Summer vacations are over, Indian summer has arrived, the kids have new clothes and shoes and all of us moms are trying to figure out what to pack in our children’s lunch boxes.  It must be quick and easy, but also nutritious, and fun for the kids to eat!  Some of the ideas are gluten-free and most are kid tested by my four and six year old!

Lunches:
Applegate Farms Turkey/Ham rolled around dill pickle spears or string cheese
Natural peanut butter/ Smucker’s Low Sugar Grape/Strawberry Jam on Natural Oven’s Bread/Brown Rice Cakes
Applegate Farms Turkey/Ham on Natural Ovens Bread/Brown Rice Cakes
Hummus and Brown Rice Cakes

Snacks:
Archer Farms Individual Organic Applesauce cups
Dole Fruit Cups - light syrup, mandarin oranges and peaches are our favorites
Baby Carrots with Ranch dip
Celery and peanut/almond butter
Hummus and mini brown rice crackers
Hummus and vegetables
Veggie Booty (Trader Joe’s)
Terra Chips
Dried Vegetable Chips (easy recipes online)
Raw cauliflower and broccoli with Ranch - cut into kid-friendly pieces (my son (5) and daughter (7) year old loves it when its “their size”)

Hopefully, you can use these lists to create some new and fun lunches for your kids.  If you want kids to start eating healthy -  be the parent - don’t offer options. When my kids are really hungry, they will eat whatever I put in front of them. Also, just because they say they don’t like a particular food - keep trying - eventually they will like it or it may mean they don’t want it right now.  

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