My kids are anxiously awaiting their teacher assignments today for the new school year and it got me thinking about school lunches. Here is a quick round-up of some ideas.

People often ask me how I get my kids to eat this way.  I do this by getting them involved in the process. They pick out what goes in each compartment and help wash & cut the food. They choose from the choices in our refrigerator/pantry — I choose at the food store. If they feel in control, they are more likely to eat it and try new things. They see it as their choice, not mine.

For more lunch ideas, visit http://www.schoollunchmakeover.com.

The lunchbox they use is a PlanetBox.  You can purchase these from Amazon.com or Pottery Barn Kids. Here are some details about the lunchbox — my favorite part is that it is non-toxic and dishwasher safe!

• Complete eco-friendly solution designed to make packing healthy lunches easy and fun
• Includes stainless steel lunchbox, 2 round lidded containers; a soft carry bag, and set of hip magnets
• Individual compartments ensure foods don’t touch each other and arrive looking neat and appealing
• Made out of safe, non-toxic, and recycled materials – no lead, PVC, phthalates, or BPA
• All in one piece design for easy care and cleaning – no mismatched lids to lose – dishwasher safe

There is a pouch that holds a thermos or Klean Kanteen water bottle on the outside of the lunch bag, we always fill this with water and frozen lemon chunks. The frozen lemon keeps the water cold and provides health benefits. Lemon is one of the top six alkaline foods (others include cayenne, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens & garlic). An acid body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body’s pH and oxygenates your system. Alkaline foods keep your body healthy and functioning correctly, preventing and combating cancer. Cancer cannot thrive in an alkaline environment.

Another option for water bottles are frozen juice cubes using juice made from a juicer. They help keep the water cold, add some flavor and add a boost of real, natural vitamins.

Read why we don’t give our kids organic milk boxes here.

Paleo School Lunch Ideas

1. Organic turkey & ham, organic cucumbers, organic pickles, organic grapes, organic peaches, organic plums and Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks.

2. Organic grapes, organic carrots, organic pickles, organic plums, organic turkey & ham, nitrite free pepperoni and enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks. Applegate farms sells nitrite free pepperoni. If you grocery store does not carry it, talk to a manager and request it if pepperoni is something you enjoy but do not want to consume the nitrates/nitrites.

3. Organic celery (I like to cut the celery in little pieces because I feel like it is easy for them to choke on when cut the long way), organic carrots, organic raisins, mango, kiwi, organic eggs stuffed with tuna salad. The tuna is Wild Planet Tuna mixed with Organic Veganaise & Whole Grain Mustard.

We use Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna, No Salt Added – this tuna has no water, oil or fillers added. Further it contains no BPA, is sustainably caught, is low mercury and high omega 3. Another great thing about this tuna is you don’t have to drain it — the tuna steaks are hand-cut and packed in a micro-cannery process allowing all the omega 3 oils to be retained so no liquid needs to be added.

Some of you have voiced concern about eating tuna due to of the possibility of the tuna being exposed to radiation as a result of the 2011 tsunami in Japan and the subsequently damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. Thus, I wanted to share a document written by the President and Founder of Wild Planet, Bill Carvalho, which provides clear, concise information regarding radiation in Wild Planet products. In summary, the best definitive course of action one can take regarding radiation in the food supply is to do precisely what Wild Planet has done; test all loads of fish coming into cold storage before they agree to pay for it. They have found no detectable radiation in any of their last 91 samples of albacore since July of 2012. Carvalho believes that North Pacific fish caught outside of the actual shoreline of Fukushima is very safe. Wile Planet continued the testing protocol throughout 2012 and 2013, and will continue such into 2014. In the past year, Wild Planet has had very few tests with any detectable levels of radiation at all, down to a detection limit of 0.5BQ/kg.

4. Organic chicken breast, watermelon, organic blueberries, organic raspberries, organic carrots, organic pickles and Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. I prepare the chicken by coating it with coconut oil or avocado oil and a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt & black pepper. Broil for 10 minutes on each side.

Read about why we use coconut oil here.

Read about why we use Himalayan pink salt here.

5. Shrimp, organic carrots, organic oranges, organic raspberries, organic raisins & Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks.

