Lunch 6/12/14

Tomorrow's lunch is turkey and spinach pinwheels, pea crisps, grapes, and apples - all of his favorites. This lunchbox should come home empty!

Lunch 6/10/14 & 6/11/14

We left in a hurry this morning and I didn't get to take a photo of today's lunch! Roo took leftovers from last night's dinner in his thermos: homemade chicken and veggie "lo mein" made with whole grain linguine, and mixed fruit on the side.

Tomorrow's lunch will be a sunbutter sandwich on whole grain bread, a boiled egg, cubed cheddar cheese (a teeny bit won't bother his tummy), carrots, cubed papaya, and broccoli pasta salad.

Lunch 6/9/14

Today was Daddy Roo's birthday. We celebrated with a biiiig breakfast, a picnic in the park, and homemade chicken fingers with chocolate cake for dinner. Lots of celebrating, and lots of yummy (if not very healthy) food.

Back to our regular routine tomorrow! Roo will have a homemade "lunchable" with deli turkey, turkey pepperoni, pretzel crackers, string cheese, carrots, grapes, and broccoli pasta salad.

Lunch 6/6/14

Tomorrow Roo is going to have a quesadilla made with turkey, lactose free cheese, and a whole grain tortilla. On the side he will have carrots, black beans, and berry applesauce.

Lunch 6/5/14

Today Roo had breakfast for lunch: eggs scrambled with spinach, whole grain toast, and fruit with yogurt. Daddy and I had boring sandwiches. I was a little envious!

Lunch 6/4/14

Both hubby and I will take leftovers from tonight's dinner since I made enough to feed a much larger (or hungrier) family than ours. For dinner, we had homemade baked chicken and spinach meatballs in tomato sauce, over zucchini "noodles" and regular (high fiber) spaghetti. Roo LOVED this meal, but the last time I sent him with tomato sauce in his lunch, he ended up in loaner clothes from the school. Whoops! The kid is serious about his pasta sauce!

So for tomorrow's lunch, Roo has a somewhat less messy meal of veggie pasta salad with diced ham, fruit, and coconut milk yogurt.

Family lunch month 6/2/14

Day 2!

Roo has a duo of sandwiches on whole grain bread (one turkey and one sunbutter), baby carrots, and fresh sliced peaches.

For me, there's homemade chicken salad lettuce wraps, wheat crackers, and baby carrots.

Hubby had a slightly less imaginative lunch, with turkey smoked sausages and cheese on wheat buns, and a snack mix of pretzels and baked crackers. Better than the burger and fries he would have probably had!

Lunch 6/2/14 - June will be a lunch-a-riffic month!

The weekend went by way too quickly. :( It's back to school and work in the morning.

Roo has tuna salad, celery sticks, whole grain crackers, halved grapes, and vanilla coconut milk yogurt for lunch tomorrow.

My lunch is almost identical, with a whole grain sandwich thin instead of crackers and Greek yogurt instead of coconut milk yogurt. Hubby has turkey sandwiches and baked chips (not exactly imaginative, that one). My goal for June is to pack all three of our lunches every day this month to help make healthy choices and save money. Fingers crossed!

Hot lunch 5/30/14

Today Roo took his thermos for a hot lunch of noodles and turkey meatballs in a creamy spinach sauce, left over from last night's dinner. He loved it the first time around (photo evidence included), so I saved the rest for his lunch today. ;)

He also had a cold pack of strawberries and cucumber slices.

Lunch 5/29/14

Today's lunch is very simple. He has rolled deli turkey slices, wheat crackers, carrots, celery sticks, apples, and sunbutter for dipping.

Bonus pic of Mr. Roo just for the cuteness factor! ;)

Weenie Wednesday! Lunch 5/28/14

We're not really big hot dog eaters in our house, but the wee one has liked them on the rare occasion that he's tried them at cook outs or while dining on the run at Costco. Hot dogs are usually full of nitrates and byproducts and all kinds of mysterious gross stuff. I've never developed a taste for them, myself.

