Tips and Recipes
More Healthy Lunch Ideas February 22 2014, 44 Comments
Healthy lunch ideas that are good for your body and the environment.
Have you taken a close look at what you’re packing in your kids’ lunches? Not just the food, but also the packaging. I thought I had a good handle on what was going into our boxes, and that we were doing a (mostly) good job, until a study of the ocean in my son’s Kindergarten class brought things into focus for me.
On his own initiative, my (then) 6-year-old son took on the challenge of making our lunches waste free. His target: plastic baggies. I share the story of what catalyzed this adventure on The Huffington Post, along with my son’s tips on how to pack a waste free lunch. He’s got some healthy lunch ideas to share of his own!
Our Favorite Healthy Lunch Ideas
Packing a healthy lunch that’s as good for us as it is for the environment has become easier with the addition of a few easy lunch recipes to our regular routine. I generally find that if we have a few of these healthy recipes at the ready before the week begins, my kids can easily pack lunches for themselves that are healthy for their bodies and the planet. On the weeks when I set aside a few hours on the weekend to make a few recipes in advance, it’s definitely less stressful!
For more healthy lunch ideas, check out these fresh recipes from our Healthy Lunch Challenge.
We'd love to hear what you do to pack healthy, low waste lunches! Share your healthy lunch ideas with us in the comments below, or on Facebook.
Jennifer Tyler Lee is the author of the forthcoming book The 52 New Foods Challenge (Penguin Random House/Avery 2014) and the creator of the award winning healthy eating games, Crunch a Color®. Her family cooking adventures have been featured at Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Rachael Ray’s Yum-O!, Pottery Barn Kids, and Laurie David’s Family Dinner. She is a featured blogger at The Huffington Post.
Load Up With Healthy Lunch Ideas in the Healthy Lunch Challenge April 15 2013, 50 Comments
Some days I feel like I’m fresh out of healthy
lunch ideas! So I turned to my friends for some inspiration.
As passionate as I am about healthy eating, I still find it a struggle to create healthy lunches that
my kids will actually eat. So I turned to my fellow healthy lunch packing friends for a little inspiration. Together with Kelly Lester of Easy Lunch Boxes, I launched The Healthy Lunch Challenge. Moms across the country shared their easy ideas for how to build a better lunchbox on a busy parents' schedule.
TUNE IN LATER THIS WEEK WHEN WE POST THE WINNERS FROM THE HEALTHY LUNCH CHALLENGE ON THE HUFFINGTON POST!
Eat Your Colors
Make your box a riot of
color. Use the Crunch a Color formula when you pack your lunch: three colors +
one protein + one healthy grains. Jill of Meet the Dubiens is full of colorful
ideas.
Think Out of the Box
Rid your box of processed
foods. Start by tackling chicken nuggets, Bent on Better Lunches style!
Then cut the mayo out like Jenn did at Bento for Kidlet.
Try a New Food
Break out of your recipe rut by trying a new food each week in your lunch. The creative Keeley McGuire shows us a fun way to try Brussels sprouts.
Make it Easy
Busy and healthy can go together if you make it easy! Marla Meridith’s Giddy Up Pasta hits the target.
Another way to make it
easy? Leftovers for lunch! Brenda at Meal Planning Magic shares her tricks.
Cook it Together
“If they cook it, they will eat it!” Get your kids in the act. Let them create a meal plan for the week. Encourage them to prepare their own recipes. Try DIY almond butter pizzas from Organized Bites.
Or make BLT Kabobs from
Biting the Hand that Feeds You (it’s always more fun on a stick!).
Have fun making lunch
together, like Shannon and her daughter at Bento Lunch.
Make it Allergy Friendly
Although my kids do not have food allergies, their school is 100% nut free so I’m always looking for easy ways to banish peanut butter from our boxes. No bake cookies made with sunflower butter are the current favorite in our house, and they are a breeze for kids to make.
We’ve also got a few lunch buddies who avoid gluten, which means we’re happy when we find an easy gluten free alternative to our favorite lunch box treats! How about gluten free homemade blueberry muffins? Check out Amy The Family Chef for the recipe and more ideas.
Go Meatless
Take Meatless Monday to school. Instead of packing lunch meats, pack an easy alternative like tofu and soba noodles from The Roxx Box.
Make it Fun
The key to making lunch (or any meal) healthy is to make it fun. Take an extra minute to cut fun shapes into your veggies, like Deb at iPackLunch. Pop a conversation starter or love note into your box for a fun surprise. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and your kids will love it!
