5 New Ways to Fill Your Lunch Box with Better Snacks
By Brandi Koskie for DietsInReview.com
Does packing lunch ever conjure memories of that droneful "time to make the doughnuts" guy? It can start to feel monotonous, especially if you're trying to healthify the lunches, meet the demands of young picky eaters, and add enough variety to prevent anyone from getting bored. The turkey sandwich and PBJs might be hard to break away from, but the snacks are where you can really have some fun!
After all, that's what everyone wants to eat anyway.
We, of course, don't condone the inclusion of cookies, cheese puffs, and candy, but we do know of a few treats that will keep mom, dad, and the kids interested and satisfied. There's some pretty cool stuff coming out as more and more people demand better quality food. So take a look and add these to your next brown bag.
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KIND Bars. We love th
ese things and find them far more impressive than any standard "granola bar." There are fruit and yogurt bars, chocolate and nuts, fruit and nuts, in a variety of flavors that will satisfy everyone. Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt for mom, Almond and Coconut for dad, and PB & Strawberry for the kids. There are even single-serve healthy grain granola packs that are perfect for topping cups of yogurt.
Chobani Champions. So speaking of, we love yogurt instead of pudding in lunch boxes! All that protein, tummy-loving probiotics, and real fruit from Chobani make them an irresistible inclusion. For any member of the family, a cup of Greek yogurt topped with a little granola makes a satisfying breakfast or snack. And again, too many flavors to mention so you're sure to please everyone (we like pomegranate!).
Fiber Gourmet Crackers. Skip the Goldfish and Cheez-Its and drop these better-for-you crackers in the lunch box. As the name suggests, there are 11 grams of fiber in a serving of these real-cheese crackers (where Nabisco has one gram). They've got 60 calories versus Nabisco's 140, and a modest ingredient list that doesn't include enriched white flour. Other flavors include nacho and wheat.
Erewhon Graham Crackers. There exists a graham cracker that's actually good for you, and it comes from Attune Foods' Erewhon brand. They're organic, non-GMO, and use whole ingredients that any of us have in our cupboards. Best of all - they actually taste good. No, they taste great. Available in honey grahams or cinnamon grahams, they make a great treat for a kids' lunch box or even for sharing classroom snacks.
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Simple Truth Dried Cranberries. Simple Truth's dried cranberries have only three ingredients - cranberries, cane syrup, and sunflower oil while the name brand uses the chemical sweetener sucralose. Find these in Kroger stores, and look at their other snack options. A handful of these dried cranberries can be added as a stand alone treat, or on top of this Almond Butter Banana Crazy Sandwich.
Seagrams Sparkling Seltzer Water. If water's too boring and you dare not send soda, then you have to check out the cans of Seagram's sparkling seltzer water flavored with blackberry and raspberry, white peach, key lime, and orange citrus. They've got zero calories and only 35 milligrams of sodium, plus the cans are pretty!
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