Sunday, September 20, 2015

School Lunch: Week 7

Day 1: Ham and Cheese Sandwich, cucumbers and carrots, peaches and blueberries
VERDICT:  She ate most the sandwich, all the carrots and some of the fruit and cucumbers.  It was a lot of food for her!

Day 2: Ham and cheese bites, grapes, carrots and her leftover cucumbers
VERDICT:  She hardly ate anything today!!  Not sure why, but she finished her fruits and veggies later.

Day 3: Roast and cheese on a homemade roll, mini bell peppers, and green apples.
VERDICT:  Alayna picked everything today and did pretty good!  Ate the roll sandwich and one pepper and most the apples.  She shared it at home after school!

Day 4: String Cheese, ham, strawberries, carrots and cucumbers, and gluten free pretzel crisps. 
VERDICT: Alayna apparently is brand specific when it comes to string cheese and would NOT eat this one.  She ate all the berries, and some veggies, and one piece of ham, then most the pretzels.  Again, she finished it when she got home!!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

School Lunch: Week 6

Check out our school lunches!  I can't believe we're already done with 6 weeks of school.  It's gone by OH so fast.  I really think I'm in the market for a new container though!  We like this one, but it's not leak proof, so if I want to do yogurt, applesauce, dips, or a juicy fruit, it has to be in a separate container.  Only 4 days this week due to Labor Day!  Here's her lunches this week:

Day 1: Leftover Taco salad made into a burrito, carrot stick, and a banana. 
VERDICT:  Alayna once again LOVED the burrito and finished it along with the banana.  She finished the carrots after school

Day 2: Leftover homemade chicken tenders with BBQ sauce, olives, green beans, and applesauce.
VERDICT: Alayna wasn't as hungry today.  She only ate one chicken tender.  She did eat all her green beans and applesauce, then finished her chicken and olives at home.

Day 3: Homemade lunchables, cantaloupe, and sweet bell peppers.
VERDICT:  I don't know why Alayna doesn't do well with the crackers.  Maybe it takes too long to put her little lunchable together!  She ate her cantaloupe, 2 bell peppers, ham, half the cheese, and half the carrots.  She ate the rest and shared some with Audrey at home!

Day 4: Heart shaped peanut butter and jelly, almonds, bell peppers and carrots, and a homemade pineapple fruit leather.
VERDICT: Sandwich was demolished first I'm sure!  Alayna also ate the fruit leather and half her vegetables.  She ate most her almonds for snack at school, and then she finished at home!

**I'm that mom who probably sends too much food sometimes, but I worry about her when she's not home!!  I seriously might stop sending an extra snack, but I can't decide.  Friday she just ate her almonds and peppers as her snack since she didn't finish them at lunch.  What to do!!  I'm so glad I have a good eater who eats things I won't!!

Saturday, September 5, 2015

School Lunch: Week 5

There are only 3 lunches this week because we prepaid for 2 hot lunches.  We kept it pretty simple, and Alayna seems to be eating more than the first couple weeks!!  I think she's finally got the timing down! 

I can't decided if I want to get a new lunch container though.  The one we have is nice, but if there's anything juicy (the fruit) it spills onto everything else, so I have to pack it separately.  I was thinking about the Rubbermaid Lunch Blox!

Day 1: sandwich on a stick, sunflower seeds, sweet bell pepper, and a pluot.  She did have a snack that afternoon too, but I can't remember what it was. 
Verdict: AWESOME!  Alayna said her friends even liked her sandwich on a stick.  This girl LOVES her mini peppers too!

Day 2: Pb & J on whole wheat bites, broccoli and homemade buttermilk ranch, frozen mixed berries.
Verdict:  Great again!  The only problem was the juice from the berries.  Alayna asked for berries AGAIN!

Day 3: Leftover all beef hot dog, cheddar cheese bites, cucumber, and mixed berries.  For snack was a mix of roasted almond, raisins, and Annie's Cheddar bunnies.
Verdict:  She didn't eat as much today but did finish everything once she got home.  She loved helping me make her snack mix the night before!  And YES, she picks out her fruit and vegetable from the choices I give her and helps me each night!! 

Sunday, August 30, 2015

School Lunch: Week 4

This week was a weird week for lunches....meaning Wednesday was a short day so no lunch at school. (we had nachos at home with friends!!)  Alayna also only had school lunch one day this week, so there are only 3 lunches.

Day 1: Whole Grain Leige Waffle with natural peanut butter and banana slices inside, carrots and sweet bell peppers, and a hard boiled egg.  For snack...almonds and a clementine.
Verdict: WINNER!!  Alayna ate everything and LOVED having breakfast for lunch. 

Day 2: Grilled chicken with BBQ sauce (there's something about "dips" that kids love!), pluot, celery sticks with natural peanut butter and a healthy chocolate peanut butter treat.  Snack was a fruit pouch and mixed nuts.
Verdict: The only thing she didn't eat was the treat!  She didn't see it she said.  Alayna didn't eat everything at school but finished it all at home!