Shrimp help fight cancer, keep skin, hair and nails healthy, help prevent anemia, boost energy, help build strong bones, help process fats, help fight depression, help promote prostate health, help to keep your thyroid healthy and help stabilize blood sugar levels.

“Shrimp are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which starve tumor cells and help fight cancer. Studies show that eating 8 or 9 shrimp a day can reduce your breast cancer risk. Instead of shrimp, you can substitute any seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids; options include salmon, haddock, flounder and sardines.” – Dr. Oz

6. Chicken salad, organic oranges, organic grapes, carrot and cucumber flowers and pomegranate. Veggie Cutters: http://tinyurl.com/k2gc8o6

7. Egg whites, organic green beans, organic pickles (cut with veggie cutters), organic strawberries & Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.

8. Organic chicken, organic strawberries, grapes, green beans, carrots & Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip Chunks.

9. Organic carrots, organic dill pickles, organic strawberries, mango, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips & tuna salad. The tuna is Wild Planet Tuna mixed with Organic Veganaise & Whole Grain Mustard.

10. Grilled chicken, pineapple, spinach salad with egg, cucumber, avocado and raw sunflower seeds. We use the lemon as dressing.

11. Grain-Free & nut-free banana muffin, cucumbers (this is the vegetable cutter I used to cut the seeds out), organic hard-boiled egg, organic carrots, organic blackberries, organic raspberries, organic grapefruit and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

12. Grain-Free & nut-free banana muffin, nitrite free pepperoni (Applegate Farms), organic strawberries, organic roasted cauliflower, organic raspberries, organic grapefruit, organic oranges, pistachios and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

13. Organic ham, nitrite free pepperoni (Applegate Farms), organic kosher baby dill pickles, organic strawberries, mango, organic oranges, apple crumble and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

14. Tuna salad (we use Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna, No Salt Added), organic kosher baby dill pickles, organic strawberries, organic carrots, grain-free granola and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

15. Chicken salad, organic blackberries, organic strawberries, organic dill pickle slices and Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Mega Chunks.

16.  Organic ham, organic turkey, nitrite free pepperoni (Applegate Farms), organic kosher baby dill pickles, organic carrots, cantaloupe, organic apples and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

17.  Organic ham, nitrite free pepperoni (Applegate Farms), organic apples, organic blackberries, organic cucumbers, banana blueberry muffin, pistachios and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

18.  Organic ham, cantaloupe, watermelon, organic apples, organic carrots, sunflower seeds and a chocolate chip scone made with ground cashews and sweetened with maple syrup.

19.  Organic strawberries, mango, grilled chicken (this was leftover chicken from a salad we had at a restaurant), organic carrots, organic apples and sunflower seeds.

20.  Organic chicken breast, organic carrots, kiwi, spaghetti squash, watermelon and sunflower seeds.

21.  Organic turkey hot dog, organic yellow mustard, organic broccoli, organic cucumbers, organic carrots, organic strawberries and Enjoy Life Mega Chunks.

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

I went to have lunch with my kids at school last week and noticed a bunch of kids with the organic milk boxes. These used to be my favorite and I would give them to my kids every single day. I came to realize that these milk boxes contain carrageenan, which you want to avoid.

Carrageenan is a common food additive that is extracted from a red seaweed, Chondrus crispus. Carrageenan, which has no nutritional value, is used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed foods.  All forms of carrageenan are capable of causing inflammation… chronic inflammation is a root cause of many serious diseases including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and cancer.

Carrageenan is used in animal experiments to predictably cause inflammation, which allows pharmaceutical scientists to test the effectiveness of new anti-inflammatory drugs. In a report Cornucopia released, there is indication that scientists have raised concern about carrageenan’s safety for decades.  These concerns are based on their research linking the common food additive to gastrointestinal disease in laboratory animals, including colon tumors.

I recently discovered that the Zico brand of chocolate coconut water contains carrageenan. You are better off drinking non-flavored coconut water, the only ingredient is 100% natural coconut water. One great way to protect yourself and your family is by looking at Cornucopia’s Carrageenan Shopping Guide. For more information you can read Cornucopia’s comprehensive report on carrageenan.

