube
- Windmill Cookies (Egg, Diary, & Peanut FREE)!
- Cranberry Juice
The girls are pretty good about helping put together their lunches, however, on busy days I will do it for them. Do you pack your kids lunch everyday? What do you like to put in their lunch boxes?
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Karlie and Brina’s school lunches are ready to go!
Some days it is hard to get everything done. I am a person who likes to have things done in a timely manner and on schedule, however, you have those days….weeks…..that just don’t happen the way they are planned. Thankfully, I have spent time on the weekend prepping for lunches so usually it doesn’t take too long to put them together!
Lunch Box Meal:
- Hot Dog Slices
- Fresh Apple Slices
- Fresh Carrots with Hummus
- Peanut Butter Crackers or Teddy Grahams
- Strawberry Yogurt
- Foot Long Strawberry
- Mixed Flavored Mini Marshmallows
- Capri Sun Sunrise Juice Bag
Fresh apple slices, carrots & hummus and more!
I am thankful the girls enjoy eating leftovers and taking their lunches to school. I like knowing what they ate for lunch. Plus Karlie’s teacher lets any kids that have a lunch or brought a snack eat something about mid-morning to keep everyone going.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Lunch is ready to go!
The best part about Holidays is you get a lot of fun food to eat. On this particular day the girls got to take a rice krispie treat “cat” with the first letter of their name on it. When Grandma Penny was visiting she made these cute cats for the girls. They were super excited to see them in their lunch bags.
Lunch Box Meal:
- Hot Japanese Beef, Vegetables & Rice (in the thermos)
- Fresh Fruit Salad or Fresh Fruit Salad with Creamy Sauce
- Fresh Cucumbers
- Sugar Free Cherry Jello
- Cashews
- Apple Peel Confetti Crisps
- Halloween Cat Rice Krispie Treat with initial of their first name
- Corn or Bugle Chips
- Ritz Bits Cheese Crackers or Kellogg’s Pop Tarts Mini Crisps
- Reduced Sugar Grape Hugs Drink
Japanese food, Halloween rice krispie treat, fresh fruit salad and more!!!!
I always love sticking in a surprise for the girls every once in awhile. Sometimes they see it before lunch but several times they don’t open their bags until at school. One day I was able to go to lunch with them and watch their faces when they pulled out the special treat (a new container with their name on it). It made my day seeing the thrilled looks on their faces when they discovered their new container. Although it was something simple and easy it really was special to them!
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Getting the school lunches ready
The biggest challenge for me when making and prepping the school lunches is finding a good variety of items for the girls to take to school. Thankfully they eat almost everything (they don’t like liver) so that makes it easier for me. Although I do have one that if she gets the same item in the lunch several days in a row she’ll stop eating it, guess she needs a little food variety to keep her excited!
Lunch Box Meal:
- Beef & Bean Burrito
- Fresh Banana
- Fresh Broccoli
- Batman Fruit Snacks
- Red & Blue Tortilla Chips
- Strawberry & Lemon Circle Crisps
- Chex Mix or Animal Crackers
- Jelly Beans
- Fruit Punch Juice
Fresh banana, broccoli, burrito and more!
The girls really do eat most of the items in their lunch bags! I have found that the food I pack them hold them longer than when they eat lunches at school. Part of the reason may be because students that bring lunches get a few extra minutes to eat, plus they can eat any of the leftovers for a snack on the way to our after school activities.
