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lunch

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ Meals/ RECIPES/ Sides

A Lunch Salad Full of Plant Protein!

This is my favorite on-the-go and go-to salad.  It is very filling, healthy, delicious, and full of wonderful plant protein! Edamame, quinoa & chickpeas make this a plant protein powerhouse! I pick it up at Trader Joes, but don’t worry if you do not live close to a Trader Joes, because this salad can easily be made at home!

Here are the ingredients:

Spinach –about 2 cups

Cherry Tomatoes –2-4

Shredded Carrots – a palmful

Quinoa –1/2 cup cooked (directions here)

Chickpeas –1/4 cup, drained & rinsed

Dried Cranberries–palm-ful

Edamame –1/4 cup, cooked

Pumpkin Seeds –palm-ful

Salad Dressing —Carrot Ginger or your choice.

These are ingredients I now have on hand at home most of the time, exempt pumpkin seeds.  I live right by a health food store that has pumpkin seeds so that is not a problem.  The Carrot Ginger Miso Salad dressing it comes with is really good, but I have made this at home and really this salad goes well with any type of dressing.  For some salad dressing inspiration, click over to my Salad Dressing Pinterest Boards.

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HOME/ How-Tos/ Meals/ Organizing/ RECIPES

School Lunch Plan-No More Baggies & A Free Weekly Lunch Plan Printable

Like I said in this post, I am on a mission this year to make school lunches something my kids look forward to.  I also want to feel good about the food I am serving them.  By the end of last year, if they had to eat one more peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which they had in their lunch every day) my girls would look at me like I was asking them to eat dirt.  Thankfully, over the summer their taste for pb & j has returned, and I want to keep it that way.
I also wanted to get rid of baggies.  I hated spending the money on zip baggies, not to mention the waste!  I started early on my search for the perfect lunch bag & containers, and after using them for almost a week, I can say I am super excited about how smoothly packing school lunches has been going.  
The lunch bags I found are Nike brand.  I found them at Shopko, but you can also order them here on Amazon.  These are perfect.  They have 2 pockets, and are deep enough to fit the water bottle inside with the lunch.  I love that I can fit the sandwich size container in the front pocket, which leaves the large back pocket open for water bottle & whatever else I want to fit in there.  The zippers are heavy duty and the bag is really well made.  I also found the BPA free water bottles at Shopko, my girls LOVE these. They are also Aladdin brand and they unscrew on the top like a regular water bottle, but they also unscrew further down to fit ice in if desired.

The blue containers are Aladdin brand and are AWESOME.  I found them at Target, but they can also be purchased here.  The sandwich size container is deep and comes with a removable ice pack…love that! The smaller blue container also has a removable ice pack.  The little green containers are from Rubbermaid also from Target.  They are perfect for a single cookie, nuts, dips, dried apricots, etc.  I bought each girl one large sandwich container, one side container, and two small green lid containers.  It has worked perfectly for lunches so far.
I was concerned about washing them out every night, but it really is not a big deal.  Usually we just wipe them out, but if the food is messy, we throw them in the dishwasher.  The girls empty their lunch bags as part of their afternoon routine, and they know that filling their water bottles and putting them in the refrigerator, putting their ice packs in the freezer, and emptying their containers are all part of their chart.  

Click Here To Download Free Printable
So how am I keeping this all organized and easy peasy?  With the help of our sponsor, Clean Mama.  She makes beautiful printables that keep ones home running smoothly, and she made free Weekly Lunch Plan for us!  I just love it!  It has definitely helped in keeping my mind less frazzled in trying to remember what to serve for lunch.  I especially like the area for ideas, it reminds me of food that might otherwise sit in the refrigerator and go to waste.  If you love the above printable, make sure you check out Clean Mama’s shop, which is full of more!

Here is what is on our idea list this week:
Main
Turkey Sandwich
PB & J Sandwich
Cheese Tortellini
Bean Burrito
Fruits
Apples
Peaches
Kiwi
Frozen Berries (thawed perfectly by lunch)
Veggies
Shredded carrots
Spinach Salad
Pepper strips
Protein & Dairy
I skip these because we don’t eat dairy in our home, or at least very little.  
Beverages
My girls drink water every day.  I believe juice is just too expensive and full of sugar.  Even 100 percent juice has natural sugars in it that can spike blood sugar levels since the fiber is removed from it. I can’t tell you how much money we save by just being water drinkers in our home!
Treats
Whole grain bars
Chocolate bars
Dried cranberries
Nuts
Popcorn
Chips
Dried apricots
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Here is our lunch plan for this week:

Monday
No School
Tuesday
Turkey Sandwich
Chips
Peach
Carrots
Cookie
Wednesday
Cheese Tortellini
Bread Cubes
Italian Dressing for both
Whole Grain Bar
Kiwi
Dried Cranberries
Thursday
Pb & Jelly Sandwich
Popcorn
Apple 
Granola bar
Dried Apricots

Friday
Bean Tacos
Chips & Salsa
Apples
Granola Bar
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I also bought them each a new thermos, same Alladin brand.  I will save that and my ideas for another post!