Alas, we needed to find an alternative to what had become a staple in our school lunches. We purchased each of our kids a funtainer which keeps drinks cold up to 12 hours. They are made with an unbreakable stainless-steel interior and exterior and BPA-free materials. If you have an older child, or want one for yourself, the Klean Kanteen Insulated Bottle is another good choice. They keep contents hot for up to six hours and cold for up to 24 hours. These bottles are made from stainless steel with no BPA, phthalates, lead, or other harmful substances. To read more about these bottles and the importance of drinking water, read here.

So what about Silk Soy Chocolate milk? Unfortunately, Silk brand of soy milk contains carrageenan if you purchase it in the 1/2 gallon size and contains 17 grams of sugar per 1 cup. Silk single-serve and Soy Dream Chocolate are ones that do not contain carrageenan. There may be other brands of soy milk out there that do not contain carrageenan, however it is important to make sure your soy milk is GMO free… 91% of soy crops are genetically modified. I am not an expert on soy, but The Whole Soy Story is a great book to learn more about it. The book explains how soy is not a health food, does not prevent disease and has not even been proven safe. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, even heart disease and cancer.

Regarding fruit juices, here is some advice from William Davis, M.D., author of Wheat Belly:

“Even if they are “natural,” fruit juices are not that good for you.  While they contain healthy components such as flavanoids and vitamin C, the sugar load is simply too great for the benefit. Small servings of two to four ounces are generally fine, but more will trigger blood sugar consequences. Soft drinks, especially carbonated, are incredibly unhealthy mostly due to added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, colorings, and the extreme acid challenge from the carbonic acid carbonation.”

I know this doesn’t sound like ingenious advice, but water is really the best option for all of us. To make it exciting for your kids (or yourself) try squeezing some fresh lemon, lime or orange juice into the water. Alternatively, you can peel and freeze orange, lemon, lime, pineapple or grapefruit slices and add them to the water instead of ice cubes. I keep a bowl of frozen fruit in my freezer for this purpose.

If you have a juicer, you can make frozen juice sticks and pop them in the water bottle. I would recommend purchasing a flexible water bottle stick ice cube tray. The one I purchased in the picture below does not release the sticks easily. The flavors pictured are lemon, orange and cucumber. My kids love the lemon and orange and I love the cucumber. These little sticks provide three purposes: they keep the water cold, add some flavor and add a boost of real, natural vitamins!

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

I had my girls help assemble the trays, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and this is what we came up with:

Each child got their own tray, we made 18 of them! Here is a list of the contents in each tray:

– Organic whole blueberries.
– Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks. These chunks are dairy, nut & soy free. They contain evaporated cane juice, natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic) and non-dairy cocoa butter.
- Organic diced strawberries.
– Organic grape tomatoes cut into thirds.
- Grapes cut into thirds.We usually purchase organic grapes (and raisins) because they are part of the dirty dozen, but I always have a hard time finding them this time of year. I am expecting them to be available in the next few weeks. My kids have been bugging me for them, so I bought non-organic ones and washed them really well. Unfortunately, washing them does not do the complete trick because the pesticides soak through the skin of the grape.
– Cheddar cheese chunks. We usually purchase Organic Valley cheese, but could not find it at the store we were at.
– Organic carrots. We peeled and diced these ourselves — both my girls love to peel carrots.
– Organic cucumbers. If you cannot purchase organic, it is a good idea to peel your cucumbers to remove as much pesticide residue as possible.
– Annie’s Organic Snack Mix. This box comes with a variety of three snacks: cheddar, buttery rich, and pretzel. I took each cracker and separated them into three cube trays. It was much more cost effective than purchasing three boxes of crackers. We don’t eat these snacks often because they are still processed, but when we need a quick snack to grab, they are a better choice than most. They have no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and are certified organic. They are also made with real cheese, have no cholesterol and 0g trans fat & 0g saturated fat. They are made with vegetable and canola oils, which are not healthy oils, so they need to be eaten in moderation.
– Organic chopped romaine hearts.
– Organic bananas. Bananas are low in pesticide residue, so these can be purchased non-organic.
– Organic hummus. It is best to make your own hummus if you can to control the oil that goes into it. All of the hummus’ I have found have canola oil in them, which is not a healthy oil, thus it needs to be eaten in moderation. We did not have time to make our own this week, so we purchased Tribe Organic Hummus which contains organic cooked chickpeas, organic canola oil, organ tahini, water, organic lemon juice concentrate, sea salt, organic dried roasted garlic, organic spices. If you eat hummus on a daily basis it would be a good idea to make it yourself. If you eat is as an infrequent snack it would be a good idea to purchase organic to ensure the canola oil does not contain GMOs. Canola is a high risk crop for GMOs (75% of canola crops are genetically modified). Be careful if purchasing non-organic hummus, I have seen a few brands that contain Sodium Benzoate.

