The Happy Lunchbox: Pack the Rainbow

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Children should be eating a variety of foods for optimum nutrition, but this isn’t an easy task to accomplish, especially if they’re picky eaters. The best strategy to establish healthy eating habits is to offer children a variety of foods and give them the opportunity to explore. They’re likely to reject vegetables, especially those that are really good for them. The key is to keep offering and keep modeling healthy eating behavior. Another important thing to do is to talk about healthy foods in a positive light. If we make it sound like it’s a chore or an obligation to eat healthy food, they will see it the same way.

We love a school lunchbox that incorporates all food groups, is delicious, and affordable.

The USDA recommended food groups can be easily incorporated into your little one’s (and your) lunchbox:

  • Vegetables: Cut up- carrots, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower florets work well for little hands

  • Fruits: Cut up- apples, pears, small tangerines, grapes, blueberries, and bananas

  • Protein: Hard-boiled egg, chicken breast cut into cubes, beans, tofu or fish

  • Grains: Choose whole grains for bread, tortilla, and pasta

  • Dairy: Milk, whole yogurt, eggs, and cheese

✿The most affordable place to find locally grown fruits and vegetables is your local farmer’s market. Find one near you at Ecology Center Farmer’s Market Finder.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

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A smoothie is a great way to feed nutrient dense foods to children or the whole family. Anything can go into a smoothie really, but things like cooked spinach, kale, and protein powders are easier to hide for those picky eaters. Here we’ve made a delicious (and sneaky healthy) banana berry smoothie. Strawberries, blueberries, and bananas are considered superfoods. While this is largely a marketing term, it refers to nutrient dense foods, so it works for us. 

These foods are rich in antioxidants, in fact, one strawberry has more vitamin C than an orange! Plain whole yogurt is rich in probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that help support a healthy immune system and using honey, maple syrup or raw coconut nectar to add a little bit of sweetness is a healthier alternative to sugar. We hope you and your littles enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup frozen (or fresh) strawberries
  • 1 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries (or any kind of berry)
  • 1 cup milk (I always use whole, it’s nutritionally superior to skim milk)
  • A cup of whole plain yogurt (or greek yogurt)
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter (peanut, sunflower work well too)
  • We recommend not using sweetened yogurt, as it has a lot of added sugar.
  • A drizzle of honey, maple syrup or coconut nectar

Coconut nectar is low on the glycemic index (approx. 35), which means it releases glucose slowly into the body and does not spike blood sugar levels as quickly, which is important if you have concerns about diabetes. See more on the glycemic index here.

  • Optional: ground flax, ground chia seeds or protein powder (ground flax pictured).    

Preliminary studies show that flax and chia seeds are good sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids and dietary fiber. Researchers believe that omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber help the cardiovascular system, including lowering blood pressure and preventing the hardening of arteries, a contributing factor in heart disease.

 

Directions: 

Put all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and mix until blended well!

Enjoy.

Hopefully your efforts will result in this!