Mini-Meals – Healthy Back-to-School Lunches

Alchemy Nirvana Oppelt, Age 5

In just over a week my baby girl starts kindergarten! Everyone said this day would come in a blink of an eye, and I have to say, it’s true. At five years old, I still fuss over her diet just as much as I did when I was making frozen cubes of organic baby food from scratch. Like any other kid, my daughter Alchemy loves her sweets and treats and it is a constant task to keep her diet balanced and mostly wholesome. As back to school time quickly approaches, I figured now would be the perfect time to share some of our favorite pack-n-go meals and snacks.

Cheese in a Blanket –Tasty protein power! Ingredients: Horizon Organic Mozzarella Cheese Stick and Applegate Farms Roasted Turkey. Directions: Unwrap the cheese stick and roll it up in a slice of turkey. Be sure to keep this nice and cold with and ice pack when packing lunches to-go.

Egg Treat – Simply, a hard-boiled egg cut in half sprinkled with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt.

Chickie Salad Cup – Alchemy likes her “Chickie Salad” in a little container rather than on bread. Ingredients: Diced or shredded cooked organic chicken, Spectrum Organic Mayonnaise, mustard, chopped celery, Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. Directions: Mix it, put in a BPA free container, pack with a cold pack and go!

Carrots & Hummus – In case you haven’t tried it, carrots and hummus rock! A perfect pint sized, powerhouse snack. You can make your own hummus or get some from the health food store. Find a small container for the hummus and pack some baby carrots for dipping.

Chilly Burritos – I usually serve this for lunch the day after we have taco night at home. I make them right after dinner so that I’m ahead of the game in the morning. Ingredients: Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortilla, Amy’s Organic Refried Beans, Plainville Farms Organic Ground Turkey – browned and cooked with taco seasoning (if we have any left over from taco night), organic shredded cheese, organic sour cream, sliced avocado or guacamole, clover sprouts. (This is all Alchemy likes on hers at the moment, you could of course add salsa, tomatoes, cucumber olives, etc.) Directions: wrap, refrigerate overnight and in the morning, throw it in the lunch box!

Yummy Yogurt Parfait – You could use any kind of fruit, fresh or frozen. The reason I use frozen cherries a lot is that they keep the yogurt cold and as they thaw they make it a pretty shade of pink, naturally! Ingredients: Stoneyfield Organic Plain Yogurt, frozen cherries or other fruit, granola, sliced almonds, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Directions: In a BPA free plastic container put frozen fruit on the bottom, top with yogurt, then a little granola, sliced almonds, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Ants on a Log – An all time classic! Ingredients: celery, MaraNatha Organic No-Stir Peanut Butter, and organic raisins. Directions: Wash and cut the celery, fill with peanut butter and line the raisins up on top.

Silly Snack Mix – A life-saver, emergency snack for those moments when waiting just won’t do. No refrigeration necessary, so keep a bag in the car! Ingredients: Dried fruit of choice (raisins, cherries, dates, apples, papaya), nuts (raw cashews, raw almonds, raw walnuts, peanuts, pistachios), just a few candy coated sunflower seeds (from the bulk food section at the health food store), and Annie’s Homemade Organic Cheddar Bunnies. Directions: Put it in a baggie & go!

Mini Quinoa-Banana Muffins – A sweet treat that blows away traditional recipes on the “good for you” scale. The recipe was created by Alchemy’s Graypa, it’s a wholesome gluten-free bread that makes a great loaf or mini-muffins, if you choose for your little munchkin!

Yummy Balls! – Makes you smile just saying it, doesn’t it! Another one that I put in the “much better for you than the average treat” category. But, you could over-do it on these, easily! Just don’t sit down with a tray of them in front of the T.V. (I’m talking to you Mom’s out there).

Ingredients: 1/2 cup raw walnuts, 1/2 cup pitted dates (soak for an hour or so before hand), 1/2 cup carob powder, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup organic raw almond butter, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp fine Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, 1/2 cup raw whole Almonds, 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut.

Directions: Place the walnuts in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the soaked dates and pulse until well combined with the nuts. Add the carob powder, cinnamon, syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and salt. Process until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the almonds, and pulse a few times until combined; you want them to remain in crunchy chunks. Form the mixture into golf-ball-sized balls in your hands. Roll in the coconut (or cocoa powder). Place in a sealed container in the freezer until hardened. Keep in the freezer until ready to eat or pack. Enjoy!

Momma Jen’s Guidelines for Raising a Healthy Kid – My motherly conscience could not rest if I did not share a few more things that I believe keep kids healthy and thriving in this fast-paced world.

• Pack water in your child’s lunch and encourage drinking water frequently.
• Use BPA free containers for packing food and water to-go.
• When packing lunches, keep meats, dairy and egg fresh by packing them with ice packs. Very important!
• Buy local and/or organic whenever possible, especially meats, dairy and eggs. Find a co-op to help reduce cost. We shop at Fresh Family Goods and save a bundle on our food bill.
• Don’t use microwaves. Just get rid of it, if you still have one.
• Educate your children about healthy eating, tell them about how carrots help you see, meat makes you strong, milk gives you good bones, etc. Kids love this stuff.
• Don’t force your kids to eat but keep putting healthy food in front of them. If they are hungry, they will eat it.
• Cook with your children. Tell them what you are doing in the kitchen and let them help. Even if it is a little messy.
• Eat dinner together at dinner table. Let the kids set the table.
• Stay active – have dance parties, play, go outside, include the kids in your exercise routine, do yoga together, teach them how to take deep breaths, shake it off, laugh, be silly, and give them lots of hugs and kisses.
• Every now and then, go out for ice cream! It’s all about the balance.