I found these chicken hot dogs (Applegate Farms brand) at Whole Foods. They're organic and uncured, with no added nitrates. They are pricey as far as hot dogs go, though I've read that Sprouts and Trader Joe's have them cheaper. I keep meaning to make a trip to Trader Joe's so I'll have to find out for sure.

Also, you can sometimes score printable manufacturer coupons on the Applegate website: http://www.applegate.com/coupons

Tomorrow's lunch also has fresh sliced peaches, string cheese, coconut milk yogurt, and peas and fresh corn mixed together.

Lunch 5/27/14

It's so hard getting back into a routine after a long, lazy weekend. It rained all weekend and I'm not feeling so hot (allergies have taken their toll and I suspect I'm getting a sinus infection). So we had a TV/movie day and I went on a baking spree. I made chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and strawberries on top... I wish I'd snapped a photo before packing them up to take and share with my employees tomorrow. Maybe I'll get one in the morning. I also made lemon poppyseed cake with a lemon glaze because it just sounded really good!

Lunch for tomorrow is a pinwheel sandwich with turkey and spinach, baby carrots, black beans, and applesauce.

Lunch 5/26/14

We were home and rained in today for Memorial Day. Roo's lunch for today was a ham sandwich on wheat bread, whole grain goldfish, baby carrots, and strawberries with chocolate pudding (made with lactose free milk).

Lunch 5/23/14

We finally ordered a thermos! We bought a stainless steel variety. There are plastic thermal varieties that you microwave and then seal, but even though they claim to be BPA free, I try not to ever microwave anything plastic. So with this product, I'll microwave the food in glass or ceramic, then transfer to the stainless steel thermos.

Roo's lunch today is made from leftovers from our dinner two nights ago. We had roasted chicken breast, broccoli rice, and steamed veggies. I mixed it all together for his lunch, and he has carrots and berries on the side.

Lunch 5/22/14

Tomorrow's lunch is like a little buffet of kid/toddler friendly finger foods. We have apple slices, baby carrots, corn fresh from the cob, shredded rotisserie chicken, grape tomatoes, and a hard boiled egg.

I just ordered these little silicone baking cups to use as food dividers so that we can use any size and shape container. Love them!

Lunch 5/21/14

Tomorrow is sandwich day! I've tried to stick to packing sandwiches just once per week, to keep a good variety in Roo's lunches.

So tomorrow Roo will have his weekly sandwich, with 1/2 deli turkey and 1/2 sunbutter on wheat bread.

On the side he has berries, and a pasta salad made with tri colored veggie enhanced pasta, peas, grape tomatoes, olive oil mayo, and a little garlic powder and dill.

Lunch 5/20/14

Tonight for dinner we had steak fajitas with refried black beans, so Roo's lunch for tomorrow is a reprise of tonight's meal.

He has a bean burrito with a whole grain tortilla, sliced avocado and sweet red bell pepper, red anjou pear, and lactose free sour cream.

I need to sing the praises of this sour cream. It is AWESOME. Sweet, thick and creamy, and way tastier than the regular grocery store varieties. I can normally find some lactose free products at our regular grocery store, but this is the first time we've bought an alternative sour cream, which we found at Whole Foods. I will willingly make regular trips to Whole Foods just for this one product. It's that good.

Lunch 5/19/14

We had our monthly big haul grocery trip today, and I planned lunches and dinners for the next two weeks. We restock on fresh produce and other perishables weekly, but once a month I hit the bulk store and our regular supermarket to stock our pantry and freezer. This makes preparing three meals a day possible while working 50+ hours/week.

Tomorrow's lunch is a homemade "lunchable" with turkey pepperoni, black forest ham, swiss and Colby Jack cheese, and whole grain crackers. On the side he has carrot raisin salad and berries.

Lunch 5/16/14

A busy weekend has me a little behind with the posts! This was Roo's lunch from Friday:

Tuna salad on a whole grain sandwich round, carrots, pea crisps, sunbutter ants on a log, and mandarin oranges.

Tuna is officially on the Roo approved list! Thank goodness, because hubby won't eat it and I always make way too much for just me.

