My mission for consistently offering my kids real, whole food to my kids means sending this message outside the home as well. That means it must occur at school and social gatherings.
When the boys were little we talked a lot about the food, making our bodies healthy and strong. We talked about how it made our brains work well and why that is important. The boys are 8 years old now and can understand the larger concepts. They have experimented with some unhealthy choices at birthday parties, school, and other social situations. They did not feel well after eating what they chose so it was easy to draw a correlation to how what we eat impacts how we feel!
If you make a plan and map it out, it is possible to send in lunches that steer clear of nutrient-voidchemical-laden, chemical laden ingredients. Preparing simple foods with minimal ingredients is affordable! In the long run, your kids’ health and your health benefit from this time investment!!
I hope you find some inspiration here!!
Sourcing high-quality hot dogs can be done! Look for all beef, grass-fed high-quality hot dogs!
👬For the boys:
LUNCH:
🌭 All beef, grass-fed hot dogs from Miller’s Organic Farm CSA
🍎 Gala apple and pomegranate seeds
🥦 Broccoli with olive oil and Redmond’s Real Salt
🍓 Strawberries (thawed from frozen)
🍠 Orange sweet potato from Tart Farms OR
🍌Green plantain fried in coconut oil with Redmond’s Real Salt
SNACK
⭐️Brazil nuts
⭐️Hazelnuts (toasted)
🥥 Coconut chips from Thrive Market
🍎Dried apples in my dehydrator
⭐️Dates from Costco
Lunchbots is a great tool to pack lunches!
⭐️Tip: Alternative pasta is a great way to add extra protein and fiber into your kids' lunch box!
👬For the 7-year-olds:
LUNCH:
🦃 Ground turkey meatballs with onion, celery, peppers, and sage
🍝 Gluten-free Ancient Harvest elbow noodles with Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes and fresh basil
🥕 Steamed multicolored carrots or fermented carrots
⭐️Black olives
🥦 Steamed broccoli with olive oil and Redmond’s Real Salt
SNACK:
🍠 Beetroot, plantain, and sweet potato brownie
🍇 Black grapes
👭For the 3-year-olds:
SNACK
❤️Yellow bell pepper
⭐️Seed granola bar (recipe to come once I figure out how I made it)
🐄 Grass-fed graze stick from Mission Meats.
❤️Use the Thrive Market Link for a 25% discount!
🤗Quick tip: another way to encourage your kids to try new things is to take something familiar and pair it with something new!
👬For the 7-year-olds:
LUNCH
🥪 12 hr spelt rolls with: Kerrygold butter, grass-fed raw Gouda, horseradish roast beef.
🍊 Cuties, gala apple, and black grapes with cinnamon
❤️Green olives
🍅 Multicolored tomatoes
🥥 @sejoyia coco-thins cashew coconut cookies (found on @thrivemkt)
SNACK
🍒 Frozen thawed organic tart cherries from.
👭For the 3-year-olds:
SNACK
🐄 Liverwurst from @uswellnessmeats 🍎 Sweet tango apple from @artisanaorganics🍌 Homemade banana bread with coconut flour and @greatlakesgelatin (recipe inspired from @theroastedroot)
🤗I hope everyone is having a fantastic school year so far!
🤫Wanna know why I go through the effort to make Paleo meals for my 👬👭?
❤️The main reason is I have one little one who needs a bit more extra special attention and three more I don’t want to see struggle with health.
🤗Here is the reality about, it… food is medicine and can make a massive difference in development, behavior and overall health!
👬For the 7 1/2-year-olds:
LUNCH:
🐠 Wild caught cod from Trader Joe’s battered in coconut flour and fried in coconut oil.
🥦 Steamed broccoli with Redmond’s Real Salt and olive oil
🍌 Plantains fried in coconut oil with cinnamon
❤️Purple sauerkraut with caraway
🍅 Ketchup and mustard from Trader Joe’s
SNACK
🤗Homemade blueberry seed bar
🍓 Thawed Organic strawberries
👭For the 3 1/2-year-olds1/2-year-olds:
SNACK:
❤️Vegan blueberry seed bar
🍎 Apple, pomegranate, and clementines
🌟 TIP: When packing a lunch for the littles, think about balancing out all of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat)! Their little bodies run best on a balance, just like ours!!
👬For the almost 8-year-olds:
LUNCH:
🌭 Pastured pork and beef hot dogs from Miller’s Organic Farm and CSA
❄️ Red Kuri winter squash with cinnamon and Redmond’s Real Salt
🍌 Ripe plantains fried in coconut oil
🍅 Mixed Cherry tomatoes
❤️Steamed beets with balsamic vinegar
🥑Avocado with dulse flakes, Redmond’s Real Salt, and lemon
SNACK:
❤️Pistachios (in the shells slows them down and gives them more time to chew)
🍇 Purple grapes
👬For the boys:
LUNCH:
🍝 Red lentil pasta from Tolerant Foods with organ meat veggie sauce
🌟The rest of the Lunch Bot is a combo of snack and lunch! The little guys get to choose their own adventure!!