Need MORE School Lunch Food Ideas?  Click here.

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FAMILY/ Healthy Eating/ HOME/ Meals/ Parenting/ RECIPES/ Simplifying

Need School Lunch Ideas & Inspiration? So Did I. Here Ya Go!

Best School Lunch Inspiration, healthy and eco friendly ideas | New Nostalgia

I am on a mission this year to make our school lunches something my kids look forward to.  I also want to feel good about the food I serve them.  By the end of the school year last year, if I even mentioned peanut butter and jelly all 3 of my girls would moan.

I’ve been scouring the web for inspiration and guess what?  I AM SUPER INSPIRED!

I’ve learned that half the battle is having the right equipment, so today I will be going shopping for thermoses, containers & ice packets.  I am so tired of buying little baggies, not to mention the waste, so small containers it is.  They will eventually pay for themselves with the money I save in not buying those zippy little baggies!

On to my inspiration:

This first pin share is a great way to get started.  I am going to print it off and keep it on my refrigerator for inspiration & a quick reference when I am making my grocery list.  It is a list of lunch box ideas sorted according to each type of food–fruit, vegetable, dessert, fillers, etc.

Source: flickr.com via New on Pinterest

This is an awesome site.  This mom documented every lunch she packed for her child for a year.  She said the square box she uses in each lunch is from Target.  I like how she uses a muffin liner to separate foods.  She also writes that she uses press and seal for any “spillable” foods like yogurt or dips.

Make smoothies, freeze them, then put them in lunch box.  They will freeze just enough by lunch time, and also act as a cold pak.

This is a great post by my blog friend Cassidy at Remodelaholic.   She lists 25 best school lunches, some are quite creative.  I like the simplicity of the lunch pictured above.  A silicone muffin liner is another way to separate food, and is reusable.

This is a super fun idea if your kids are banana lovers. Write on them with toothpicks and as the day goes on, the message appears.

I know I will fall back on the trusty peanut butter and jelly sandwich once in awhile, but I don’t think my girls will mind if I add some interesting & healthy sides to it.  That power bar looks awesome, huh? Click link under the photo for the recipe.

This site is in Spanish, but the picture speaks for itself.  What a simple, cute & healthy way to express love.  Kids love and notice little touches.

Source: family.go.com via New on Pinterest

This photo is from the Disney family site.  They have a TON of great ideas for school lunches, all organized and divided up according to what your child’s tastes are.  I love this one with hummus, flat bread and tabbouleh.  Again, the cupcake liners serve as dividers.

Aren’t these so cute.  Easy and sweet.  I’m gonna have my 9 year old make the clips, but I won’t tell her what I plan on doing with them!

School lunch vanilla parfait.  I plan to put my mason jars to good use with this idea!  Yum.

The rest of my shares will be from this amazing site called Easy Lunch Boxes.  There are so many ideas!  I will share my favs:

Served with a thermos of lentil soup.

Served with a thermos of tomato soup.

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Want to see more of my pins?  I’d love you to follow me on Pinterest.

Follow Me on Pinterest
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Got any more great lunch ideas for me?  Please share in the comments!

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Meals/ RECIPES/ Sweets

Peanut Butter Clouds – A No Recipe, Recipe

You are going to thank me over and over for this one.  No, seriously.  This little snack might just rock your world.  It rocks ours.
This Peanut Butter Cloud no recipe recipe is one of those special family recipes that has been handed down. My Grandma Thelma made it for my mom and her siblings, my mom made it for me and my siblings, and now I make it for my own kids.  The picture above was taken by my lovely sister from Beauty Divine Design.  She put it  on Facebook and the comments from aunts and cousins were fun to read, as they too were treated to peanut butter clouds by their moms.  Truly a family gem of a recipe!
Here is what you do:
~Toast a piece of bread
~Smear it with peanut butter
~Put marshmallows on top
~Place under broiler for just a minute.
~Watch as the marshmallows puff up and brown slightly (this part fascinated me as a kid!)
I’m telling you, you are now going to always remember me, for if you eat this once, you will have to make it again and again.  I think I just made myself famous…
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RECIPES/ Sides

A Super Easy & Delicious Lunch-Vegetable Masala Rice Medley with Corn-A No Recipe, Recipe

 

When I get tired of big salads for lunch, I search my freezer and can always find some fun convenience foods from Trader Joes.