Saturday night we went out to a local burger/seafood place. It's really kid friendly, with a sandbox, arcade games, and a kid's menu that includes grilled chicken, fruit, and veggies. Roo ate like a champ and played himself out, then fell asleep earlier than usual in the car on the way home. Success!

Lunch 5/15/14

It seems like May just began. How can it really be halfway over??

Tomorrow Roo's lunch will consist of:
Turkey meatballs and cheese ravioli with a little tomato sauce
Salad with ranch dressing
Strawberries and pineapples

Luckily he will eat regular dinner type foods like this cold, but we are looking into buying him a thermos. He would need help opening one, and I wouldn't want one that keeps food piping hot, but just warm. I've been pouring over online reviews and have narrowed it down to a few choices.

Suggestions are welcome!

Lunch 5/14/14

Roo's lunch for tomorrow is a quesadilla made with a whole grain tortilla, shredded chicken breast, spinach, and cheddar cheese. On the side he has carrots (obviously his favorite since he takes some nearly every day), black beans, kiwi fruit, and dairy-free coconut milk strawberry yogurt.

Lunch 5/13/14

Roo's lunch for tomorrow:

Celery sticks filled with tuna salad, whole grain cracker and sunbutter sandwiches, strawberries, and lactose free cottage cheese.

Tuna is sometimes hit-or-miss, depending on Roo's general attitude for the day. Some days he devours it, other days it earns a "yucky" label. I find that the more I offer him a certain food, the more likely he is to willingly eat it. He used to hate raisins, but I kept on trying. Now he asks for them for snack almost daily.

Still, I made sure to give him lots of other protein-rich stuff I know he will eat for sure, just in case he turns his nose up at the tuna tomorrow.

Lunch 5/12/14

Tomorrow's lunch is very simple. Roo will have "lunch kabobs:" deli turkey and ham with cubed cheddar and chopped string cheese, skewered with a pretzel stick. On the side, he has carrots and berry applesauce.

Happy Mama's Day!

My gift from my guys today was a family membership at a lovely health club in town with a huge indoor and outdoor pool. One of my favorite parts of the club was the cafe. Everything served is whole grain, grassfed, hormone free, etc etc. I enjoyed an almond milk protein shake and shared a turkey and veggie wrap with a side salad with Roo. A woman at a nearby table asked me how I get him to eat veggies like he does. I honestly have to admit that I'm very lucky that he eats the types of foods that he does. Of course I would love to take some credit for consistently preparing and offering him healthy options, but really I know that I'm blessed with an un-picky child.

Here is a photo re-cap of our day!

Lunch 5/9/14

Tomorrow's lunch:

A turkey sandwich and a sunbutter sandwich, both on whole wheat bread; pea crisps; cut grapes and cantaloupe; cucumber and carrot sticks.

Nothing fancy, but it's one he'll probably finish!

Lunch 5/8/14

We try to stay away from processed convenience foods as much as possible, but we make the rare exception for products like these mickey mouse shaped chicken nuggets from Costco that are in Roo's lunch for tomorrow. They have a whole grain breading and are higher in protein than other brands. I recommend them for busy moms (like myself) who need an occasional easy/convenient meal that won't lead to too much junk food guilt.

He also has cheese tortellini and peas left over from tonight's dinner, an apple, and a little ketchup for his nuggets.

Teacher Appreciation Week, Day 3

...and lunch for 5/7/14:

Tomorrow's gift suggestion was candy. We took it a step further and made s'mores for each of the teachers. Roo's preschool is small, and although he had two teachers dedicated to his age group, all 7 of the staff members pitch in throughout the day and take care of all of the kids.

Lunch tomorrow is a homemade "lunchable" with turkey pepperoni, ham, lactose free cheese, and whole grain crackers - kiwi fruit, strawberries, and carrots on the side.

Teacher Appreciation Week: Day 2

Roo's preschool sent home a note last week suggesting themed gifts for each day of Teacher Appreciation Week. Today's was fruit, and we made chocolate dipped strawberries (pictured in an earlier post). They were very popular!