The kids were so excited to see all the different options. The teacher was wonderful and briefly talked about each food and the idea came up that this would be a great snack to pair with the Hungry Caterpillar. I was thrilled to see children getting so excited to eat real food! Many times with children it is all about the presentation and in this case it most certainly was.

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

– Leftover organic grilled chicken from the weekend.

– Grapes. We usually purchase organic grapes (and raisins) because they are part of the dirty dozen, but I always have a hard time finding them this time of year. I am expecting them to be available in the next few weeks. My kids have been bugging me for them, so I broke down and bought non-organic ones and washed them really well. Unfortunately, washing them does not do the complete trick because the pesticides soak through the skin of the grape.

– Organic cucumber. Cucumbers are part of the dirty dozen, thus high in pesticide residue, so we always purchase organic. If you cannot purchase organic, it is a good idea to peel them to remove as much pesticide residue as possible.

– Watermelon. Watermelon is part of the clean 15, thus we do not purchase this organic.

– Cashews, peanuts and raisins.

– Water. She uses a Klean Kanteen water bottle.

The lunchbox is a PlanetBox.  You can purchase these from Amazon.com or Pottery Barn Kids.  Here are some details about the lunchbox — my favorite part is that it is non-toxic and dishwasher safe! There is a pouch that holds a thermos on the outside of the lunch bag, we always fill this with water.

• Complete eco-friendly solution designed to make packing healthy lunches easy and fun
• Includes stainless steel lunchbox, 2 round lidded containers; a soft carry bag, and set of hip magnets
• Individual compartments ensure foods don’t touch each other and arrive looking neat and appealing
• Made out of safe, non-toxic, and recycled materials – no lead, PVC, phthalates, or BPA
• All in one piece design for easy care and cleaning – no mismatched lids to lose – dishwasher safe

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

– Ham & cheese kabob made with organic ham and organic string cheese cut into cubes.

– Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Pretzel Puffs. These pretzels are made with organic sprouted whole grain flour. Traditional whole grain pretzel flour is made from dried seeds and like all other vegetable seeds, the nutrients lay dormant until nature enables them to germinate or sprout into plants, called vegetables. When whole grains are sprouted, they are converted into a living food with more vital nutrients. The nutrients are now in a form that they body can more easily absorb. No added chemicals, additives, flavorings, colorings or enrichments. They are delicious and nutritious!

– Organic cucumber. Cucumbers are part of the dirty dozen, thus high in pesticide residue, so we always purchase organic. If you cannot purchase organic, it is a good idea to peel them to remove as much pesticide residue as possible.

– Organic raspberries & blackberries.

– Cashews. Great little salty treat. If you belong to Costco, buy your cashews there, it is the best value I have found.

– Water. They use a Klean Kanteen water bottle.

The lunchbox is a PlanetBox.  You can purchase these from Amazon.com or Pottery Barn Kids.  Here are some details about the lunchbox — my favorite part is that it is non-toxic and dishwasher safe! There is a pouch that holds a thermos on the outside of the lunch bag, we always fill this with water.

• Complete eco-friendly solution designed to make packing healthy lunches easy and fun
• Includes stainless steel lunchbox, 2 round lidded containers; a soft carry bag, and set of hip magnets
• Individual compartments ensure foods don’t touch each other and arrive looking neat and appealing
• Made out of safe, non-toxic, and recycled materials – no lead, PVC, phthalates, or BPA
• All in one piece design for easy care and cleaning – no mismatched lids to lose – dishwasher safe

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

We use Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna, No Salt Added – this tuna has no water, oil or fillers added.  Further it contains no BPA, is sustainably caught, is low mercury and high omega 3. Another great thing about this tuna is you don’t have to drain it — the tuna steaks are hand-cut and packed in a micro-cannery process allowing all the omega 3 oils to be retained so no liquid needs to be added.