Even if you don’t live near a Trader Joes, this idea can still work using different convenience foods.

 

These Vegetable Masala burgers from Trader Joes make me very, very happy.  They are Vegan and Soy Free.

They have a great Indian flavor and a bit of a spicy bite, but not too strong.  They do not scream masala.

They are full of chunks of potatoes, corn, carrot and peas.  They remind me of a potato pancake with added spices and vegetables.

I often eat them between pieces of naan bread as a sandwich.

I also love browning them on both sides then crumbling them up to top salads or rice. They come fully cooked, so just heat and serve.

I like for them to have a crunch to them which is why I brown them first.  It takes just minutes.

On this particular day, I had Trader Joes Rice Medley on hand in the freezer.

This is another super great convenience food that I love having around.  This medley is nice and chewy, full of fiber and grains that are so good for you.

My kids love this one because of the chewiness.  Just heat and serve!

If you prefer plain rice, Trader Joes have organic brown rice in packets in the freezer section.  Or, you could just make your own and freeze it!

 

I had some leftover corn in my refrigerator from dinner the night before that I added.  I like the texture and color that it gives.

This may seem like it needs flavor or a sauce, but really it doesn’t.  The Vegetable Masala burgers have enough flavor to make this a very hearty and satisfying lunch.

My kids ate the leftovers as an afternoon snack, they loved it.  They commented on the slight spice, but still gobbled it up!

This Garlic Naan is also from Trader Joes.  I do not eat it often since it is not dairy free, but boy is it GOOD!  They also have plain and whole wheat.

Vegetable Masala Rice Medley with Corn & Naan no recipe, recipe!

Yum!

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Healthy Eating/ Meals/ RECIPES

My New Favorite Lunch

I am having a ball exploring different plant-based foods.  My diet has never been more interesting and full of textures and colors.  No more boring sandwiches! 
The plate above consists of:
~French Lentil Soup (I make this recipe about every week!  Yum.)
~Creole Roasted Sweet Potatoes (recipe coming soon, another one I make and snack on all week)
~Spinach Topped with Raw Cashews
~Gluten-Free Lentil Crackers (I eat gluten, but bought them because they were on sale)
~Organic Green Grapes

I’ve also been making TONS of iced green tea every week and love drinking it with my lunch. I make an iced tea concentrate a couple times a week by doubling the tea bags.  I then store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator.  When I want a glass of iced tea,  I just add water and ice to some concentrate in another mason jar.  I sometimes use this Super Easy Iced Tea Concentrate overnight method.  When doing this, it reminds me to quick make my Perfect Iced Coffee recipe, as it too, is an overnight method. One cannot have too many great tasting beverages on hand!:)
Most days, I skip the overnight method and use one of my favorite kitchen appliances, an electric tea kettle.  It is great for heating water to the perfect temperature with just a flick of the button.  I really love it in the cold months, as it keeps the water hot for me all throughout the day.
My favorite brand if green tea Good Earth Lemongrass.  It is one of the only green teas that I don’t have the urge to add sugar to!  It is not bitter and the faint lemon flavor is delish.
What do you eat for lunch?
Do you have a favorite green tea?

2
RECIPES/ Sides

Tomatoes On Toast A Delightful Lunch

There is a neighborhood Italian Bistro here within walking distance of my home.  The owner is from Italy so the food authentic and delish.  His soups are to die for, but what I crave the most when I go is his Bruschetta.  I have had many types of bruschetta, but his is so simple and fresh!  There are no chunks of garlic, so he must use garlic salt or powder, and he finishes it off with freshly ground pepper.  I decided to try and replicate what he does, since paying almost 7 dollars for tomatoes on toasted bread seems like a bit much these days! I tried, and nailed it!
The key is good ingredients, especially the tomatoes. His out-shined mine in the bread area, but I used what I had and paired with a green salad it made a delightful lunch.

 

Tomatoes On Toast

 

1 cup chopped tomatoes

11/2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
a couple small leaves of basil, chopped (optional)
———————-
toasted bread

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sprinkle of freshly ground pepper
sprinkle of salt, if needed

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Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic salt.
Let sit for a few minutes.
Scoop with a slotted spoon onto toasted bread.
Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

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