A special thanks to
all of the moms who participated in our Healthy Lunch Challenge with Easy Lunch
Boxes. Your simple and fun ideas are inspiring!
Kelly Lester, Easy
Lunchboxes
Marla Meridith, Family Fresh Cooking
Cristi Messersmith, Bent on Better Lunches
Keeley McGuire, Keeley McGuire Blog
Jill Dubien, Meet The Dubiens
Brenda Thompson, Meal Planning Magic
Amy Fothergill, The Family Chef
Kendra Peterson, Biting the Hand that Feeds You
Venia Conte, Organized Bites
Deborah Jordan, iPackLunch
Jenn Christ, Bento for Kidlet
Shannon Carino, Bento Lunch
Roxanne Munson, The Roxx Box
Now get out there and build a better lunch box with your kids. Post your pictures on our Twitter and Facebook pages. We’d love to sneak a peek at what you’re packing!
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Rachael Ray's Yum-O!, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Italian Style Homemade Chicken Soup (52 New Foods, Around the World Week 10) March 10 2013, 13 Comments
The easiest homemade chicken soup ever!
My littlest one was home
sick this week. When those rosy red cheeks and tired eyes show up, chicken soup
is first on the menu. It used to be that I would reach for a can of chicken
soup from the pantry, but we’ve come so far in our 52 New Foods journey that
when I grabbed that little red can this week I just couldn’t do a heat and eat.
“I need to make it from scratch.” I resolved. My husband, the sweetheart that
he is, headed out to the market at the crack of dawn with a simple list –
carrots, celery, and an onion. I had some leftover Italian chicken in the
fridge from dinner the previous night.
The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it is so darn easy to make and it results in a delicious, wholesome soup full of healthy ingredients. My son asked, “Why does chicken soup help to make me feel better when I am sick?” This question is one I’ve asked myself many times over. “I’m not sure,” I replied, “why do you think it helps?” His little hands wrapped around the bowl, sipping slowly he pondered this question and then responded, “Maybe the vegetables chase the bugs away.” I smiled a big smile and hugged him tight, “You know, I think you may be right. I’m glad that you’re feeling better.”
What we Liked: This easy Italian style homemade chicken soup isn’t just for chasing cold bugs away. It’s the perfect busy weeknight meal. Make our easy Italian chicken and save a few pieces as leftovers. Then use that tasty chicken to make this soup the next day. Serve it up with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich for a quick dinner, or pack it in the kids’ lunchboxes with a few whole grain crackers for crumbling.
Italian Style Homemade Chicken Soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Crunch a Color points: 10 protein, 10 healthy grains, 10 green or orange
For a printable version of this recipe click here.
Ingredients:
4 cups organic chicken
broth
2 cups cooked Italian chicken
2 cups cooked pasta (I like to use rotini)
1 cup water
3 celery stalks
2 carrots
½ onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Chop the onion, carrots and celery into ¼” to ½” size pieces.
2. Heat a stockpot over
medium, then add the olive oil, garlic and onions. Simmer gently until the
onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and simmer
2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Add the chicken broth,
water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8
minutes.
4. While the broth is
simmering, chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Add to the pot with the
cooked pasta and heat 2 minutes more.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
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Do you have a favorite homemade chicken soup recipe? Share your ideas!
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s new food: Mini Asparagus Frittata aka Savory Muffins
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Rachael Ray's Yum-O!, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Mini Baked Asparagus Frittata aka Savory Muffins (52 New Foods, Around the World Week 9) March 04 2013, 6 Comments
Savory muffins are a fun twist on asparagus frittata! Baked with asparagus, onions and eggs, this
deliciously easy asparagus frittata recipe was a huge hit with my family. Bonus that it makes an easy addition to a healthy lunchbox!
Savory muffins are a fun twist on asparagus frittata! Baked with asparagus, onions and eggs, this
deliciously easy asparagus frittata recipe was a huge hit with my family. Bonus that it makes an easy addition to a healthy lunchbox!
Easy Asian Pear Sauce (52 New Foods, Around the World Week 1) January 07 2013, 7 Comments
Pear sauce made with crisp Asian pears and a hint of
ginger is an easy and fun twist on homemade applesauce.
Pear sauce made with crisp Asian pears and a hint of
ginger is an easy and fun twist on homemade applesauce. Cinnamon Apples (Week 37, 52 New Foods) September 24 2012, 1 Comment
Cinnamon apples are a favorite fall treat for my kids. This easy recipe brings together the best of what goes into making a cozy apple pie, but without refined sugar.
Healthy Lunch Ideas: Sandwich Pops (Week 36, 52 New Foods) September 19 2012, 1 Comment
