– 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