Bento Box Lunch Kits

Can you believe that it is "Back-to-School" time already!! Many Tucson kids started back last week. For those of you that have school-age kids you are likely thinking about what to pack for lunch to ensure that your child is well-fed, energetic, happy and healthy. Adult or child, who doesn't want to be well-fed, energetic, happy and healthy??Bento boxes are a fun way to provide balanced, easy to pack meals for your child. And for yourself. If you aren't already packing a well-balanced lunch for yourself, now is the time to start this healthy habit.Last week on KVOA, I talked about mixing up good ole' fashioned PB and J. Please check out this segment for cool, new ideas for the ultra-basic PB and J to go in your bento box.My favorite resource for bento box lunch boxes and TONS of meal ideas is Laptops Lunches. I couldn't help borrowing their homepage graphic, which is above. Their image gives you a great look at the process of packing a healthy, well-balanced lunch. Laptop Lunches has a variety of different lunch containers for kids and adults that are portable and easy to use.Laptop Lunches' bento boxes are also good for you and the environment. The boxes are free of all the most common chemicals found in lunch boxes, which are phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), PVC, and lead.It's also amazing how deep Laptop Lunches' menu database is. They have a HUGE list of beautifully pictured bento boxes to choose from. They even break it down by season. I highly encourage you to check it out, whether or not you are using a bento box, feeding yourself or feeding your kids. You will find tons of creative ideas for (mostly) healthy lunches in their searchable recipe database.Here are some of my own ideas for a Lunch Kit:

• Mediterranean: Hummus, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, 100% whole wheat pita triangles or Mary's Gone crackers (gluten free), olives and feta cheese
• Whole Grain Pasta Dippers: 100% whole grain pasta spirals, organic tomato sauce, pesto, low fat chicken sausage and mixed greens with vinaigrette
• Fruit Platter: apple sticks, strawberries, pear sticks, plain yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon, walnuts, a Better Cereal
• Cracker Sandwiches: 100% whole grain crackers, nitrate-free deli turkey, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, smashed avocado mixed with salsa
• Taco Rolls: 100% whole wheat tortilla or corn tortilla (cut into long strips to roll up), fat free or vegetarian refried beans, smashed avocado mixed with salsa, shredded cabbage and cilantro, shredded cheese
• Mixed up PB and J--Check out my KVOA segment

I just updated the Media page! Check it out for all my live TV segments and recent articles.Material on this blog is provided for informational purposes only. It is general information that may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for personalized nutrition or health advice or healthcare. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of something you have read or accessed through this website.