HUMP DAY will be here tomorrow. You’ve just armed your kids and yourself with two days worth of nutritious, wholesome, plant-based lunches and snacks so far. Let’s keep the momentum going. Not only are you promoting healthy eating habits, you’re contributing to their success in the classroom. A good night’s sleep and a healthy snack/lunch = optimal classroom performance. So unless you’re keen on the leftover Veggie Pasta Salad from Tuesday’s cuisine, take a peek at tomorrow’s ensemble and get crackin’!
Snack:
I’m giving you two snack options for Wednesday. Not all kids are fans of the Pistachio or it may not be an ideal snack for a child in a nut-free classroom. As a result, I am giving you two healthy, Vegan options. Both of my girls love Pistachios, however, I only include the lightly salted, shelled variety in Madison’s backpack. She is what I would title, ” The Master Nut Cracker.” She can get through an ounce of shelled nuts rather quickly, thereby avoiding the issue of running over her class snack time. Grace is a little slower, so either I will pack her lightly salted, unshelled nuts or something else healthy altogether as indicated below.
If you can get your kids to love these awesome kernels, you will be exposing them to a good source of protein, fiber, healthy mono-unsaturated fats, antioxidants, Phosphorus, Vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, Thiamin, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Calcium, Zinc, and Selenium. Score!
Option #2 is a classic, Vegan popcorn. This particular brand has no GMO’s, is gluten-free, and has another quality that is most important to me – 3 recognizable ingredients (popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt). Pair it with fruit and call it a day.
Lunch:
This one is pretty simple and easy. Today, a Hummus Sandwich is on the menu. The one pictured below is Eat Well Embrace Life’s Tuscan Non-GMO White Bean and Roasted Pine Nut Hummus. There are so many flavors on the market so, you really have to play around with the choices. I will be sharing a few homemade varieties in future posts.
Rule of Thumb: If you have older kids, consider separating the hummus and fixings, allowing them to assemble the ingredients (bread, hummus, lettuce, tomato, etc.) at the lunch table. This avoids “soggy bread syndrome.” No one wants a hummus sandwich assembled the night before. Just be sure to include a plastic knife for spreading. If your kids are adventurous, add other raw ingredients to their sandwich like: alfalfa sprouts, broccoli slaw, shredded carrots, or thinly sliced cucumber slices. I usually can’t get away with this, but I always make it my business to put the extras on mine. Below, I added the extras in the form of carrot sticks and a side of organic apple sauce. Enjoy!
Want a hint for tomorrow’s, “What’s in Thursday’s Lunchbox?” Let’s just say it includes one of my new favorite snacks that is 2 ingredients or less. Stay tuned…
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