5 Easy Lunchbox Meals

It’s that time of year again. Only this year it gets real for us here in the Engels’ household, its time for Kindergarten. How did that happen exactly? How did my sweet baby girl get to be five already and ready for big girl school? It seems like yesterday and I was holding her in my arms for the very first time. It really wasn’t that long ago that her Mom and I lay there waiting anxiously for that first cry. Now I feel like I like a magic button that will freeze time or at least slow it down a little bit.

Gone are the days were she coos and looks longing at me to pick her up, now we hold almost adult conversations. She is beginning to pick up more and more of our traits, mannerisms, and how we talk. Just yesterday while in the store we taste tested something and she said, “Mmmmm Daddy, its good, but it has a spicy finish.” All while rolling her tongue around and taking in every essence of the taste. That my friends is how you know your parents are food bloggers. I have raised a little food critic folks.

So now we have to brave the world of lunches at school. Hannah has never eaten lunch at school. My wife does a wonderful job of keeping Hannah’s diet balanced. We have lots of conversations about fueling our bodies with the right kind of foods but also allowing treats in as well. My wife and I really work hard to giver her a lot of food knowledge and for the most part Hannah is a better eater than I am! She likes her veggies, and if its too sweet she won’t eat much of it. So I consider that a win. We have a strict policy in our house about what kind of snacks we allow into the house. I don’t bring anything in that has chemicals or artificial dyes. Whenever possible within our budget constraints we buy organic or local grown produce, what we don’t get from our garden. Its important to me that even in our treats, and snacks that we are still getting wholesome nutrition. Those who go to work and don’t have the time to make your own lunches, don’t worry because you still have access to good food thanks to food micro markets.

We have come to love Horizon products in our house. They have become a trusted brand from half and half, and whipping cream at holiday times. My daughter always asks for the yummy milk in the store when she sees them in a display, she actually always take one of her sippy cups filled to school. As Hannah is getting older she is starting to be able to recognize words and brand logos. So one day when we were out doing some shopping she saw Horizon snacks and begged to get some! I took a look at them, and decided that we would get some snacks to help complement her school lunches! I snatched up the fruit snacks (a family favorite), the peanut butter and crackers, colby cheese shapes and fruit crunchers.

We checked out and on the way home we talked about what we were gonna put in her lunch box for school! As a parent, you might not have enough time to pack your own lunch for work, but you don’t have to worry if the company you’re working in offers corporate food through micro markets.

What I loved most about the Horizon snacks was that I can read every ingredients that goes into them. They taste like the food they say it is. That is a rare find in today’s world. I also like that I know exactly what Hannah will be eating at school. She will have a balance of healthy and organic food (when possible) complemented with a snack that I feel good about giving her.

Hannah and I took the time and we put together on Sunday evening 5 lunches for the upcoming week. I had purchased sometime ago these perfect sectioned lunch bowls with lids and that’s exactly what she wanted to use. Together we built 5 different sandwiches and main courses, a veggie and/or a fruit, and an Horizon snack item. We even added chocolate chips one day! She was able to have a great source of protein with the main course and the cheese shapes to keep her full and focused. You can order lunch boxes online from a variety of different websites. One of our favorites is www.lunchinaboxmelbourne.com.au. They have a wide variety of different lunch boxes to choose from, and they’re all made out of high-quality materials. Plus, they’re very affordable, and they deliver quickly!

But every kid wants a snack or a treat and the peanut butter cracker, fruit snacks and fruit crunchers were the perfect fit for that! She loved making her lunches ahead. Every morning she gets to pick out her lunch for the day and you know what? She feels like she has some control over her choices and I feel good about the choices she’s making. Kids are more likely to eat the food that is made for them when they are directly involved in the preparation. This has definitely been true for my little Kindergarten goer.

Give Horizon snacks a try today! What creative ideas can you come up with to incorporate these snacks into your little ones lunches?

Here is how Hannah decided to make up her lunches:

Monday

Ham Sandwich

Horizon Organic Colby Cheese Shapes

Grapes & Strawberries

Trail Mix

Tuesday

Peanut Butter Sandwich

Green Beans

Apple

Horizon Organic Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers

Wednesday

Avocado Chicken Salad

Brocoli

Horizon Organic Fruit Snacks

Orange

Thursday

Spaghetti

Garden grown Cucumbers

Blackberries

Horizon Organic Apple Fruit Crunchers

Friday

Ham Sandwich

Horizon Organic Colby Cheese Shapes

Grapes

Chocolate Chips

Like them on Facebook

Follow Horizon on Twitter

Check out Horizon on Pinterest

Follow them on Instagram

This conversation is sponsored by Horizon. The opinions and text are all mine.