50 Healthy & Kid Friendly Lunchbox Ideas {Giveaway}

November 2, 2013August 24, 2013 by Alicia Marie

(Disclosure: I received milk boxes from Horizon Organic but all thoughts are my own.)

Back to school time means packing lunch for many families. I found last year that I got stuck in a rut and was packing Lucas the same lunch pretty much every day. Thankfully Horizon Organic has the solution for parents like me who have no creativity when it comes to lunchtime.

In collaboration with Elizabeth Somer, a nationally-recognized registered dietician and author, Horizon Organic developed a “5 Lunch Needs and 50 Ways to Please” resource to aid in back to school lunch box packing. The list outlines the five main food groups and 10 great-tasting choices within each group to make packing a nutritious lunch easy and enjoyable. Together, parents and children can mix-and-match items from each food group to create a balanced packed lunch. Parents can then use the resource with marked selections as a simple grocery shopping list.

Here is a sample of ideas from each category….

Whole Grains

air-popped popcorn seasoned with cinnamon (not for very young children)
whole grain pasta salad with veggies and low-fat dressing
mini pizza on a 100% whole grain English muffin w/ pizza sauce and low-fat shredded cheese

Low Fat Milk & Calcium Filled Foods

fruit parfait made w/ low fat Greek yogurt, fruit, and low fat granola
string cheese sticks
smoothie made with low fat milk and fresh fruit

Meats, Eggs, and Legumes

baked chicken cut in easy to eat strips
hard-boiled eggs
mini meatballs made with low fat turkey

Vegetables

“ants on a log” (celery topped with nut butter and raisins)
baked zucchini or sweet potato sticks
grape tomatoes

Fruits

fresh fruit shish-kabob
watermelon salsa with baked corn chips
cantaloupe or watermelon cut into shapes with cookie cutters

Find the other 35 ideas here.

Milk is also a great healthy drink option for lunch. I never gave Lucas milk for lunch since I was worried it would go bad but then I discovered shelf-stable milk that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Horizon Organic Milk with 32 mg DHA Omega-3 Single Serve Milk Boxes come in vanilla and chocolate flavors and are an ideal option for families who want all of the nutritious benefits of milk, including 8g of protein, Vitamins A and D, and calcium, with the added benefit of DHA omega-3 to support healthy brain development. Lucas {who favors chocolate or strawberry milk usually} loves the vanilla flavored milk from Horizon Organic and I am happy to give him something that is good for him.

Want to try these single serve milk boxes in your child’s lunch? Enter the giveaway below!

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a month’s worth of Horizon Organic Single Serve Milk Boxes

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Leave a comment telling me which lunchbox idea is your favorite

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Follow Horizon Organic on Twitter

4) Follow me on Twitter

5) Comment on another post

Giveaway ends September 14, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Must be 21 or older and reside in the US to enter.

(Disclosure: I received Horizon Organic single serve milk boxes but all thoughts are my own.)