My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

Back to School

Lunch Box Check In

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I thought it was time I check in with a lunch box update! When school started last fall I posted lunch box recipes, tips, and even back to school meal plans, it was basically a two month event.

I’ve gotten a lot more lax about what I pack in my kids lunch boxes since then. Their lunches are always vegan and my little guy always has an allergy-friendly lunch box but I need more convenience these days. When school started our schedule was so different. I had a lot of extra time then, now I need easy items that are safe for my sons allergies.

snack and lunch

 

So Different

My 5 year old barely eats anything, he would skip lunch all together if I let him. My 4 year old eats everything. My boys are completely different with what they can (and will) eat. I’m constantly searching for things that make them both happy. I pack a minimum of 10 lunches per week (and 10 snacks per week).

The photo above is the 4 year old’s snack (on the left) and lunch (on the right). The mystery item in the lunch box is black eyed peas in case you are wondering. Everything is gluten-free!

They each get a main dish which may be half a sandwich, a rice-based casserole or sometimes a baked sweet potato. They each get fruit, typically apple slices, cuties, or blueberries depending on the season. Lastly, I like to pack something with a little crunch, this is their treat. My go-to crunchy snack has been Quaker Popped in the Apple Cinnamon flavor.

I found them in Walmart, I’ve been buying a lot of great gluten-free items there lately. I can pass them off as snack or dessert which makes my job easier.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Walmart, AMP, and Sverve. All opinions are my own.

The Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class

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School has started and I’m guessing you’ve already found yourself standing in the kitchen wondering what to pack for lunch. Whether you need to pack a lunch for yourself, your spouse or a child (or all of the above) it’s not an easy task. Throw in food restrictions and it gets harder.

Back to School Month

I strive to come up with tips and recipes to make it easier. If you are in the Phoenix area I have a special treat for you!

Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class

Save the Date

September 20th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am I’ll be hosting a Gluten-Free Lunch Box class in East Mesa!

This class will cover lunch box ideas for both children and adults. To make sure I meet your needs I’ll have you fill out a brief survey before the class (this will include allergies and food restrictions).

Loads of Information

You’ll receive 2 hours of instruction, light snacks, lots of great printouts including pretty printables to help make lunch packing easier on the whole family. I’ll be sharing all of my tips, favorite products and exclusive recipes. There is really too much information to mention here.

Prizes

Two attendees (depending on the number of registrants) will win Lunch Box Prize Packs that will include my favorite products!
This class isn’t just about kids lunch boxes, it’s also great for adults who take their lunches to work each day AND adults who eat at home but want a faster, easier solution to lunch time cooking and clean up.

At a Great Value

The class is $25 per person OR 2 people for $40! This class is worth it!

I had great feedback from the last class and I know this one will be even better!

Register Today

To register for the Gluten-Free Lunch Box class just send me an email and I’ll request payment through paypal. Space is limited! This class will fill up fast so register today!

Cookie Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free and Nut-Free)

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I first made this recipe when I was trying to make cookies. It tasted good but the consistency was off. I tweaked it to develop the Sunbutter Cookie Recipe (also GF and Vegan) that I shared last week. This recipe is easier and works really well as Cookie Bars. They are very sturdy and perfect for lunch box packing. My kindergartener ate them daily after school.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan Cookie bars

I make this recipe with Sunbutter because my youngest son is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. You could try this with peanut or almond butter if you are not allergic. Also, if you do not have brown rice flour and sorghum flour you could use a gluten-free baking mix. If you make it with any adaptations I’d love to hear how they go. I’m considering making them with oat flour next. I imagine they would work fine with wheat flour also but I haven’t tried it.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan Cookie bars

Cookie Bars

Ingredients

Do

  1. Cream Sunbutter and Sugar together.
  2. Dump the rest of the ingredients together, except chocolate chips.
  3. Mix well, adding extra rice milk if needed.
  4. If using chocolate chips mix them in or just sprinkle them on top.
  5. Pour into a 9×9 pan that is lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool before removing from pan and cutting into bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days.

Serve

This is perfect for an after school snack or in the lunch box.

The odd thing is that my super picky kid loved these and the one who eats everything didn’t like them. He doesn’t always want to try new things because of his food allergies so I don’t force it.

Do you need to work around various food allergies or restrictions? I try to make them as accommodating as possible. What restrictions do you deal with?

This recipe is part of the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck!

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5 Tips to Simplify your Lunch Box Routine and Printable

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Last year I created a fun printable to give you ideas of what to pack in your (or your kids) lunch box. You can find it along with 10 Tips to De-Stress your Lunch Box. It is a great list but it’s a big list. If you found yourself overwhelmed at all of the choices I’ve got a great solution for you.

Simplify

This year my mission is to simplify. I’ve created a NEW printable that gives fewer choices but makes lunch packing even easier.

I was inspired by the EasyLunchboxes I’ve been using. Rest assured, even if you aren’t using bento-style containers you can still benefit by simplifying your lunch packing routine. Get your Free Printable of the 2014 Lunch Box Guide!

The Plant-Based Lunch Box Guide for 2014

5 Tips to Simplify your Lunch Box Routine

1. Pack your Lunch the Night Before.

Why spend 15 minutes in the morning packing a lunch when you can pack it the night before. Even better, pack several days worth of lunches on Sunday night.

2. Make a Lunch Menu for the week.

Do your kids debate about what they are taking in the lunch. Sit down on Friday night and talk about what they want to eat the next week in their lunch boxes. You will have plenty of time on Saturday to buy any necessary ingredients. Use the New Lunch Box Guide to help with options.

3. Pick your Battles.

Let your child make some of the choices but it’s best if you give them guidelines. For example, tell them they can take a cookie in their lunch but only for two days, the other days they have to choose something else like pretzels or dried fruit.