I mixed the tuna with whole grain dijon mustard and Spectrum Naturals Organic Mayonnaise with Olive Oil (Organic expeller pressed soy and/or canola oil, organic whole eggs, organic egg yolks, organic extra virgin olive oil, filtered water, organic honey, organic distilled vinegar, sea salt, organic mustard (organic distilled vinegar, water, organic mustard seed, salt, organic spices), organic lemon juice concentrate.) Notice the first ingredient in this mayonnaise is soy and/or canola oil and the fourth ingredient is olive oil.  This is a great example of misleading labels.  You would think by reading the front of the label that this was made from olive oil only.  (The ingredients are listed according to how much of the ingredient is in the food. So for example, if the first item on the ingredient list is “water”, then there is more water used in the item then any other ingredient.) That being said, we do not use mayonaise often because it is loaded with highly refined oils, but when we do this is our best quick option. I have made mayonnaise in the past and it has been good, but I don’t like the idea of feeding my kids raw eggs, which is one of the main ingredients in homemade mayonnaise.

– Organic carrots. We cut and peeled these ourselves versus purchasing baby carrots because my daughter LOVES to peel carrots and she loves helping to prepare her lunch. I feel when I get my kids involved in the meal planning process, they are more open to trying new things.

– Banana Bread. See the recipe here.

– Watermelon. I used a Melon Baller to cut the watermelon. She likes her fruit served with a toothpick so her fingers don’t get sticky  .

– Organic blackberries.

– Shelled Pistachios. Great little salty treat. If you belong to Costco, buy your shelled pistachios there, it is the best value I have found.

– Water. She uses a Klean Kanteen water bottle.

My daughter has a PlanetBox.  You can purchase these from Amazon.com or Pottery Barn Kids.  Here are some details about the lunchbox — my favorite part is that it is non-toxic and dishwasher safe! There is a pouch that holds a thermos on the outside of the lunch bag, we always fill this with water.

• Complete eco-friendly solution designed to make packing healthy lunches easy and fun
• Includes stainless steel lunchbox, 2 round lidded containers; a soft carry bag, and set of hip magnets
• Individual compartments ensure foods don’t touch each other and arrive looking neat and appealing
• Made out of safe, non-toxic, and recycled materials – no lead, PVC, phthalates, or BPA
• All in one piece design for easy care and cleaning – no mismatched lids to lose – dishwasher safe

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

Today I mixed the tuna with whole grain dijon mustard and Spectrum Naturals Organic Mayonnaise with Olive Oil (Organic expeller pressed soy and/or canola oil, organic whole eggs, organic egg yolks, organic extra virgin olive oil, filtered water, organic honey, organic distilled vinegar, sea salt, organic mustard (organic distilled vinegar, water, organic mustard seed, salt, organic spices), organic lemon juice concentrate.) Notice the first ingredient in this mayonnaise is soy and/or canola oil and the fourth ingredient is olive oil.  This is a great example of misleading labels.  You would think by reading the front of the label that this was made from olive oil only.  (The ingredients are listed according to how much of the ingredient is in the food. So for example, if the first item on the ingredient list is “water”, then there is more water used in the item then any other ingredient.) That being said, we do not use mayonaise often because it is loaded with highly refined oils, but when we do this is our best quick option. I have made mayonnaise in the past and it has been good, but I don’t like the idea of feeding my kids raw eggs, which is one of the main ingredients in homemade mayonnaise.

Here is what else is in her lunch today:

– Organic edamame. I purchase Seapoint Farms Organic Edamame in the frozen section of my grocery store. Seapoint Farms uses only non-GMO (non-genetically modified organism) soybeans. I put them in her lunch frozen and they are defrosted by the time she eats.

It is important to purchase organic edamame (if it is organic, it is non-gmo). The only soy products fit for human consumption are fermented and organic and you will never find this type of soy in any processed foods.

– Organic carrots. We cut and peeled these ourselves versus purchasing baby carrots because my daughter LOVES to peel carrots and she loves helping to prepare her lunch. I feel when I get my kids involved in the meal planning process, they are more open to trying new things.

