I'll admit it: packing lunches for my kids is easily one of my least favorite tasks to do! Yet, I know how important it is for them to have a balanced lunch, whether at home or at school. And, with the school year looking a little different this year, I needed a simple solution.
I started out with a trip to Target. I purchased Horizon® Organic Single Serve Milk Boxes, Danimals smoothies, a 20 count NABISCO Multipack Snacks, and Limited Edition NABISCO MINIONS cookies. NABISCO Multipack Snacks are portioned so you don’t have to do the calculating, plus, you can mix and match all week long! I also chose a 12-pack of Danimals® Smoothies as one of my kiddos loves the strawberry flavor while the other prefers strawberry kiwi. With the 12-pack, each one got their favorite flavor - which meant no arguing about which flavor mom was going to buy!
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Once I returned home, the kids were so excited about helping to make their lunches (that's music to this mom's ears!) We talked about what we should craft, and were inspired by things we love to do as a family. This summer we have spent as much time as possible outside, and fishing and boating have been our favorite family activities. We crafted Under the Sea and Smooth Sailing themed lunches.
Not only did we have a great time, my kids also learned about making balanced choices, were able to gain more independence, and now I have helpers for packing lunches. That's a winning situation all the way around!
Under the Sea |
Ingredients
- Whole wheat bread
- Ham
- Cheese
- Cucumber
- Lettuce, Spinach, or Mixed Greens
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Mandarin Orange or Clementine
- Blueberries
Directions
Cut a whole wheat bread fish using a cookie cutter and add ham and cheese. Use blueberries to make "bubbles" under the water. Add starfish by cutting slices of cucumber into a star with a cookie cutter or a knife. Place the fish and starfish on a plate and add a salad of greens and tomatoes as the "seaweed" and "coral". Add a mandarin orange or clementine as the sun above the water. Complete the lunch with a Danimals® Smoothie or Horizon® Organic Single Serve Milk Box and a NABISCO MINIONS Cookie pack (or other single serve NABISCO snack of your choice).
Smooth Sailing |
Ingredients
- Whole wheat bread
- Ham
- Cheese
- Lettuce or Spinach
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- Banana
Directions
Cut a whole wheat bread ham and cheese sandwich in half on the diagonal to create a "sail" (we used a plastic knife for safety). Add lettuce or spinach to the sandwich. Place the sandwich on a plate and add a banana to make the boat. Serve with a side of cherry or grape tomatoes to create the setting sun over the water. Complete the lunch with a Danimals® Smoothie or Horizon® Organic Single Serve Milk Box and a NABISCO MINIONS Cookie pack (or other single serve NABISCO snack of your choice).
Print out this Craft Your Lunch page to help your kids put together a balanced meal! |
Macaroni Kid is proud to partner with NABISCO and Danimals for this campaign. All opinions are my own.