4. Keep it Cool.

Consider when your child will be eating. Most schools begin lunch near 11:00 with kindergartners. Lunch progresses until the oldest kids get to have lunch. This has been as late at 12:30 for some of my kids. Make sure you pack foods that will taste good at room temperature or slightly cool if you are using an ice pack.

5. Label Everything.

My son has already lost his lunch box(es) multiple times this year. We have his main lunch box and two back ups. He is getting better now that we are a few weeks into school but having his first and last name on his lunch box is really important. Also, remember to label any water bottles or other items that may be separated during lunch time. I’m very familiar with our schools “Lost and Found” cabinet.

Don’t forget to print of the 2014 Lunch Box Guide! We like to hang it on the inside of our cupboard but you could also put it on the refrigerator or in your pantry. If you need more options check out last years guide.

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Meal Plan Monday: Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less

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We are still celebrating Back to School month here at My Plant-Based Family. I know your kids may not have started school yet but I hope this month has given you some great ideas to get you ready. I’ve still got some things to share.

Back to School Month

We’ve had a Back to School Meal Plan that was filled with my quickest and easiest meals, and Batch Cooking Meal Plan that helped you prepare for the week ahead of time and a Crock Pot Week Meal Plan that used the Crock Pot every day.

This weeks Plant-Based Meal Plan fill focus on having dinner in 30 minutes or less. I’ll be using canned beans or beans that were previously cooked (I’ve got a few bags in my freezer). I’ll also “cheat” a little by cooking the Baked Potatoes in my Crock Pot.

Plant Based Diet Meal Plan

I don’t assign days to our dinners because I don’t always know what our schedule will be like. We have t ball on Monday’s and Wednesday’s but we also have a teenager and I never really know when we will be home. When he is home I make TWO dinners. He can eat a whole (4-5 person) dinner by himself. If you can relate please let me know.

All of these choices are fairly quick. I just use what is available and quick cooking.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Pizza Pasta using seasonal veggies with steamed veggies on the side.

Gluten-Free Pancakes this recipe is only in Gabriel’s Fundraiser Cookbook. Get it now, it’s only available until the end of August. I may serve this with a Breakfast Stir Fry.

BBQ Chickpeas on top of Baked Potatoes with Steamed Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

Veggie Soup using whatever is around. I’ve been making soups ever few days for lunch. We’ve had Taco Soup, Enchilada Soup, Potato Soup, Broccoli and Potato Soup and more.

Simplified Red Lentil Curry used exclusively in my Custom Meal Plans. I’ll be serving this over quinoa, rice or potatoes.

There you have it, a Plant-Based Meal Plan with dinner in 30 minutes or less. You may have to be strategic but it can work.

I’ve got a few recipes coming up this week. I’ll give you a few hints. They are round, sweet and the perfect dessert for you kids lunch box! The are also vegan, gluten-free and nut free.

 

3 Reasons I Don’t Pack a “Healthy” Lunch Box

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If you’ve been following me on Instagram you may have noticed I don’t pack my kindergartener the healthiest lunches. It may even surprise you to find out how deliberate I am with what I pack.

Back to School Month

Since this blog is about “plant-based” living you may expect me to pack veggie wraps and super healthy lunch box fare. I hope I haven’t let you down, but I’m not concerned with my kid having a “Healthy” lunch box.

3 reasons I don't pack a Healthy lunch box

I have complete oversight regarding what my kids eat at home. At school, I really can’t know. I could pack a super healthy lunch box but that doesn’t mean it would be eaten. Instead I focus on the following ideas.

1. What Will Get Eaten

My son is 5 and eating five meals a week away from me. He is not quite used to that amount of freedom. The first few days of school I packed lots of choices. I wanted to get a good idea of “how much” he would eat during his lunch time. I instructed him not to throw anything away and to bring all of the leftover home.

Sandwiches would only have a few nibbles, if that much. Of course, sweet and salty foods were eaten right up. Fruit was hit and miss. His leftovers would normally be eaten after school.

2. Avoiding Ridicule

No one wants to be the kid with a weird lunch. I remember feeling lunch box shame when my lunch didn’t match the cool kids at the lunch table. I was the kid with bologna.

Somewhere between broccoli-flavored tofu nuggets* and bacon-wrapped candy bars* there is a happy medium of  foods that make parents and kids happy. (*Please note that we don’t eat either of those.)

3. Quick and Easy

Have you been in a lunch room during elementary lunch? It’s a mad house, every man for himself. Even though there may be as many as 30 minutes scheduled for lunch by the time kids arrive at their table they may only have 15 or so minutes to eat. They best thing I can do for my kid is to pack food he can eat quickly and easily.

Elementary kids, especially kindergartener like mine don’t really understand how to budget their time. They may spend 10 minutes laughing and telling jokes then 5 minutes waiting for a lunch aide to help open their container. Everything I pack for my son is easy for him to open and can be eaten easily.

 

For more Back to School ideas visit my Back to School Pinterest Board. You can also check out Lunch Box Guide (it’s a printable) and my Lunch Box Essentials post.

Do you pack a lunch for your child? What do you normally pack?

UPDATE

We finished the school year and I have to say I’m pretty happy with our lunches for the year. Using the EasyLunchBoxes system saved my sanity. They held up well and helped us pack great lunches for our kids.

I visited my kindergartner one day for lunch toward the end of the year. The lunch aid said my son always had the healthiest lunch at the table. My son would occasionally ask for foods he saw the other kids eat, like lunchables and Cheetos. Instead we’d occasionally buy Enjoy Life Cookies that are allergy-friendly and once tried Organicasaurus dino shaped corn snacks.

The next Back to School campaign starts in August! Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss incredible giveaways and tips!

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