Day 3: Homemade chicken nuggets with bbq sauce, mozarella cheese slices, and sweet bell peppers.  Friday I like to give her a surprise/treat so today it was apple juice!  For snack...Pamela's gluten free cinnamon graham crackers and some almonds.
Verdict: Alayna ate most of her chicken, ALL her pepper, and some cheese.  She didn't think the apple juice was that exciting!  I think she was expecting a cookie or something!  Alayna did eat all her snack and finished her chicken and cheese when she got home!

Alayna's lunch box is from Costco and we LOVE it!  It has a freezable pouch thing that sits right inside and keeps everything cold.  The lunch box is a good size as is, but it also expands.  It's big but not too big!  The container we use is  looks like the same brand as the lunchbox...Ultra Arctic Zone.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

School Lunch: Week 3

This week I was SO super sick the beginning of the week, so lunches were really simple.  I feel like this week Alayna ate a lot better, and what she didn't eat at school she was eager to eat right when she got home.  We're getting the hang of this I think!!

She ate school lunch one day this week, so that's why there are only 4 lunches again....I typically don't see myself making her more than one sandwich a week, but this week was rough with me being sick.

Also, I do PLAN the lunch the night before but don't make it until the morning.  I write on the back of the notecard what I'm making for breakfast and what I'm packing in Alayna's lunch, so it's ready.  Then I flip the card over and leave Alayna a little note for her lunchbox!!

Day 1: peanut butter and jelly heart sandwich on wheat bread, carrot sticks, green grapes, and brown rice chipotle chips. Snack was mixed nuts and raisins I believe....I was sick...I can't remember!!
Verdict:  She LOVED the heart shaped sandwich and ate almost everything today.

Day 2: turkey rolled up, cheddar cheese slices, kiwi, snap peas, sweet bell pepper, and naan crisps.
Verdict: Alayna liked this lunch too and finished her veggies and cheese at home.  Super simple!

Day 3: ground beef and turkey burrito with cheese and spinach, carrots, cinnamon apple slices, and homemade buttermilk ranch for dipping.
 Verdict: She snarfed up that burrito!!  She said it tasted SO SO good.  Finished her veggies and apples at home.  I was SO happy she liked the burrito so much!!

Day 4: Ham and turkey sandwich on wheat, kiwi, broccoli and carrots with homemade buttermilk ranch for dipping.  Gluten Free cookies for snack.
Verdict: Alayna really liked having a sandwich again and ate almost the whole thing.  She ate all her kiwi and only had a couple pieces of vegetables left over.  She actually ate her cookies this time, but gave two of them away!!

***I do still send a small snack with her too since they do have a snack toward the end of the day.  This week was mixed nuts, a homemade raspberry fruit leather, and a Kashi seed and nut bar.  

Saturday, August 15, 2015

School Lunch: Week 2

There are only 4 lunches this week because Alayna stayed home sick one day.  I've learned a few things....

1. Food tastes better and stays better if I pack it in the morning.  The night before I write on a notecard what goes in her lunch (Alayna helps me pick!!), and I put it together while the girls are eating breakfast.  It's worked fine!!  Some things that are packaged I'll put in the night before.  Then on the other side of the notecard I leave Alayna a little note!

2. She doesn't eat NEARLY as much at school compared to what I know she can eat at home.  The one day I sent a little less she ate EVERYTHING at school.  When it's too much food, she doesn't eat hardly anything.

3. I was sending a snack, but since she's not eating all her lunch.....she can finish her lunch at snack time!!

Here are her lunches this past week!!

Day 1: ham, cheese, and olive kabobs, strawberries, celery and carrots and mixed nuts for snack.
Verdict: Alayna thought this was too hard to eat?!?!  I was so confused.  She ate it at home though when she got home from school!

Day 2: She wanted something simpler.....string cheese, avocado and pb smoothie, grapes, and snap peas.
Verdict: She did ok....not feeling well still and the tube of smoothie made a big old mess.  Those will be saved for home!!!

Day 3: Grilled Chicken strips and BBQ sauce, sweet bell pepper, cinnamon apple slices, and roasted almonds.
Verdict: THIS WAS HER FAVORITE LUNCH ALL WEEK!!!  She ate everything AT school!!

Day 4: Pepperoni and cheese and whole grain crackers, grapes, carrots and snap peas, and gluten free, whole grain cookies we got from Love With Food!!
Verdict:  She didn't even eat the cookies!!  I don't know what happened today but she didn't eat much! 

Monday, August 10, 2015

Love With Food Subscription

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I am SUCH a nerd when it comes to food and trying new things.  I get giddy...enter Love With Food.  I'm kind of embarrassed to say how long it took me to initially choose a food subscription box.  There are SO many options out there, and ONE day I WILL try them all.  For now, Love With Food is what I get giddy over.  Here's WHY:

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-different size boxes plus a gluten free box
-different lengths of subscriptions
-you can "gift" one to yourself so you're not stuck with a subscription
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-for every box purchased, a meal is donated to a food bank
-you earn points to put toward more snacks
-you get to try things you wouldn't normally and can't find in stores oftentimes

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