My Plant-Based Family

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

lunch box

A Behind the Scenes Update

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We have had a whirl wind of activity lately BUT it’s not finished. I wanted to fill you in on a little bit of what is going on behind the scenes.

a Behind the Scenes Update

New Fall Meal Plans

I’ve been working like mad creating Custom Meal Plans. They take a long time, especially when dealing with food allergies or other food restrictions. You may not realize that a Custom Meal Plan can range from 30 to 50 pages. When was the last time you typed that up for someone?

I know many of you are curious about the Custom Meal Plans but spending $30 to $40 just isn’t in your budget right now. I completely understand and I really want to help. I can’t make the Custom Meal Plans cheaper, they just take too long, in fact at some point I may have to raise the price.

The Solution

Later this month I will unveil 2 Fall Meal Plans that are created just like the Custom Meal Plans. They will be for one week but will include the Menu, Prep Sheet for those who want to cook a majority of the meals on the weekend, a shopping list and all of the recipes. This will be the perfect solutions for those of you who are interested in the Custom Meal Plan but aren’t quite ready to invest in the full priced Meal Plans.

I’ll share more details as we get closer to their Launch Date. Make sure to follow me at My Plant-Based Family on Facebook for more clues.

The Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class

Yesterday I announced the Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class that I’m hosting in Mesa, AZ on September 20th at 9 am. Many of you reached out to me about wanting to attend via conference call or video chat so I’m currently planning an online course. I’m really excited but still working out the details so stay tuned for those.

If you are interested in attending the live class or an online class (that will occur at a different time) please email me so you receive all of the updates.

Fresh Focus LLC

I’m officially a business now! Last month I completed all of the filing requirements to form an LLC in the state of Arizona. I’ve very excited because I have several new projects I’ll be launching this year and I wanted them under the Fresh Focus LLC banner. Don’t worry, My Plant-Based Family will still be your source of Allergy-Friendly Plant-Based Food and information.

More

There is much more in the works here but you will just have to wait to see the rest. I hope you are as excited as I am even though I don’t think that is possible. Stay tuned for more updates!

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest!

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!

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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Lunch Box Essentials

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Have you started your Back to School Countdown yet?

Today is our First Day of School! I said goodbye to my kindergartner today as he got on the school bus. He said he isn’t really a kindergartner until he does some kindergarten work.

Back to School Month

We have been prepping for this day for weeks (and months in some ways). You know you have to buy school supplies, potentially get new clothes or shoes, and if your child has food allergies talk to the school about keeping your child safe.

Basic Lunch Box Essentials for elementary kids

I’ll be writing a lot about packing lunches this month but today I want to tell you about my Lunch Box Essentials!

1. Lunch Boxes

There are many different kinds of lunch boxes. I recommend you read some reviews to find out which lunch boxes are going to hold up for at least a year. Some lunch boxes may be insulated while others require an Insulated Bag or holder. We bought EasyLunchboxes 3-compartment Bento Lunch Box so you will being seeing these featured.

2. Small Containers and Dividers

Depending on the style of lunch box you use small containers to hold crackers, hummus, salsa or other foods may come in handy. I use “Mini-Dippers” and Silicone Baking Cups to keep food items separated.

3. Sunbutter and WOW Butter

Even though my kindergartner isn’t allergic to peanut butter our preschooler is. We won’t be serving peanut products. We buy SunButter Natural Sunflower Seed Spread and WOWBUTTER instead. My boys love it and you use it exactly like peanut butter. If your kids normally eat peanut butter give one of these a try. We use so much we normally buy SunButter 5 Pounds, (Pack of 2)
and WOWBUTTER 2 x 4.4 lbs from Amazon to save money but the regular sizes are available in many grocery stores.

4. Extras

I’ve bought a few extra’s too. Ice Packs will keep lunch items cold. Bento Food Picks may not be necessary but they will be fun and keep food together.

You can see more great Lunch Box Ideas by following me on Pinterest! Don’t forget! You can become a contributor of my Back to School with My Plant-Based Family Board!

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