– Organic mandarin oranges. We used to purchase the pre-packaged mandarin oranges, but my kids like the fresh ones just as much. Here are the ingredients for the no-sugar added mandarin oranges: Mandarin Oranges, Water, Sorbitol, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Cellulose Gum. Buy fresh and steer clear of unnecessary additives.

– Shelled Pistachios. Great little salty treat. If you belong to Costco, buy your shelled pistachios there, it is the best value I have found.

– Organic strawberries & mango. She likes her fruit served with a toothpick so her fingers don’t get sticky :). I don’t purchase organic mangoes because they are part of the Clean 15, meaning they contain some of the lowest pesticide residue than any other fruits. You are also not eating the skin, which protects the fruit from pesticide. Fewer than 10 percent of pineapple, mango, and avocado samples had detectable pesticides on them and fewer than one percent of samples had more than one pesticide residue.

– Water. She uses a Klean Kanteen water bottle.

My daughter has a PlanetBox.  You can purchase these from Amazon.com or Pottery Barn Kids.  Here are some details about the lunchbox — my favorite part is that it is non-toxic and dishwasher safe! There is a pouch that holds a thermos on the outside of the lunch bag, we always fill this with water.

• Complete eco-friendly solution designed to make packing healthy lunches easy and fun
• Includes stainless steel lunchbox, 2 round lidded containers; a soft carry bag, and set of hip magnets
• Individual compartments ensure foods don’t touch each other and arrive looking neat and appealing
• Made out of safe, non-toxic, and recycled materials – no lead, PVC, phthalates, or BPA
• All in one piece design for easy care and cleaning – no mismatched lids to lose – dishwasher safe

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

This is what my daughter chose to take with her to lunch today:

– Organic ham wrapped in local pesticide free hydroponic bibb lettuce. We bought the ham at the deli counter at Wegmans. If the deli in your store does not carry organic lunch meats, Applegate farms makes a pre-packaged organic, nitrite free turkey and ham.

When eating lunch meat, one thing to steer clear of is sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, which is found in a lot of lunch meats, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs. It is a salt that helps to prevent bacterial cultivation of foods and makes them appear fresh.  It can lead to formation of cancer-causing molecules that can result in tumor formation. Both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate have been linked to significantly increasing the risk of colon and other forms of cancer, so be sure to choose only uncured meat products made without nitrates, and preferably from grass-fed sources (http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/processedmeat050305.cfm).

(I eat these lettuce wraps often for lunch.  I usually use organic turkey or ham, organic sweet roasted peppers (jarred), organic pickles, avocado and stone ground mustard.  They are delicious!)

– Organic kosher baby dill pickles (organic cucumbers, water, organic distilled vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, organic garlic chips, organic dillweed oil, organ gum arabic, organic natural spice flavors, xanthan gum).  Most jarred pickles contain sodium benzoate, which is why we choose to purchase organic ones.

– Organic carrots.  We cut and peeled these ourselves versus purchasing baby carrots because my daughter LOVES to peel carrots and she loves helping to prepare her lunch. I feel when I get my kids involved in the meal planning process, they are more open to trying new things.

– Organic raspberries.

– Water. She uses a Klean Kanteen water bottle.

My daughter has a PlanetBox.  You can purchase these from Amazon.com or Pottery Barn Kids.  Here are some details about the lunchbox — my favorite part is that it is non-toxic and dishwasher safe! There is a pouch that holds a thermos on the outside of the lunch bag, we always fill this with water.

• Complete eco-friendly solution designed to make packing healthy lunches easy and fun
• Includes stainless steel lunchbox, 2 round lidded containers; a soft carry bag, and set of hip magnets
• Individual compartments ensure foods don’t touch each other and arrive looking neat and appealing
• Made out of safe, non-toxic, and recycled materials – no lead, PVC, phthalates, or BPA
• All in one piece design for easy care and cleaning – no mismatched lids to lose – dishwasher safe

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

When eating lunch meat, one thing to steer clear of is sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, which is found in a lot of lunch meats, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs. It is a salt that helps to prevent bacterial cultivation of foods and makes them appear fresh.  It can lead to formation of cancer-causing molecules that can result in tumor formation. Both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate have been linked to significantly increasing the risk of colon and other forms of cancer, so be sure to choose only uncured meat products made without nitrates, and preferably from grass-fed sources (http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/processedmeat050305.cfm).

