I’ll be honest. I struggle with school lunches. My daughter brings her lunch every single day, and though I try to be creative, sometimes I’m just racing to get us both out the door. With this sponsored post from Hormel, I’m talking about kids enjoying their lunches and throwing a bit of creativity in there too.
It’s what parents fear – that kids will be trading the items in their lunchbox or even worse, throwing them away! The HORROR!
Joan Hanson, director of the Hormel Foods Test Kitchen, has a few tips to ensure kids enjoy their lunch.
- Make It Unique: Mix up the classic sandwich by using a whole grain bagel or wheat tortilla as the bread. Pile on preservative-free Hormel® Natural Choice® Deli Ham with kid-friendly condiments.
- Keep It “Cool”: A small frozen water bottle in a colorful insulated lunch bag will keep food cool and give your child needed fluid to get through recess.
- Leave Some Love: Add a note from home or a colorful sticker to add some fun and love to your child’s lunch.
One thing that I’ve loved doing recently is making Kid-friendly Non-Sushi rolls. It’s pretty much just a sandwich in a creative form. Kids love it! I started out making rolls with PB&J, but have now graduated to using all kinds of sandwich meats and toppings!
This week it was Smoked Ham & Avocado Non-Sushi Roll!
The star of the show was Hormel® Natural Choice® deli meats – we used Smoked Ham, but they come in so many varieties, including the new Cherrywood Smoked Ham and Sun-dried Tomato Turkey. I added fresh avocado as well. Super easy and a great take on a classic sandwich!
The reason I adore Hormel® Natural Choice® deli meats is that they contain zero preservatives and no artificial colors or flavors!
NO PRESERVATIVES! NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR FLAVORS!
Another thing I’ve been working on this year – sending hot lunches to school! I’ve snagged up some of these Thermos’, which keeps food warm for hours. Now I can send items like pasta! Great for variety with school lunches.
This past week I sent Hormel® Compleats® cheesy pasta – Smoky Bacon Parmesan Rigatoni! Made with real cheese, this new line is perfect for school lunches. It heats up in the microwave so quickly and you are ready to pack!
Varieties include: Macaroni and Cheese, Smoky Bacon Parmesan Rigatoni, Creamy Cheese and Basil Tortellini, Three Cheese Chicken Pasta, Cheesy Ravioli and Italian Herb and Cheese Rigatoni.
Other great options for school lunches:
- Hormel® pepperoni stix: these individually wrapped portions are the perfect size to pop in a lunchbox and are packed with protein. Also available in turkey pepperoni!
- Hormel® REV® wraps. NEW! Hormel® REV® wraps are the perfect after school snack to fuel an active lifestyle with 15 grams of protein or more in each wrap, providing real, sustaining energy. They are available in eight different varieties.
Do you have any great tips for school lunches?