🍇 Purple grapes
🍊 Mandarin oranges
❤️Cashews
🍈 Cantaloupe
🌟Cauliflower with olive oil and Redmond’s Real Salt.
🍪 The best grain-free chocolate chip cookies with almond meal and Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips!
👭For the preschoolers:
SNACK:
😊Grain free Siete Foods tortilla chips in avocado oil!
🤗Cauliflower, green olives, and purple grapes
😳After a very loud and chaotic weekend with four kids with really big emotions…I am ready to make a Monday lunch!!
👬For the almost 8-year-old fire plugs:
LUNCH
🥚Veggie and bacon quiche
❤️Pork liverwurst
🍠 Orange sweet potato OR plantains
🤗Green olives
⭐️Steamed beets
SNACK:
💥Frozen blueberries
🍫 85% dark chocolate
🍪 Seed cookie
❤️William came up to me yesterday and wrapped his little arms around me and said, “thanks Mommy for making me good food, it makes me run super fast.” 😊
👬For my little guys:
LUNCH
🍗 Coconut chicken wings with a simple sauce!
🍠Baked orange sweet potato from Tart Farms OR
🍌 Plantain fried in coconut oil with Redmond’s Real Salt and garlic
🥦 Broccoli with olive oil OR
😊Green peas with ghee
🥝 Kiwi
🍎 Apple
SNACK:
❤️Frozen pesticide-free, blueberries
🌿 Roasted nori sheets with olive oil from Sea Snax.
🥣Sauce:
Kerrygold Butter, tomato paste, Trader Joe’s coconut aminos, Tart Farms honey, Redmond’s Real Salt, garlic, and pepper.
⭐️Tip: Bright and colorful lunches aren't only peak the appetite but they fuel the brain!
👬For the boys:
LUNCH
🥥 Banana/peach/coconut overnight oats: GF organic oats Trader Joe’s coconut milk, Chia seeds, vanilla, thawed frozen peaches, banana, cinnamon OR
🐄 Plain raw milk yogurt from Miller’s Organic Farm with all of the above minus coconut milk and oats.
🍁 Grain and nut free maple granola
🍎 Apple and clementine
🌊 Sea Snax
SNACK:
🥕 Carrot and bell pepper
🍖 Bison-cranberry Bar from Epic Bar
I usually do not use two packaged snacks in the same lunchbox for budget purposes. But, the busier weekend demanded time savings!
💰 You can find these snacks at huge savings on Thrive Market! Click here for a 25% discount code!!
👻 After a busy night trick or treating I want to make sure to fuel the kiddos with nutrients and a hint of ⭐️sweet!
👬For the two crazy boys:
LUNCH:
🥪 Sourdough spelt bread with boiled ham, raw grass-fed, sharp cheddar and Kerrygold butter
🍠 White sweet potato from Tart Farms with olive oil and Redmond’s Real Salt
🍅 Cherry tomatoes
🥦 Steamed broccoli with olive oil and Redmond’s Real Salt
⭐️SWEET: pecan stuffed dates OR apple chips
SNACK:
🍒 Tart cherries (thawed from frozen)
❤️Pistachios
🎈 After a fun filled weekend full of birthday parties and energy it’s time to head back to school!
👬For my now 8-year-oldsfun-filled:
LUNCH:
🍁 Jalapeño maple pastured bratwurst from Wildest Dreams Farms
❄️ Acorn squash with Redmond’s Real Salt and cinnamon
🥦 Steamed broccoli with olive oil and Redmond’s Real Salt
🥕 Carrot sticks and a chickpea/tahini dip with olive oil
🍏 Apple chips
SNACK:
🍒 Frozen thawed cherries
❤️Pistachios OR a simple homemade granola
🏔 Last lunchbox for this week as we are headed off to the mountains soon! We will still eat lunch it just will be eaten sitting on a trail somewhere without any cameras in view!! 🤗
👬For the 8-year-olds!
LUNCH:
🎣 Wild caught smoked salmon (from Costco)
🥕 Roasted carrots and parsnips in coconut oil with coriander
🥛Yogurt tahini dip with orange
🥦 Steamed broccoli with Redmond’s Real Salt
🍅 Cherry tomatoes
🎃 Pumpkin and butternut cornbread (recipe adapted from Nourishing Meals)
SNACK
🥤 Chocolate smoothie:
🍌 Banana
🌿 Beet and carrot greens
💪Garden of Life chocolate protein powder
💪 Great Lakes Gelatin collagen hydrolysate
💦 Water
🐄 Mission Meats grass-fed Graze Stick
🤗Plenty of protein for my two growing little boys!!
You can find these products at great prices on Thrive Market!!