Here is the ingredient list for our homemade “lunchable”: Organic Turkey (Organic Turkey, Water, Salt), Organic Cheese (Organic Pasteurized Cultured Whole and Skim Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Sesame Crackers (Organically Grown whole wheat flour stone ground, clover honey, sesame oil, dairy butter, sesame seeds, yeast and salt), Organic Blueberries, Organic Strawberries.

We bought our turkey at the deli at our grocery store. I asked them to cut it a little thicker than I do for sandwiches — it makes it easier to cut it with the shape cutter.  If the deli in your store does not carry organic lunch meats, Applegate farms makes a pre-packaged organic, nitrite free turkey and ham.  The “lunchable” also contains Organic Valley Monterey Jack Cheese and Ak-Mak crackers. The container I used for her lunch is the Rubbermaid Lunch Blox, which fits nicely in her Dora The Explorer lunchbox.  I still have room for her Thermos Funtainer Bottle which I fill with water or milk — I let her choose.  I used Stainless Vegetable Cutter shapes to cut out the cheese and turkey.  When you use these cutters, you will have some scraps; I ate some of the scraps and gave some to our dog, so nothing went to waste.   Lastly, there is a heart toothpick in the fruit, because she likes to use this so her hands don’t get sticky.

This vs. That: Homemade vs. Oscar Meyer:

Drink: Water vs. Water; High Fructose Corn Syrup; Pear and Grape Juice Concentrates; Citric Acid; Water Extracted Orange, Apple and Pineapple Juice Concentrates; Natural Flavor; Vitamin E Acetate.
Turkey: Organic Turkey, Water, Salt vs. White Turkey; Water; Potassium Lactate, Modified Cornstarch, Contains Less Than 2% of Dextrose, Carrageenan, Salt, Sodium Phosphates, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Diacetate, Flavor, Sodium Ascorabte, Smoke Flavor, Sodium Nitrite, Natural and Artificial Flavor.
Cheese: Organic Pasteurized Cultured Whole and Skim Milk, Salt, Enzymes vs. Part-Skim Milk, Skim Milk, Milkfat, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Culture, Sorbic Acid as a Preservative, Lactic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Enzymes, Vitamin A Palmitate, Apocarotenal (Color), With Starch Added For Slice Separation.
Crackers: Organically Grown whole wheat flour stone ground, Clover Honey, Sesame Oil, Dairy Butter, Sesame Seeds, Yeast, Salt vs. Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine MonoNitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda and/or Calcium Phosphate), Whey (From Milk), Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor.
Dessert:  Organic Blueberries and Strawberries vs. Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Less Than 2% of: Apple Juice From Concentrate, Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Colors (Red 40 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Red 40, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1, Blue 1 Lake), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax. (This is the ingredient list for Skittles).

** The Ak-Mak crackers I used are not an exact replacement for the crackers in a Lunchable.  My girls like the Ak-Mak crackers, but my son does not.  Another alternative that is closer to the Lunchable cracker are the Late July Classic Rich crackers.  The ingredients in those are: Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Oleic Safflower Oil and/or Organic Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Sea Salt, Leavening (baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate, cream of tartar), soy lecithin (an emulsifier), enzymes.  These crackers are made without synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetic engineering.  They contain no trans fats no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives and no cholesterol.  Here is a picture of the “lunchable” with the Late July crackers.

~ “Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” – W.E.B. Du Bois

I did not purchase organic mango because it is not one of the dirty fruits.  If you are not familiar with the “dirty dozen”, it is a list of the fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticide residues.  In 2012 a Plus category was added to include green beans and leafy greens (kale, collard greens).  I use this list to guide me in my produce purchases, I don’t want to unnecessarily spend the money on organic fruits and vegetables.  Here is the list:

Dirty Dozen (12 most contaminated —  buy these organic)

• Apples
• Celery
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Peaches
• Nectarines (imported)
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Blueberries
• PLUS: Green Beans & Kale Greens

Clean 15 (lowest in pesticide)

• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Cabbage
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Mangos
• Eggplant
• Kiwi Fruit
• Cantaloupe (domestic)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Watermelon
• Mushrooms

~ Don’t do nothing just because you can’t do everything. – Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (Vegan Chef and Founder of Compassionate Cooks)