Tomorrow's gift is a drawing. Roo drew this picture of rainbow colored cookies with a little note for his teachers, and baked some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to go along with it. Okay, I might have helped him a little.

5/6/14

Tonight we had a Cinco de Mayo feast with cilantro lime grilled chicken, rice, avocado salad, and homemade tortillas. The tortillas were SO good, much better than store bought. They were so good, we ate them all!

So for Roo's lunch tomorrow, he has some leftover grilled chicken on a (store bought) whole grain tortilla with veggies, some leftover avocado salad, berries, and a quartered cheese stick.

For the record, Roo usually doesn't come home with an empty tray. Some days he will eat most of it, and others he'll just eat the fruit, or just the grains, etc.

I fully expect him to destroy this nice looking little wrap, eat the entire tortilla and all the carrots, eat only the black beans out of the salad, and pick at the rest of it. Oh well, at least I always attempt to offer him a balanced meal! On those rare days when he has an enormous appetite, he'll always have a nice selection to choose from.

5/5/14

I did lots of baking and cooking today for the whole week, so meal prep should be a breeze!

I "fired" up the indoor grill for steaks for tonight's dinner, so I went ahead and grilled some chicken breasts for tomorrow's Cinco De Mayo meal. I also boiled and peeled eggs for the week, and made the batch of pancakes from this morning's post for easy breakfasts.

Roo's lunch tomorrow is a finger-food chef's salad with chicken, egg, dippable veggies, and cubed cheddar cheese with ranch on the side, and some yummy cantaloupe - a favorite this time of year.

I also was inspired to pack my lunch for tomorrow... another salad but with leftover steak, corn off the cob, and baked potato from tonight's dinner. I'll also take a slice of that delicious cantaloupe for a snack. We will both be eating well tomorrow!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 1

It's National Teacher Appreciation Week! Since Roo is the new kid at school, we wanted to make a lasting impression and let his new teachers know how much we appreciate them teaching and taking care of our little monster boy.

Monday's gift is fruit. We made some dark and white chocolate covered strawberries. Yum! We might have made a few extra to enjoy at home.

We break for breakfast!

Since our weekday mornings are so very busy, I like to do a lot of my prep work on the weekends. I'll boil eggs for the week, make egg muffins that can be heated up quickly, etc. Today I made a huge batch of blueberry banana flax pancakes, which freeze very well.

I use a traditional pancake recipe -really, any recipe will do. Instead of adding sugar, I add 1/4 cup of mashed banana (unsweetened apple sauce works well, too). I only use one egg, and add 1/4 cup ground flaxseed. A large handful of blueberries makes these irresistible to my little boy.

We enjoyed these this morning drizzled with a bit of real maple syrup, with a side of tangerine slices and some turkey bacon. During the week, these pancakes are super easy to re-heat for a quick breakfast on the go.

Also, see daddy's mountain of un-healthified (traditional) pancakes in the background. ;)

5/2/14

I tried something cute for Roo's lunch tomorrow! He'll have a happy face ham sandwich made with whole grain sandwich thins and a lactose free cheese slice. On the side are pea crisps, mixed berries, and cucumber salad.

I hope he gets a little giggle out of his silly lunch before he chows down tomorrow!

5/1/14

Tomorrow's lunch is homemade pasta salad (made with tri-color veggie enhanced pasta, peas, diced cheddar cheese, and olive oil mayo), leftover rotisserie chicken, a few whole grain crackers, apple slices, and sunbutter for dipping.

I either roast a chicken or buy a cooked rotisserie chicken every couple of weeks. I shred it up and freeze it in portions to use for soups, chicken salad, tacos, etc. This will also come in handy for easy lunchbox protein portions - it's already bite-sized, and Roo loves chicken in just about any form.

I tossed the apple slices in some lemon juice which will hopefully keep them from turning brown.

              

4/30/14

This post is showing up early because generally I make Roo's lunch the night before.

Tomorrow's lunch is turkey meatballs, mini cheese ravioli, cooked chilled broccoli, baby carrots, tomato sauce for dipping, and mixed fruit. Yum!